July, 2026 - Faz Business | فاز الأعمال

Best 32 Sites to Find Remote 3D Animation Artists and Freelance 3D Modeling Services

Posted on July 31, 2026 by faz_business

If you ever went searching online for 3D modeling design services or animation help, you understand; roulette: every now and then, you get the jackpot, and sometimes, well, let’s just say your “dream” candidate isn’t quite so dreamy. Don’t panic, though: rather than leave it to chance, we’ve applied our experience to compile the 32 best places to find 3D model and animation experts.

Whatever you require, it can be precise product mockup, photorealistic building rendering, or whimsical game animation character; we have something in here for you. Of course, we begin at the top, Cad Crowd, where engineering accuracy meets design accuracy, and then take you through a diverse set of marketplaces, single-studio studios, portfolio displays, and crowdsourcing websites.

Use this treasure map to the web’s finest 3D skill. Ready to begin your quest? Let us begin.

1. Cad Crowd

Cad Crowd is the place when you require a site where engineering skill is complemented by creativity and enthusiasm. Cad Crowd only trades pure engineering-level design, CAD modeling, and manufacturing-level 3D design services. Yes, be it designing proof-of-concept electronics enclosures, contracted-out product animation, or purchasing repeat CAD work, you’re paying individuals who comprehend tolerances, assembly mates, and the small detail-oriented pieces of things that kill or save a design. Cad Crowd selects its talent pool with care and pairs you with 3D animation freelancers based on project requirement and experience level. What’s the result? Less miscommunications, quicker turnaround, and results that hit just the sweet spot where artistic vision and technical precision cross.

Website: Cadcrowd.com

2. Domestika.org

Domestika.org is more like stepping into a celebration of creativity where creativity seeps from every nook and corner, and 3D designers occupy the center of it all. From being a platform for digital creatives and designers, Domestika has turned into the world’s leading platform to outsource freelance 3D animation designers and modeling specialists. What makes it stand out is that it feels like a community, artists don’t just show work, they also share ideas, concepts, and advice on side projects. That way, when you outsource here, you’re not just hiring designers, you’re getting designers who breathe design. It feels personal, it’s inspiring, and it’s a breath of fresh air from run-of-the-mill websites.

Website: Domestika.org

3. MovingStoneDigital.com

MovingStoneDigital. com is exactly such a hidden little secret coffeehouse where all the 3D artists gather, but in cyberspace, and there are no lattes, but amazing renders. You’re looking for freelance 3D animation prodigies; this site is finding a treasure trove of talent. Rather than struggling through dull directories, you’re matched with artists who can actually make your most unbelievable visions a reality; literally. A high-end product visualization? A moonwalking avatar? A building flythrough as silky as your last vacation photo presentation? Some pizzazz, personality, and just a dash of artistic oomph to start the magic in motion, MovingStoneDigital. com delivers.

Website: Movingstonedigital.com

4. VideoPixie

VideoPixie is the secret marketplace where fantasies of 3D animation and an announcement of a Netflix casting call collide. Rather than searching endlessly for someone, you get to view showreels that are effectively binge-watchable advertisements – but this time, you get to be the director. Whatever you require, a belly-laughing character animation, or a gasp-causing 3D model, VideoPixie allows you to choose between artists who’ve honed their skills on actual projects, not test renders. It’s fun, easy to work with, and elegantly un-stuffy. It’s matchmaking, but instead of cringe-worthy coffee dates, you receive back a beautiful animation that pays dividends.

Website: Videopixie.com

5. IllustrationX

IllustrationX can have you thinking of a location where you’d be looking for doodles of cats in colors, but it’s actually a desire to set you face-to-face with freelance 3D computer animators and independent 3D modelers who will turn your most fantastical notions into reality. With a reputation for providing the world’s best creative ability, the website is like a dating agency, but instead of disastrous dates, you receive beautiful renders, silky smooth animations, and artwork that can be the headline feature in the next big-name game or product launch. If you need characters, settings, or sci-fi gear, IllustrationX offers you time and hassle savings and allows you to contract artists who really “get it.”

Website: Illustrationx.com

6. Behance

Behance is essentially a stroll through a gigantic web art museum where each corner is teeming with pleasant imagination, and you can actually contact the artists rather than just ogling. From revolutionary 3D visualizations that look like they’re directly out of Pixar to breathtakingly hyper-realistic 3D models that make you think if your screen just materialized, Behance is where imagination pushes its way out. Unlike the “everybody’s-here” freelance platforms, on Behance you get to see a painter’s entire portfolio in color before you even get to meet them. It’s Tinder for 3D talent without cringe-worthy small talk and lovelier graphics.

Website: Behance.net

7. Anideos

Anideos is not about rearranging pixels, it’s where animation comes alive. If you’re tired of stiff 3D models and your project must be alive, you’ve arrived at the right site. The site enlists 3D animation rigging creatives who are used to bringing stories to character shorts, explainer videos, or an entire animated campaign. There is a warm, out-of-this-world feel to how they accomplish this, and this is also brought to bear on making collaboration as a nicer and less corporate experience. For starved agencies and brands looking for brand-new, story-rich 3D content that pops off the screen, Anideos is like finding the holy grail recipe for animated alchemy.

Website: Anideos.com

8. Toptal

Toptal was not a standard freelance website; it’s more akin to an upscale club where only the crème de la crème of talent manages to get beyond the velvet rope. That’s intimidating if you’re a freelancer, but for clients, it’s pure gold. Instead of scrolling through endless portfolios and questionable resumes, you’re paired with pros who know their craft inside and out. Need smooth 3D renders, refined animations, or production-quality assets? This is where companies that demand world-class results (and are willing to pay for it) come to browse. In addition to technical competence, Toptal freelancers also have excellent communication and project management capabilities to guarantee efficient delivery of projects.

