Episodes

  • In this conversation, Kofi interviews Richard Clark, the head of visualisation and VFX supervisor at Cinesite, to discuss the role of visualisation in the industry. We explore the origins and evolution of visualisation, the use of real-time tools like Unreal Engine, and the impact of virtual production.

    Richard emphasizes the importance of quick workflows and the ability to think visually in the visualisation process. He also highlights the trend of studios taking back pre-production work and the potential for students to enter the industry through visualisation.

    Richard suggests exploring other areas of VFX, such as medical visualisation and motion graphics, to start earning and learning. He advises patience and mentions that the industry is slowly recovering from the effects of the strike.

    Richard shares his journey into the VFX industry, starting with his early interest in computer art and his experience working on various films. He discusses the potential impact of AI on the industry, noting that while AI has the potential to automate certain tasks, it may not replace the creativity and expertise of artists.

    Takeaways

    - Visualisation is a quick way of seeing and planning what a sequence or shot will look like before it is filmed or created.

    - Real-time tools like Unreal Engine have revolutionized visualisation by allowing for faster and more efficient workflows.

    - Visualisation departments in studios offer an end-to-end solution and allow for more flexibility and collaboration in the production process.

    - Students interested in entering the industry can explore visualisation in areas like architectural visualisation or working with companies that contract with the Ministry of Defense.

    - The industry is currently experiencing a slowdown, but there is potential for a surge in demand once production ramps up again. Explore other areas of VFX, such as medical visualisation and motion graphics, to start earning and learning.

    - Be patient as the industry recovers from the effects of the strike.
    Motion graphics is still in demand and can be a good career path for 2D artists.

    - Richard shares his journey into the VFX industry, starting with his early interest in computer art and his experience working on various films.

    - While AI has the potential to automate certain tasks, it may not replace the creativity and expertise of artists.

    Chapters

    00:00 Introduction and Background
    01:49 The Use Cases and Need for Visualisation
    07:07 The Evolution of Visualisation Tools
    10:58 Post-Vis and Tech-Vis
    28:30 The Future of Visualisation and the Role of Generalists
    34:22 Challenges in the VFX Industry
    38:56 Richard's Journey into the VFX Industry
    46:18 Exploring Opportunities in Other Areas
    51:50 The Potential Impact of AI in VFX

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  • In this episode, I chat to VFX Comp Supervisor Ruth Meridjen about the state of the VFX industry in 2024 and the impact of the pandemic on production.

    The slow ramp-up of production and the greenlighting of projects are discussed. The future of the industry and the role of AI in filmmaking are examined, with a focus on the limitations and regulations surrounding AI. The importance of storytelling and the need for more unique and diverse stories are emphasized, as well as the need for VFX to support the story rather than overshadow it. The conversation covers topics such as representation in movies and TV shows, attitudes towards AI in the VFX industry, the impact of AI on job security, adapting to changes in Nuke, balancing work and learning, Ruth's journey in the VFX industry, and addressing burnout in the VFX industry.

    Takeaways

    The VFX industry has faced challenges due to the pandemic, with a slow ramp-up of production and the greenlighting of projects that may not have been approved in normal circumstances.AI has the potential to impact the industry, but regulations and laws are still being developed, and the role of AI in reproducing human artistry is limited.The industry should prioritize storytelling and the creation of unique and diverse stories to engage audiences and avoid repetitive content.VFX should be a supporting cast member to the story, enhancing it without overshadowing it. There is a need for more diverse and inclusive representation in movies and TV shows.Attitudes towards AI in the VFX industry range from excitement to fear of job loss.While AI may pose risks to certain jobs in the industry, it is unlikely to completely replace artists.Staying updated with software upgrades and new workflows is important in the VFX industry.Finding a work-life balance and setting boundaries is crucial to avoid burnout in the industry.


    Chapters

    00:00 Introduction and Setting the Stage
    01:18 The State of the Industry in 2024
    04:44 Slow Ramp-up of Production
    05:29 The Future of the Industry and AI
    07:29 The Role of AI in Filmmaking
    09:32 Regulations and Laws around AI
    11:15 The Limitations of AI in Reproducing Human Artistry
    13:09 The Future of AI and the Flattening Curve of Progress
    14:08 The Impact of AI on VFX Processes
    15:11 The Quantity vs Quality Dilemma
    18:30 Audience Fatigue with Repetitive Content
    19:25 VFX as a Supporting Cast Member
    20:24 Playing It Safe and Lack of Unique Stories
    21:29 The Need for More Diverse Stories
    21:33 Representation in Movies and TV Shows
    23:08 Attitudes Towards AI in the VFX Industry
    25:18 The Impact of AI on Job Security
    26:23 Adapting to Changes in Nuke
    29:32 Balancing Work and Learning
    32:39 Ruth's Journey in the VFX Industry
    37:21 Addressing Burnout in the VFX Industry

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  • Exploitation of VFX Artists - With Senior CG Generalist Mark Woodcock | TVAP EP58

    In this episode, I chat to senior CG Generalist Mark Woodcock about the exploitation of Artists in the VFX industry, following his recent and ongoing dispute with IXOR Visual FX.

