Berlin Houdini User Group (BHUG) Fall Meetup

Dear Houdini Fans!

We are very excited to announce the return of the Berlin Houdini User Group (BHUG) hosted by Woodblock and sponsored by SideFX!

This meetup will bring together the local Houdini community with the common goal of sharing knowledge, connecting as a community, and inspiring each other.

When: Friday, October 17th, doors open at 6:30pm
Where: Woodblock Animation Studio, Kottbusser Damm 25-26.

• Come join us for an evening of fun, learning, and networking. Whether you're an experienced Houdini user or just starting out, we've got something for everyone. You'll get a chance to hang out with fellow artists, share your latest work, discuss challenges, and discover new techniques.
• There will be some snacks to be nibbled on, drinks to be inhaled, and SideFX merch to be given!

We have gathered some exciting presentations for the evening, and looking forward to sharing this time together!

Schedule | Speakers of the Evening

18:30 - Door Open
19:20 - Ilija, Helen Intro

19:30 - 20:00 : Lara Schifferdecker Presentation

From Oops To Output
How I’m Learning to Build Art-Directable FX

Lara studied at Mediadesign Hochschule here in Berlin and then joined Woodblock, first as an intern, later as a working student, and now as a Junior FX Artist. What really excites her about Houdini is the FX side of things: the procedural workflows, the problem-solving and just how endless the possibilities within the Programm. And when she´s not breaking simulations, she´s usually breaking tackles as an American Football Player with the Berlin Kobra Ladies and for the German national team.

20:00 - 20:30 : Jacqui Munoz Presentation

Rhythmic terrains: Abstracting and animating heightfields

Jacqui is a Berlin-based 3D designer from Melbourne. She is currently working at someform Studio and was previously at Man vs Machine in London. She’s heavily inspired by the natural interplay of light, physics, and composition, translating these everyday observations into both surreal simulations and realistic 3D visualizations.

20:30 - 21:00 : Break

21:00 - 21:30 : Felix Barthel Presentation

Displacement for render time Tree-FX

Hey, my name is Felix, and I’m a Houdini generalist who loves building large-scale environments as much as developing nitty-gritty procedural solutions for all kinds of problems. As long as it isn’t FX. I really don’t like what I turn into when doing FX.

22:00 - 22:30 : Daria Togunova Presentation

Threads That Bind: Procedural Embroidery with Attributes and VEX

Daria is a 3D designer and visual artist based in Berlin, originally from a small town in Russia. Her work blends technical precision with playful experimentation, using tools like Houdini, Cinema 4D, and TouchDesigner to create intricate digital worlds. She often draws on themes of memory, identity, and emotion, exploring them through tactile digital metaphors such as embroidery-inspired forms or pieces that reflect mental exhaustion. Alongside her collaborations with CATK, Daria is focusing more on personal projects and sharing her process with the creative community on social media.

For any additional remarks or questions, please e-mail us at [bhug@woodblock.tv](mailto:bhug@woodblock.tv)

We look forward to seeing you at this collaborative gathering of Houdini minds