Website: Toptal.com

9. 3D-Ace.com

3D-Ace. com is not your run-of-the-mill click-and-bid freelance shop; it’s more like getting a hidden ace up the sleeve to boost the brawn of your creative juices. This talented 3D rigging design studio will merge art and technical wizardry to produce assets so refined that even your horrid prototype can be transformed to appear and feel like a blockbuster trailer. Need cinematic animation on par with the great Pixar, or snarky game models like your morning latte, or beautiful product images that sell themselves pretty much? 3D-Ace does. And the cherry on top? It doesn’t even register that you’re outsourcing, it’s more of a collaboration with a creative colleague who is as staked in your project’s success as you are.

Website: 3d-ace-com

10. CarbonMade.com

CarbonMade.com is the trendy web coffee house of the creative crowd, where every portfolio has character. While stodgy, cookie-cutter websites, CarbonMade is for creatives who will not hide their oddities, but just their technical wizardry. And that makes it a pleasantly unexpected site to search for remote 3D animation artists and freelance 3D model masters who obviously love what they do. You’ll find portfolios that are mini-worlds in and of themselves, and you can assure you’ll find craftsmanship you won’t find on the typical marketplaces. It’s like window-shopping the galleries without the expensive lattes.

Website: Carbonmade.com

11. 300Mind.studio

300Mind.studio isn’t just another design studio; it’s the buddy who always has the coolest ideas, all honed and ready to blow your mind (pun intended). A 3D modeling design and animation professional, this artistic force multiplier doubles businesses with artists who can turn “meh” concepts into jaw-dropping visuals. Need a product design that looks like it was hastily drawn on the back of a napkin during an uninspiring meeting? Or animated movie that will leave your audience glued to their seats? 300Mind’s your guy. They marry art and strategy, so your project isn’t just lovely – but useful as well. In short, if fantasy had a playground, it would be here.

Website: 300Mind.com

12. Twine.net

Twine.net feels a bit like a creative dating app; but instead of awkward coffee dates, you’re matching with skilled 3D animation artists and freelance 3D modelers who actually know how to make your project look like a Pixar short instead of a PowerPoint clipart disaster. The site is brimming with A-list talent, ranging from designers with the ability to create knock-your-socks-off characters to artists with the skill to detail product animations like a latte art design. Mega marketplaces are rummaging through an online garage sale, but Twine keeps them in order and at hand. If Oscar-quality sparkle or hip 3D cool is what your business demands, Twine’s your backstage pass.

Website: Twine.net

13. ArtStation

ArtStation is where the best of the best video game, movie, and concept artists publish their portfolios for everyone to access. Imagine browsing through cool 3D turntables, high-resolution stills, or even texture overviews in your hand. For anyone who has to find character artists, environment modelers, or animators, ArtStation is sponsoring an online parade of talent. The beauty of this site is that it’s so open: you get to view a whole range of an artist’s work before you contact them. ArtStation also has a job board and messaging system, so you can click from viewing a breathtaking render to hiring its creator in just a few clicks.

Website: Artstation.com

14. TurboSquid

In a bind and need a pre-fabbed 3D asset? TurboSquid’s where you’ll find rigged characters, hi-poly scenes, and pre-animated models for direct download. Shutterstock’s subsidiary, TurboSquid is great if you’re short on time and money and want to purchase pre-made models. The catch is: many artists selling on TurboSquid also do custom commissions. So if you see a style that you enjoy but want it to be customized, you can usually one-on-one with the artist. For companies struggling in the middle of timelines, TurboSquid is a simple package of speed, value, and access to good 3D professionals.

Website: Turbosquid.com

15. Sketchfab

Sketchfab changed this by enabling you to view 3D models interactively in your browser. No downloading, no desktop application – just spin, zoom, and examine the geometry right there on the page. That in itself makes it a good spot to engage in 3D design talent spotting, since you can actually measure how good they actually are. The majority of artists on Sketchfab will do custom work, so you can go from looking at their portfolio and being like, “Yes, I like what I see,” to paying them for new assets. If you’re building AR/VR or real-time worlds, Sketchfab is a treasure trove, as more of the assets are already pre-optimized for interactivity.

Website: Sketchfab.com

16. Renderosity

Renderosity is rather a community than a marketplace, more akin to entering a lively virtual coffee shop where each table has someone sitting at it who is a 3D artist with personality, many of whom are experts in Daz or Poser. The asset library is huge, sure, but the magic happens on the forums. That is where artists exchange tips, critique and compliment one another’s work, and even accept custom orders with a grin. If your project is more stylized characters, morphs, or duds, this is the sandbox that you should be playing in. It’s not merely buy-and-sell, it’s co-operative, creative dynamo funneled into a community that truly wishes to make 3D magic happen.

Website: Renderosity.com

17. DeviantArt

DeviantArt is among the earliest art communities on the internet, and it still remains a place to locate alternative 3D artists. Most of the artists began there and still upload new content with devoted fan bases. The variety is amazing – some artists integrate 2D concept art with 3D models, but others do stylized or experimental pieces. DeviantArt hiring will give you very unique assets that aren’t generic art. For single-independent projects, game prototypes, or ground-breaking branding campaigns, DeviantArt gives crazy creativity not found anywhere else.

Website: Devianart.com

18. Coroflot

Coroflot shines when you require industrial designers and product-focused 3D modelers. Rather than the generic portfolios one normally sees, the majority of people here exhibit showcases with proof of their thinking process, manufacturing background, and pipeline experience. That makes Coroflot a great choice if you’re transitioning from concept art into production or prototyping. Portfolios usually come with close-up sketches, CAD screen shots, and even material choice comments. For businesses that want to close the gap between design and producibility, Coroflot has an inventory of hands-on, grassroots creative talent.