    Mark joins the podcast to enlighten us, for the purpose of informing and educating other artists in order to be aware and avoid similar situations.

    We hope you find this episode useful, and would encourage artists to fight and speak out about injustices, to protect other artists from falling into similar issues.

    Follow Mark's LinkedIn post

    Disclaimer: The information shared by Mark comes from his recent experience with a Visual Effects studio and includes knowledge gained from former employees of that studio. Whilst he endeavours to provide factual information, he has asked me to specify that some incites such as ex-employees thoughts and a few instances of speculation cannot be 100% verified. His contract payment dispute is still on-going and verifiable which is the focus of the discussion.

    00:00 Introduction & Disclaimer
    01:17 Mark's story
    04:39 The Recruitment Process
    07:38 Lack of Communication and Organization
    15:37 Payment Issues and Lack of Accountability
    17:07 Introduction and Background
    17:52 Unresolved Payment Issue
    18:36 Impact on Freelancers
    19:36 Financial Consequences
    21:02 Limited Company and Financial Buffer
    22:32 Fear of Speaking Up
    23:58 Concerns from Other VFX Companies
    24:58 Ownership and Legal Issues
    28:43 Cracked Software and Legal Troubles
    30:10 False Image and Misrepresentation
    31:01 Manipulation of Services Offered
    32:23 Poor Quality of Work
    33:16 Resolution and Awareness
    35:29 Manipulation of Reviews
    36:43 Investigation and Glassdoor Reviews
    38:29 Prioritizing Job Security
    39:21 False Offices and Deterrence
    39:50 Lack of Resolution and Communication
    40:24 Exploitation in the UK
    41:30 Importance of Contracts
    43:38 Exploitation in Other Studios
    47:25 Working Without Contracts
    48:43 Other Sketchy Experiences
    51:44 Protecting Artists and Changing the Industry
    52:43 Diversifying and Finding Other Opportunities


    Watch the full videos
    πŸ“£Inside VFX Recruitment with Melissa Blakey, Global Head of Talent at Crafty Apes | TVAP EP53 (Part-1)
    https://youtu.be/C6n0zndRPDI
    πŸ“£Inside VFX Recruitment with Melissa Blakey, Global Head of Talent at Crafty Apes | TVAP EP53 (Part-2)
    https://youtu.be/BNXNMo32oes

    As always, if you liked this episode, please πŸ‘ like, πŸ“ comment, πŸ“’ subscribe, and πŸ“£ share!

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  • The health of the VFX industry in 2024, with foudner of MOTUS Kurt Maclachlan | TVAP EP57

    In this episode, I chat to Kurt Maclachlan about the status of the VFX in 2024.

    We discuss where things are at currently, what needs to be done for a better future of the VFX industry and more!

    00:00 Introduction and Background
    02:48 Causes of the Strikes
    04:29 Key Concerns for Actors and Writers
    04:59 Impact on VFX Artists
    06:06 Duration of the Strikes
    07:48 Current State of the Industry
    08:09 Hiring and Recovery
    09:07 Rate Negotiations and Holding the Line
    10:06 Outsourcing and Global Rates
    12:11 Impact of Strikes on Crew
    15:04 Embracing AI and Automation
    39:34 Positioning for Graduates
    41:29 Improving Courses and Industry Collaboration
    42:54 Networking and Job Search Strategies
    47:02 Preventing Future Industry Disruptions
    52:03 Introduction to Motus and its Mission
    55:03 Staying Connected and Informed
    57:04 Closing Remarks and Future Outlook


    Watch the full videos
    πŸ“£Inside VFX Recruitment with Melissa Blakey, Global Head of Talent at Crafty Apes | TVAP EP53 (Part-1)
    https://youtu.be/C6n0zndRPDI
    πŸ“£Inside VFX Recruitment with Melissa Blakey, Global Head of Talent at Crafty Apes | TVAP EP53 (Part-2)
    https://youtu.be/BNXNMo32oes

    As always, if you liked this episode, please πŸ‘ like, πŸ“ comment, πŸ“’ subscribe, and πŸ“£ share!

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    Thumbnails copyright to GQ Magazine - https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/culture/article/hollywood-vfx-industry-breaking-point

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  • The Man Who Wrote The Book on Compositing with Ron Brinkman | TVAP EP56

    When I embarked on my compositing journey, Ron Brinkmann's book, "The Art and Science of Digital Compositing," proved to be an invaluable resource. It provided a wealth of visual information and included a DVD with footage for hands-on practice. Even today, this book remains a seminal work and continues to be relevant for artists, thanks to its emphasis on developing the skill of visual perception.

