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Volumetric FX for the 2D world of The Bad Guys 2

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Talk Intermediate

Zach Glynn, Nyoung Kim

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Description

Volumetric FX for the 2D world of The Bad Guys 2 is a SIGGRAPH 2026 Talks publication by DreamWorks Animation artists Zach Glynn and Nyoung Kim on volumetric effects that read hand-drawn while sitting in a 3D-lit feature film. The Bad Guys 2 pushes a hybrid look mixing rich geometry with flattened 2D shapes, so every smoke, cloud, and magic effect required bespoke stylization.

The authors present Geo Sprites and companion workflows that ingest 2D FX animation as placeable sprite geometry in 3D space, orienting cards to cameras and emitting compositing AOVs for light scattering and shadows directly from the tool. The talk covers collaboration between traditionally trained 2D animators and simulation-heavy TDs when demand for 2D FX outpaced specialist staffing.

It suits intermediate production engineers, effects TDs, and students interested in stylized feature animation pipelines. Familiarity with volumetric simulation terminology and compositing AOVs helps, though the session stays accessible as a case study.

The primary DOI page on ACM Digital Library is paywalled for many readers; SIGGRAPH Talks metadata and industry press summarize the same Geo Sprites motivation for remote attendees. Video or slides may appear through conference archives separately from the two-page abstract.

DreamWorks stylized FX talks from The Bad Guys franchise drew press coverage in animation trade press; Glynn and Kim's Geo Sprites workflow is discussed alongside related Doodle toolset presentations from the same production generation.