Website: Coroflot.com

19. The Rookies

The Rookies is where you upload your portfolio to find new talent straight from the junior schools and studios. It’s where animation legends in the making start. The website is filled with raw-around-the-edges portfolios, bite-sized shorts, and quirky indie game assets.

Yes, the work will be raw, but it’s often bursting with energy, new ideas, and novel strategies. If you’re on a budget or want to collaborate with hungry young 3D rendering artists, The Rookies is a goldmine. You’ll find people eager to grow their reels while injecting creative energy into your project.

Website: Therookies.co

20. Gig4U.co

Gig4U.co isn’t public knowledge yet, but it’s fast becoming a best-kept secret for 3D outsourcing. The platform pairs clients with freelancers worldwide, depending on whether you need an ad hoc one-off character or longer-term commission for animations. The website is easy to use, and the freelancers are accommodating and tend to offer short-term jobs and long-term commissions. The site is enhanced in the variety of the talent pool – artists can work on various sizes of projects, budget, and timeline. For hassle-free quality organizations, Gig4U.co is worth a try.

Website: Gig4u.co

21. RocketReach.co

RocketReach isn’t a typical freelance website – it’s more of a search engine for talent. If you’re tired of sifting through dozens of portfolios, RocketReach lets you purchase the contact information of the professionals you’d like to hire on the fly. In 3D modeling and animation, that’s revolutionary. Instead of posting an ad and waiting around for no one, you can get out there and pursue the artists you’re interested in – veterans at studios or beginners. It’s steroids for networking, allowing you to track down precisely the creative mind you’re looking for.

Website: Rocketreach.co

22. FreelanceHunt.com

FreelanceHunt is a little, more personal community-type site where clients and freelancers work together in a snug setting. While the big sites are intimidating, FreelanceHunt’s setting is comfortable and welcoming to help better foster real relationships with 3D artists. From character animation services and product models to architectural visualization, the skill base is varied. There are open feedbacks, decent prices, and a general work-friendly atmosphere. In case you want a personalized, hassle-free experience, FreelanceHunt.com is a site that you may prefer to discover.

Website: Freelancehunt.com

23. Kwork.com

Kwork provides pre-designed packages known as “kworks.” Need a character created, a product animated, or an architectural walk-through? Just browse packages for sale, view prices immediately, and click to book. It takes the back-and-forth drudgery out of freelancing. For business-to-business firms on a tight deadline, Kwork is an online retailing of 3D design services – quick, transparent, and easy.

Website: Kwork.com

24. YunoJuno.com

YunoJuno is a high-end, human-gumshoe freelance marketplace. Instead of being overwhelmed by options, you’re presented with a smaller, rigidly screened collection of concept 3D modelers and animators. The platform also handles paperwork, payments, and compliance, allowing you to get more out of doing less admin and worry more about coming up with new ideas. For companies that want quality, best-of-breed freelancers but are wary of big sites’ herd mentality, YunoJuno is a success. Its business-grade management features and simplicity make it an ideal choice for long-term collaborations.

Website: Yunojuno.com

25. WeAreDistributed.org

WeAreDistributed.org is a community rather than a marketplace. It brings clients together with 3D artists worldwide who prefer to work within virtual, collaborative worlds. The power of the site lies in the personalized tone – rather than clicking through a couple of hundred boilerplate profiles, you’re working with freelancers who are enthusiastic about what they do. Whether you need character animation, product visualizations, or architectural materials, WeAreDistributed provides a priceless blend of professionalism and creativity.

Website: Wearedistributed.org

26. Game-Ace

Game-Ace is not just another studio churning out 3D products; it’s as if you have a complete creative team in the palm of your hand. Whether you’re producing a brain-bending video game, brain-bending VR experience, or a photo-realistic simulation, this website gets you connected with 2D & 3D modelers and animators who don’t merely “take orders.” Instead, they dive in with both feet on your concepts, stoking conversation, developing concepts, and adding some magic until what you saw in your head comes to life. Not outsourcing but co-steering your own blockbuster with people as passionate as you are. If collaboration is your thing, Game-Ace might just be your favorite creative dynamite.

Website: Game-ace.com

27. Contra

Contra flips the freelancing job on its side by never dipping into commissions in the beginning – freelancers get to take home 100% of their hard-earned money. That leaves room for additional late-night lattes, smiley creatives, and clients who don’t feel like they’ve sold the house just to pay for logo design services or a 3D model. Profiles are portfolio-driven and seriously eye-grabbing, so you can spot genuine talent faster than it takes to scroll through the likes of cat meme pages. For businesses, Contra is an affordable recruitment heaven with no hidden costs and outrageous markups. It’s basically a win-win playground where creatives thrive, clients get their money’s worth, and everyone goes home with a smile on their face.

Website: Contra.com

28. PeoplePerHour

PeoplePerHour is the drive-thru equivalent of freelance platforms, but rather than fries, you’re placing an order for a 3D render. It does have its tidier “hourlies” feature where pre-priced bundles of service can be bought at a negotiated fee without all the to-ing and fro-ing emailing. If you require a pristine product model, Instagram-grade animation, or fast renders that won’t keep you waiting, the cost and turnaround time are clearly laid out upfront, no surprises. It’s perfect for enterprises that are starved for speed and assurance without the hassle of negotiating. Yes, sure, the site does also do large projects, but it’s its sleeper killer to make small jobs easy deals – quick, open-and-shut, and incredibly satisfying.

Website: Peopleperhour.com

29. Guru

Guru doesn’t scream “flashy,” but geez does know how to handle a lean machine. The site is for professionals who like having their projects safe, neat and tidy compartmentalized, and humming along like a finely tuned engine. With milestone tracking, versioning, and NDAs as simple as it’s amazing more of the world doesn’t do them that tough, Guru is the behind-the-scenes hero behind high-end 3D production. Want to be routine, like regular exports of models or sanity-saving feedback loops? Guru keeps things all together. Picture the never-fazed project manager who never ever misses a deadline. Professionalism and openness here aren’t advantages – they’re the norm, and they’re priceless.