    Therefore, it was a tremendous honor to have Ron Brinkmann as a guest on our show. He served as the Compositing Supervisor at Sony Imageworks for films such as Speed, Contact, James and the Giant Peach, and more. Interestingly, despite being widely recognized for his expertise in compositing, Brinkmann initially started his journey in the field of 3D as a demonstration artist for Wavefront. (Wavefront later merged with Alias and played a significant role in the development of Maya, a renowned software).

    Subsequently, Brinkmann co-founded Nothing Real with his colleagues and created Shake, a compositing software that held sway in the industry for many years, particularly in high-end compositing. (I believe it was most recently used by Dneg for their work on Inception).

    As always, if you liked this episode, please πŸ‘ like, πŸ“ comment, πŸ“’ subscribe, and πŸ“£ share!

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  • This week's guest is co-founder of FXGuide, arguably the first and foremost podcast and blog in our field. He also co-founded FXPhd which was my route into the industry so this was a massive honor for me.

    We dive deep into Neural Rendering (which Mike has been involved with since 1999) machine learning and practical applications within visual effects and filmmaking.

    We then discuss the ethics of machine learning and art, why there won't "a metaverse" and some of the most likely applications of AR and VR.

    This raises some general points about the application of new technology which it would be well of us to heed.

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  • In this episode with Matt Merkovich of The Matchmoving Company, we talk about the importance of 3D tracking/matchmove in the VFX industry and what it means to be a matchmove artist.

    Matt is an expert user of Syntheyes and has been a great influencer in getting it where it is today. He also uses it for almost all of his work, spiralling almost three decades in the VFX industry.

    Matt believes #Syntheyes is by far the best 3D tracking software out there and has by far "the best 2D tracking system in the world!", so in this episode, I sit him down to find out why he believes so.

    Being a Matchmove artist myself, having been a user of PFTrack in the past and an ongoing user of 3DEqualizer I was very curious to hear why Matt thinks so.

    3D tracking or Matchmove as you may call it, ties perfectly with all the other departments in the VFX pipeline, to complete VFX shots in the biggest visual effects movies out there, making this episode an important one, to gain insights from an industry veteran like Matt.

    Matt's filmography spars from Minority Report, Star Trek Voyager, Doctor Dolittle 2, The Amazing Spider-Man and more. Here's Matt's IMDB.

    Matt's company The Matchmoving Company provides 3D tracking services globally and can currently be reached through https://www.mattmerk.com/

    As always, if you liked this episode, please πŸ‘ like, πŸ“ comment, πŸ“’ subscribe, and πŸ“£ share!

    Listen to all episodes on our website


    Watch our other videos
    πŸ“£The Importance of Matchmove within the VFX pipeline | TVAP EP54 (P-1)
    πŸ“£Inside VFX Recruitment with Melissa Blakey, Global Head of Talent at Crafty Apes | TVAP EP53 (P-1)
    πŸ“£Inside VFX Recruitment with Melissa Blakey, Global Head of Talent at Crafty Apes | TVAP EP53 (P-2)
    πŸ“£Behind The Desk with Hugo Guerra | TVAP EP47

    Follow Us πŸ‘πŸ‘πŸ“ŒπŸ“Œ
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    Chapters
    00:00:00 Coming Up
    00:02:19 Introductions
    00:03:54 Who is Matt Merkovich
    00:07:17 Where my interest for film originated
    00:14:59 From Lightwave to Matchmoving on Minority Report
    00:23:28 Minority Report Matchmoving Pipeline in the 2000's
    00:26:24 Evolution of Aspect Ratios
    00:30:18 Comparing Syntheyes, 3dequalizer, Boujou, PFTrack and more
    00:35:13 Good & Bad Tracking Markers
    00:38:54 Staying relevant in an evolving industry
    00:44:36 Being a VFX artist in the mid 90's
    00:46:45 Shot talk - Challenges
    00:48:38 The future of 3D tracking
    00:53:41 Comparing 3dequalizer and Syntheyes
    01:01:01 Matchmove Artists - The underappreciated department
    01:03:53 About The Matchmoving Company
    01:04:11 Unionize the VFX industry
    01:04:11 Conclusion

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  • Inside VFX Recruitment with Melissa Blakey, Global Head of Talent at Crafty Apes | TVAP EP53 (P-1)

    For many VFX Recruitment is a bit of a black box - we send off our reels and CV and then hope for the best. This week we go behind the curtain with Crafty Apes, Global Head of talent, Melissa Blakey.

    We cover Melissa's own fascinating career - she started working on-set before moving into post and then worked for almost 20 years in VFX Production before moving into Recruitment! We discuss why she decided a career on set was not for her and start to unpick the way recruiters and VFX houses select candidates.