Website: Guru.com

30. Freelancer.com

Freelancer attempts to offer all forms of freelance 2D & 3D design projects, but when it comes to 3D animation, it’s lacking in that area. The site is so immense that legitimate animation experts are overwhelmed by thousands of providers who have nothing to do with the task. Clients complain about bid wars that keep the price down at the expense of quality. Even if you managed to recruit a 3D animator somehow, the scale is too extensive to incorporate normal consistency or skilled skill sets. If you require top-shelf, professional-grade animation services, Freelancer is not where you should look for your best assets. It’s too vast to excel in upper-end creative industries.

Website: Freelancer.com

31. Fiverr

Fiverr is always mentioned when freelancing is the subject matter, but in 3D animation, it is not an option. The site is extremely wide open, from logos to voiceover, so the technical quality of animation can be a hit or a miss. Most of the “gigs” are done in terms of speed and price, not profound creative work. Even when you do get a couple of good animators, much trial and error can go down before you’re able to locate a person with some serious 3D skills. Seriously, Fiverr is only good for one-off, fast jobs – not high-quality, specialized 3D animation.

Website: Fiverr.com

32. Upwork

Upwork is an enormous freelance market in nearly every possible category. That same mass is also its detriment to 3D animation. Because it’s so generalized, you’ll find a flood of profiles, but only a small portion are truly skilled in animation or modeling. Sifting through seemingly infinite proposals and resumes can be a job in itself. And even though the site gives some quality vetting options, clients have been known to complain about inconsistency. If your work needs specialty 3D CAD skills, Upwork is not the place. It’s actually more of a catch-all website than one that specifically deals with professional animation professionals.

Website: Upwork.com

Bottom Line

Finding the right 3D animation artist or model expert doesn’t need to be as difficult as trying to locate a needle in a haystack – you simply need to know where to start. Design skill websites such as Cad Crowd and niche creative communities will always win out over wide, general freelance sites that attempt to cover too much ground. The secret is to find the level of complexity in your project that is matched to a group that can create it. Avoid the free marketplaces where quality is not typically found, and go directly to the areas where 3D lives and breathes. That is where your project gets realized. Contact us now for a free quote!

MacKenzie Brown is the founder and CEO of Cad Crowd. With over 18 years of experience in launching and scaling platforms specializing in CAD services, product design, manufacturing, hardware, and software development, MacKenzie is a recognized authority in the engineering industry. Under his leadership, Cad Crowd serves esteemed clients like NASA, JPL, the U.S. Navy, and Fortune 500 companies, empowering innovators with access to high-quality design and engineering talent.

Connect with me: LinkedIn ✦ X ✦ Cad Crowd

World Of Warcraft Is Coming To D&D, And Will Let You Grind Renown Just Like The MMO

Posted on July 31, 2026 by faz_business

World of Warcraft is getting the Dungeons & Dragons treatment, with the iconic tabletop roleplaying game set to translate developer Blizzard’s popular MMORPG into a proper pencil-and paper-experience this November.

D&D: World of Warcraft is bringing a lot to the table, with everything a dungeon master might potentially need to create an Azeroth campaign. For starters, all 13 WoW classes will be playable, with six additional subclasses, three modified ones, and over 40 class specializations to choose from. The expansion additionally adds 11 WoW races (or species, as they are called in D&D), including tauren, draenei, forsaken, and trolls, along with WoW-specific rules for existing D&D races like humans, dwarves, goblins, orcs, and elves.

“From Azeroth’s ancient races to newcomers from distant realms, these species bring a wide range of histories, cultures, and perspectives to your adventures,” Blizzard writes in its announcement. “Your choice of species can even grant a starting Renown Score with one of Azeroth’s factions–so whether you ride out ‘For the Horde! or ‘For the Alliance!’, your allegiance is baked into your origin.”

Blizzard’s MMO is filled with iconic spells, items, and enemies, and D&D: World of Warcraft includes those as well. There will be over 60 new spells added as part of the expansion, as well 25 new magic items that include mounts and companion creatures.

D&D’s spin on WoW even attempts to replicate some of the gameplay and systems longtime players of the MMO are all too familiar with. The expansion adds 10 WoW professions to choose from, allowing players to spend their downtime crafting items or improving their gear. There are even 25 different factions that players can grind out Renown with. Just like in WoW proper, increasing Renown with a faction will grant perks and rewards for those who the climb ranks.

On the monster front, 50 new monsters are being added as part of the setting alongside 30 dungeon bosses. Seven of WoW’s most iconic dungeons will be playable, including the Deadmines, Onyxia’s Lair, and the Scarlet Monastery. An optional Icecrown Citadel Adventure Map Pack will also be available–one that will carry players level 16-20 from the lower spire of the citadel to the Frozen Throne and a confrontation with the Lich King himself.

For WoW players who aren’t keen on sitting down at the table, there are still a few reasons to take notice. Preordering certain editions, including the D&D: World of Warcraft Ultimate Bundle or Collector’s Edition, unlocks D&D-themed items in WoW, including a Black Dragon mount, Gazer pet, Mimic chest toy, and Mimic chest housing decor. The cheapest option for snagging the in-game items according to the official D&D Beyond website appears to be by preordering the $80 physical and digital combo edition.

D&D: World of Warcraft will release November 17, with early access beginning November 3. In other WoW news, Blizzard will be adding the viral Jimothy to the MMORPG in the game’s next update, while a Blizzard employee was recently fired for allegedly helping a group of players cheat in a Mythic+ dungeon.

The Friday Roundup – Effects as Transitions and Talking Head Tips

Posted on July 31, 2026 by faz_business

How to Use an Effect as a Transition and Combine Effects in PowerDirector

My favorite line in this tutorial is that you don’t need a transition (noun) to transition (verb)!

One of the problems with video editing terminology is that very often it is not defined comprehensively at the time it is being used and transitions are a great example of this.

If you simply cut from one shot to the next without anything in between, that’s still a transition.

You have just transitioned from one shot to the next.

The way the terms is most often used is in reference to small effects that come pre-packaged with most software that are designed to be inserted between cuts.

So these are called transitions and are designed to transition from one shot to another.

That in turn lead people to believe that the only way to transition is by using one of those preset transitions but that is not the case by any means.

Check out the video below where effects are used as transitions instead.

How to Add a Film-burn Transition – Movavi Ideas

There is a misconception these days that in order to pull off advanced effects you need an advanced video editing app.

In reality that’s not really true.

The thing is with some of the more simple video editors is that pretty much anything can be achieved as long as you know how.

The video below is a good example of that in that there would be an expectation that a specific transition or effect would be necessary to pull off that effect.

Check out the video and you can see that it is a simple procedure as long as you know how and could pretty much be done in any video editing software at almost any level.

How to Make Your First YouTube Video (Talking Head Guide)

This is another totally awesome guide from Gabriel VIP specifically on how to create a great looking Talking Head video.

In the title he says for YouTube but really these rules apply to any social media platform where you are going to post it.

There are a lot of videos out there giving individual tips and tricks and most likely if you watched them all… you would end up totally confused!

Apply this one start to finish and you will be well set for success.

Filmora 15.6 Teleprompter Tutorial – Record Videos Without Memorizing Scripts

A few weeks back now I mentioned in a Friday Roundup that Filmora had updated (as usual!) and had added some new features to the Screen Recording app that comes with the program.

It was actually a bit more than an update and seemed to be a total rework of that module altogether.

One of the key new features was the ability to have a teleprompter overlay the screen as you are recording which I think is a pretty cool idea.

Here’s look at it in action and how it works.

7 CapCut Settings Fixing Bad Audio Right Now

Although CapCut was originally developed specifically for creating TikTok videos by the owners of TikTok Bytedance, it is still a pretty good all-round editor.

Since its beginnings the capabilities of the app have been developed and extended so writing it off as TikTok editor is a bit unfair.

In the video below you can see some of the audio features available in the program so you can get an idea of what it can do.

Filmora Beginners Guide 2026 – Everything You Need Before Your First Edit

A couple of new videos this week from the A.I fake people from Filmora!

OK, so excuse the sarcasm but really, they don’t need to use their own A.I features quite so much from my point of view.

Filmora is a great video editor and reliance on using A.I to create these videos is a bit over the top in my opinion.

Anyhoo, A.I. considerations aside, there are pretty good videos to introduce the latest iterations of filmora and the tool available.

If you are totally now to the program, are looking to maybe use it or are an existing user then these are a great reference point for working effectively within the app itself.

Don’t let my A.I. cynicism put you off, it is actually worth taking a look at!

A Guide to the Effects in Filmora

The Art of Motion Graphics for Editors

So first up here I have to let you know that the effects being demonstrated in the video below were all done in After Effects by Adobe.

Now personally I wouldn’t touch an Adobe product connected to a subscription model with a barge pole!

That’s definitely a blurb for another post and not really relevant to the subject at hand!

What this video does do is give some great tips and idea for bringing a still motion image in a video project to life using motion graphics ideas.

So in watching it, bear in mind that the ideas are the important part here, not the software being used.

Having said that I still do recommend Premiere Elements for consumer level editing as it sits outside the whole Adobe subscription quicksand.

Fusion Is MUCH Easier Than You Think… Let Me Show You

Mercifully the work I do in the main never requires me to do anything in the Fusion Page of DaVinci Resolve!

My Fusion skills could be be described as somewhat limited but in reality I think that’s being pretty generous.

Having said that my recommendation is to NOT be like me!

Really, the Fusion Page along with the Color Page are the two most powerful modules in Resolve and of you are not using them both, you are leaving a lot of capability on the table.

So in the interests of improving you editing skills (but not so much mine) here are some basic tips on getting to grips with that beast.

This One Trick Stops You Sounding Like You’re Reading a Script

One of the first problems I had to deal with when I started shooting videos for my wife and ultimately clients was that deer in the headlights look they all had.

In my experience there are very few people who can just get in front of a camera and be totally relaxed.

One of the first strategies I employed was to start using a teleprompter which I through at the time, would solve the problem entirely.

How wrong I was!

The result of using a teleprompter was that I now had a person who looked reasonably relaxed BUT!

That reasonably relaxed person was now very obviously reading the teleprompter and it was not a good look!

Here are a few tips to get that stiff reading style out of the way and appear more natural.

Key Takeaways

Transitions in video editing don’t always require preset effects; cutting from one shot to another still counts as a transition.
Using effects instead of traditional transitions can enhance your video editing, as shown in tutorials for PowerDirector and Movavi.
New features in Filmora introduce a teleprompter to help with video recordings, improving performance without the need for memorization.
CapCut has evolved beyond being just a TikTok editor, offering comprehensive audio editing capabilities.
Understanding motion graphics can significantly improve video projects, even when using non-Adobe software like Premiere Elements.

The San Francisco 49ers and Acronis #TeamUp to secure Microsoft 365, Google Workspace and critical data

Posted on July 31, 2026 by faz_business

Critical business data is rarely in one place anymore.

For organizations running on Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, virtual machines, and department-specific systems, backup and recovery can quickly become difficult to coordinate.

As data is spread across locations and platforms, IT teams need confidence that the right information can be restored quickly when operations depend on it.

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Pixel Watch 4 LTE drops to $349.99 in one of its best deals yet

Posted on July 31, 2026 by faz_business

Rita El Khoury / Android Authority

Amazon has knocked $100 off the Google Pixel Watch 4 (41mm, LTE), dropping it to $349.99 from its $449.99 recommended retail price. That is a 22% discount relative to the RRP, and it is one of the strongest prices we have seen outside of Prime Day.

The only time it was cheaper was during that sale, and even then, it was just $5 less. It also stands out against the last 30 days, when the watch sat at $449.99. If this is the model you have been waiting for, now looks like a smart time to grab it.

This version is the 41mm LTE model, so it is built for standalone calls, texts, and data without needing your phone nearby. It includes 4G LTE, Bluetooth 6.0, dual-band Wi-Fi, NFC, and ultra-wideband. Recent listings also point to upgraded safety and communication tools, including satellite SOS support in supported regions.

The 41mm case fits wrists around 130 to 210mm and weighs about 31g without the band, which helps keep it light on the wrist. Google currently shows color options, including Silver/Iris, Gold/Lemongrass, Moonstone, Porcelain, and Black/Obsidian. Google is also promoting carrier support for LTE, with some offers including bundled mobile data incentives for the LTE version.

The Pixel Watch 4 also carries a 4.4 out of 5 review score, which gives this deal even more weight. At $349.99 on Amazon, this is a strong chance to save on Google’s LTE smartwatch without waiting around for another major sales event.

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D&D finally goes back to its most hardcore setting with new ‘mature’ product line

Posted on July 31, 2026 by faz_business

It’s a new age for Dungeons & Dragons, or at least, that’s the message that the game and its parent company, Wizards of the Coast, are pushing after the D&D Vision Keynote 2027 at this year’s Gen Con. Among the news and exciting announcements that will shape the course of D&D for the next year or more, one stands out as the most hardcore: D&D is going back to Dark Sun, and no punches will be pulled.

Among the many campaign settings created for D&D, Dark Sun and its world of Athas are the most controversial. To get an idea of the vibes, think of Mad Max or, for the old-school anime fans, Fist of the North Star. This is a desolate, post-apocalyptic world where evil has won and heroes mostly fight for survival rather than salvation. Slavery is also rampant, which is likely one of the reasons why D&D has not returned to the setting since a 4th edition sourcebook was released in 2010. Many fans feared that, if the company ever decided to publish new official Dark Sun products, the gritty, dark fantasy themes and elements of the setting would get sanded down to cater to modern sensibilities. They were wrong.

A short teaser trailer revealed during Gen Con begins with what could only be described as a Mortal Kombat fatality. The abundance of gore, eviscerations, and ultra-violence make it clear that this is a product for adults — if the mature content warning message wasn’t enough. The discussion and artwork that were shown to fans also seem to confirm that Athas has not changed. This is still a world devastated by a magical disaster, where immortal sorcerer-kings rule with an iron fist over isolated city states.

Dark Sun will be the centerpiece of D&D’s Season of Survival in 2027. Three books will be released: the setting expansion Edge of Oblivion (a campaign sourcebook aimed at Dungeon Masters), the gameplay expansion Blood and Power (which will contain most of the rules and player-focused content), and a limited edition of the 5.5 edition Player’s Handbook featuring dedicated Dark Sun art. If you thought that the art in the PHB was too fanciful for your tastes, then this is a great chance to give it a gritty upgrade. One of the big new features will be a new character class, the Psion, which will bring psionics back into the game outside of subclasses, specific feats, and a few stray spells.

The D&D team made it clear that one of their big focuses for the future is to make sure that the game caters to all types of players. The return to Dark Sun signifies that players’ requests for more mature content have not been ignored, and it won’t end with the world of Athas. At GenCon, actor and newly-appointed CEO of the D&D Icons line, Joe Manganiello, unveiled his homebrew campaign setting, Death Saves. This is now an official D&D product, inspired by Manganiello’s home campaign and his line of clothing. The heavy metal, dark fantasy vibes are quite evident.

There is a lot to be excited about, but as a fan of the original Dark Sun products, I hope that D&D won’t simply treat this as an ultra-violent gimmick. The origins of the setting actually harken back to environmental activism: Athas is a grim cautionary tale about the dangers of the unethical exploitation of natural resources and the disasters brought by the unchecked accumulation of power in the hands of the few.

Anthropic says its own AI models breached three companies during security tests

Posted on July 31, 2026 by faz_business

Anthropic said Thursday that an internal investigation uncovered three incidents in which its AI model Claude breached the systems of three organizations while conducting cybersecurity tests. The investigation, and disclosure, comes more than a week after OpenAI disclosed that one of its unreleased models breached Hugging Face’s systems during internal testing.

In all three cases, a Claude model reached the internet from within a testing environment while interacting with a third party and then gained unauthorized access to the live systems of these organizations, Anthropic said in a blog post, describing what it found and what the company plans to change to prevent this from happening again.

Anthropic said the OpenAI episode earlier this month prompted the company to conduct its own cybersecurity evaluation. It specifically looked for evidence that Claude had accessed the internet from within testing environments, which are designed to act as sandboxes and keep models isolated.

Among the 141,006 evaluation runs it reviewed, the AI lab found three incidents in which its model accessed the internet while interacting with Irregular, one of its third-party partners. Anthropic said the access traced back to a misconfiguration in the evaluation environment run with Irregular. It called this a “misunderstanding” between the two companies over whether the test setup had internet access, when in fact it did.

Anthropic said it isn’t placing blame and is “approaching the fixes as if the responsibility were ours alone,” while observing that Irregular is conducting its own separate investigation.

Because of that open connection, the model gained unauthorized access to the production infrastructure of three different organizations. Anthropic said the incidents involved three different Claude models: Opus 4.7, Mythos 5, and an internal research test model.

Notably, Anthropic said that in each of these cases “Claude was explicitly told by our prompt that it had no internet access.” It appears that the AI model assumed real-world systems to be part of the exercise it was asked to perform.

That assumption didn’t hold up uniformly, as it turns out. The three models didn’t behave the same way once evidence emerged that their targets were real, which Anthropic flagged as one of the more eye-opening findings Thursday.

Opus 4.7, the oldest of the three, recognized that it had reached a real production system in all four runs of that incident. In two of them, it rationalized that the real company must somehow be part of the exercise, but in all four, it kept attacking anyway, including pulling credentials and touching a database of production data. Mythos 5 also picked up on signs that it was on the real internet, but it talked itself back into believing it was still in a simulation, going on to publish a malicious software package to the public Python software registry PyPI, which was then downloaded and run by outside systems before being caught. Only the internal research test model, Anthropic’s newest, stopped on its own once it concluded the target was real.

In response, Anthropic said significant controls must be placed on these kinds of evaluations if powerful AI models are involved, echoing some sentiments within the cybersecurity community.

The company also noted that Claude was running without the additional safety monitoring and classifiers it deploys on generally available models — safeguards it said would have blocked the behavior, because the evaluations are designed to measure the underlying model’s raw capabilities.

Importantly, Anthropic said it found no evidence of any model “pursuing a goal of its own” and instead merely tried to complete the task it was asked to do.

Though comparisons between the mishaps of these fiercely competitive companies are inevitable, Anthropic in its blog post drew a clear distinction between its cybersecurity tests and those of OpenAI, noting where OpenAI’s model exploited an unknown software vulnerability to break out of its test environment, Anthropic’s models instead reached the internet through a path that had, by mistake, been left open.

Anthropic also drew a distinction between itself and OpenAI by noting that it discovered the incidents itself, through a proactive review, and that the two affected organizations it was able to reach hadn’t previously detected the activity or flagged it to Anthropic. (In contrast, Hugging Face detected the recent intrusion of its own systems first; it was only in the following days that OpenAI identified and disclosed that its own AI agent was the perpetrator.)

The company added that it’s now working with the independent evaluation group METR on a third-party review of the incidents.

OpenAI’s accidental breach of Hugging Face, which was the first verifiable case of an AI lab losing control of its model, has sparked a string of wildly differing reactions from the industry and politicians. This latest disclosure from Anthropic ensures the debate over AI models and security will continue.

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Midnight Moments is a cyberpunk diorama builder for the neon sign and drizzly rain lovers

Posted on July 30, 2026 by faz_business

I’m finding the relatively recent trend of supposedly calming diorama builders in games to be an interesting one in that there’s a clear desire amongst creatively inclined folks to be crafting something in virtual environments, just not necessarily at scale. Just this week I wrote about Sandcastle, a literal sandbox game where you build sandcastles, and of course there’s Tiny Glade too which good ole Christian Donlan loved. And now there’s Midnight Moments, a cyberpunk diorama builder that has me thinking about the function of these games.

For starters, a bit about how Midnight Moments, out now, appears to work. It is not just as simple as plonking down prefab buildings and calling it a day, it gets a lot more granular than that. You are presented with a grid-based space upon which you can place blocks of buildings and other decorative pieces such as streetlamps, people, trees, cars both flying and not, graffiti, and of course a cyberpunk staple, glowing neon lights.

Watch on YouTube

Like most of the cyberpunk scenes we envision in our minds’ eyes, it’s set at nighttime, a steady drizzle of rain hitting the tiny section of a city you’ve built at every moment. There is a comfort to be found here, I’m just uncertain of the kind of comfort that’s being put on display. An all too common issue within the cyberpunk genre is the eradication of the second part of the word, the punk element, the slightly more revolutionary part.

This isn’t a complete knock on the game, as there’s certainly an interesting friction to be found there. And given that it’s a building game, I wonder if you can lean into that tension by carving out a cyberpunk city that is somewhat hostile to its environment, that beneath the neon-soaked streets is something a bit grimier. Is it possible to bump heads with Midnight Moments and move away from the cozy atmosphere it describes itself with, and into something a tad more confrontational? I don’t know! I’d need a bit more time to figure that out, but even with my reservations it’s an interesting little game.

You can pick up Midnight Moments on Steam right now (for less than a cup of coffee, I should add).

early results from real developer workflows

Posted on July 30, 2026 by faz_business

July 29, 2026 by Faith Xu

In VS Code, we’re working to help you get more done with AI-assisted coding while making every token count. That means improving the entire experience, from the models we use to the product and infrastructure behind them, so you have options that fit different workflows, performance needs, and budgets.
In The Coding Harness Behind GitHub Copilot in VS Code, we explained how VS Code’s coding harness connects the model, tools, and editor experience to help the model work most effectively.

In this post, we look at how specifically training models for VS Code’s harness can further improve quality and efficiency. The model we focus on is MAI-Code-1-Flash, Microsoft’s lightweight coding model built for the fast, iterative coding tasks developers perform every day in GitHub Copilot. Since the model’s introduction at Build, it has been running in production alongside leading coding models, giving us an early look at how it performs in real developer workflows.

The results show that pairing MAI-Code-1-Flash with the VS Code coding harness delivers strong coding quality with lower token usage, helping developers get more from their usage limits.

Quality and efficiency in production

When evaluating coding models, quality and efficiency matter. A model that uses fewer tokens lowers cost, but those savings are more valuable if developers can still accomplish their tasks effectively. The goal is to strike the right balance: strong coding quality while using tokens efficiently.

To understand how MAI-Code-1-Flash performs in that tradeoff, we analyzed aggregate data from developers who selected each model in VS Code Copilot Chat. We looked at both the quality of the generated code and how efficiently developers reached a durable result. For quality, we measured whether developers accepted generated suggestions and whether that code remained after active editing and at commit. For efficiency, we measured the median number of tokens generated per conversation turn and the median number of turns needed to reach a commit.

The results suggest that MAI-Code-1-Flash strikes an effective balance between quality and efficiency. It outperforms Claude Haiku 4.5 and GPT-5.4 Mini on quality. Larger-sized GPT-5.6 Luna and Kimi K2.7 Code achieve quality advantages, but require 67% to 94% more tokens per turn as well as more turns per commit.

Model	Code survival rate	Commit survival rate	Accept rate	Tokens per turn	Turns per commit
MAI-Code-1-Flash	Baseline (0%)	Baseline (0%)	Baseline (0%)	Baseline (0%)	Baseline (0%)
Claude Haiku 4.5	-2%	-8%	-10%	-10%	+28%
GPT 5.4 Mini	-3%	-8%	-7%	+7%	+17%
GPT 5.6 Luna	+3%	+3%	+4%	+67%	+17%
Kimi K2.7 Code	+4%	+6%	-6%	+94%	+11%

Data from users who selected each model in VS Code Copilot Chat between 6/2/26 and 7/24/26.
Metric definitions: Code survival rate = percentage of AI-generated code retained after 10 minutes of active editing. Commit survival rate = percentage of AI-generated code retained at Git commit. Accept rate = percentage of AI-generated suggestions accepted by the user. Tokens per turn = median number of tokens generated by the model per conversation turn (a single request-response exchange). Turns per commit = median number of conversation turns a user completes before reaching a Git commit.

Validating the results with Auto flights

As another way to validate the aggregated usage data, we ran A/B flights through the Auto model experience in VS Code Copilot Chat. Auto assigns models without requiring developers to select one, helping us isolate the model’s impact from differences in who chooses each model or the tasks they use it for. We then looked at engagement and repeat usage as signals of whether developers found the experience useful enough to keep using.

The results reinforced the same story. MAI-Code-1-Flash drove stronger engagement while remaining more token efficient than other lightweight models. Users were 6% more likely to return within two days than with GPT-5.4 Mini and 11% more likely than with Claude Haiku 4.5. Despite higher engagement, median token usage was 13% lower than GPT-5.4 Mini and 11% lower than Claude Haiku 4.5. In other words, people used MAI-Code-1-Flash more, and it still cost less to run.

Comparison	User-initiated turns	2-day repeat usage	4-day repeat usage	Total tokens
Claude Haiku 4.5	-5%	-11%	-37%	+11%
GPT 5.4 Mini	No statistically significant difference	-6%	-13%	+13%

Taken together, the production metrics and Auto flights highlight the role MAI-Code-1-Flash is designed to play: delivering strong results on simple coding tasks while using tokens efficiently. To close, let’s take a closer look at the model and the workflows it was built to support.

Designed for the way developers work

MAI-Code-1-Flash was developed to work closely with the VS Code coding harness and the real-world workflows it supports. It’s particularly well-suited for lightweight, iterative work such as exploring code, making incremental changes, generating or refining tests, and fixing bugs. Its adaptive solution length keeps responses concise for simple requests and goes deeper only when needed. This means it delivers useful output faster, while also improving token efficiency.

The model was trained from scratch using clean, traceable data, without distillation from third-party models. The model will continue to improve over time based on aggregated usage signals from consumer plans, while Copilot Business and Copilot Enterprise customer data is not used for training.

Try it today, help shape what’s next

MAI-Code-1-Flash is available today in GitHub Copilot. Try it alongside your current go-to model, see how it feels in your workflow, and share what works well or what you’d like to see improve in the Community Discussion, where the team is actively listening.

Your feedback also helps shape what’s next. MAI-Code-1-Flash is just the first step in the MAI coding model journey. Larger MAI coding models coming later this year will extend the family to more complex tasks, with greater intelligence, deeper reasoning, and quality designed to compete with the strongest frontier models.

Happy coding! 💙

Friend, the lonely AI wearable, returns with a new voice and a much bigger price tag

Posted on July 30, 2026 by faz_business

Two years ago, tech founder Avi Schiffmann launched Friend, an AI wearable that you could talk to, and that would send you text messages about your day. The idea, ostensibly, was to use artificial intelligence to combat loneliness. This week, the company announced a new overhaul of the product, introducing a noticeable upgrade: a voice.

“Introducing friend 2.0,” Schiffmann tweeted Thursday. Friend now comes with a built-in speaker that can project a unique and consistent personality to its user.

A new commercial for the wearable shows a woman wearing a Friend and talking to it about what is presumably her ex-girlfriend. “It’s not bad to be gay,” the necklace tells her.

The video then switches to a man standing on a hillside discussing his filmmaking ambitions with his Friend. “That last film you made was insane!” the necklace compliments him.

The new retail price for this enhanced version of Friend is $249, which is substantially higher than the $99 price tag it had when it initially launched two years ago.

What can you really do with your Friend other than chit chat about your day? That part is still unclear. In another recent post on X, Schiffmann expounded upon what he felt the whole point of his weird product actually is.

“I am interested in this kind of relationship in attempting to offer, some kind of confidant, friend, God, not really sure what it is,” Schiffmann said. “But it is not an assistant, and it is not a lover.”

Interesting! Selling a plastic, algorithm-based necklace to people by insinuating it might, in fact, be a deity, is pretty bold marketing.

Of course, Schiffmann’s company has engaged in bold marketing before. Friend’s billboard campaign in the New York City subway system last year went viral after they were continually defaced, presumably by people who didn’t want human connection to be replaced by a digitized amulet.

Most AI wearables have failed to catch on with the mainstream — at least so far. The offering most similar to Friend was Humane Inc., which sought to replace the iPhone with its AI pin but had to shut down its business in less than a year after poor sales.

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