    Next we laser in on her best practices for candidates as well as the Crafty Apes philosophy for hiring and retaining staff.

    WFH resumes, showreel interviews, changing departments we will be discussing all this and more.

    Unusually for many VFX Houses, Crafty Apes tends to focus on Generalists and on permanent positions so we go into what that means in a market largely dominated by specialists and freelancing.

    You can watch all our episodes on our YouTube channel.

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  • This is a hot topic with "No AI" trending on Artstation and pending court cases we spoke to Director, Filmmaker and Game Designer Alvaro GarcΓ­a MartΓ­nezwho has been heavily engaged with this topic.

    Alvaro worked as VFX Artist for 10 years at London's top studios before founding Mayhem Mirror, his own Game Design studio. So he has experience as an employee an independent creator and as an employer of artists.

    As Alvaro says, "I am not against AI, but against the unethical use of AI". But what does that mean? Tune in and join the debate!

    As always, if you liked this episode, please like, comment, subscribe and share!

    Listen to all episodes on our website
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    #vfxpodcast #compositing #motioncapture

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  • In the first episode of 2023, we felt it quite important to start the year right, by bringing you some much necessary tips from a VFX recruiter, should you be looking to take on a new role.

    We are therefore pleased to have Sophie Maydon, former VFX Global Head of HR, Recruitment and PR at DNEG (Double Negative), and Director, VFX Talent & Recruitment Consultant at her firm PXL Talent

    Sophie has over a decade's experience recruiting 100's of VFX and animation artists across many levels and departments.

    In this episode, we discuss many topics to do with recruitment, focusing on the perspective of a VFX recruiter, as well as the applicant. We discuss and find out about the best practices and ways one could go about successfully coming on top in an interview, the do's and don'ts, try to understand if there are recruitment prejudices and more.

    This is a very insightful, useful and long awaited episode, and we hope you find it so.

    As always, if you liked this episode, please πŸ‘ like, πŸ“ leave us a comment, πŸ“’ subscribe, and πŸ“£ share!

    PXL Talent on LinkedIn

    Connect with Sophie Maydon on LinkedIn

    Listen to all episodes on our website

    Watch our other videos
    πŸ“£What does it take to be a lighting artist? with Jasmine Katatikarn | TVAP EP49
    πŸ“£Behind The Desk with Hugo Guerra | TVAP EP47

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    Chapters
    00:00:00 : Coming Up
    00:00:29 : Intro
    00:01:48 : Overview
    00:02:21 : A bit about Sophie Maydon
    00:05:59 : Sophie's background as a recuiter at DNEG
    00:10:32 : Power comes with pressure, as a recruiter
    00:12:42 : Are generic applications a good idea?
    00:14:57 : Going through job portals vs LinkedIn DM
    00:17:41 : Are Resume's necessary in the VFX industry?
    00:21:19 : Showreel advice from a VFX recruiter
    00:27:37 : Showreel advice for returning mothers into the industry
    00:31:17 : Flexible/Part-Time hours for Mothers in the VFX industry
    00:33:41 : In-person vs remote interviewing advice
    00:35:25 : Salary expectations - How to respond
    00:41:39 : Budget vs experience
    00:44:39 : Artists demand by studios
    00:47:26 : Should I go to university before working in VFX?
    00:52:48 Discrimination in recruiting
    00:59:33 Leave a question in the comment section
    00:59:55 How to get in touch with Pixel Talent
    01:01:28 What not to do, as an applicant
    01:03:19 Conclusion

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  • This week we catch up with a rising star in the industry, Rishabh Laheja, a Junior Digital Compositor at MPC.

    Realizing that a career in IT was not for him. Rishabh began studying nights and eventually putting together a compositing showreel with the help of working industry teachers and mentors he reached out to via Linkedin.

    Launching his new career exactly in the middle of the Covid lockdowns. Rishabh won a remote role at MPC Bangalore and has already worked as a compositor on huge shows such as Prehistoric Planet and HBO's House of Dragons.

    As he says in the opening, "It's a rollercoaster ride, you may want to buckle up!"

    As always, if you liked this episode, please πŸ‘ like, πŸ“ comment, πŸ“’ subscribe, and πŸ“£ share!

    You can click on up below links to get the courses of some brilliant instructors.

    πŸ“£ Keagan Harris Patreon: patreon.com/keaganharris
    πŸ“£ Josh Parks Masterclasses: https://www.compositingpro.com/nuke-masterclass-courses/
    πŸ“£ FXPhd: https://www.fxphd.com

    Our own interview with @joshvfxify : https://youtu.be/tgqlS2BswZ0

    Listen to all episodes on our website
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    Watch our other videos
    πŸ“£What does it take to be a lighting artist? with Jasmine Katatikarn | TVAP EP49
    https://youtu.be/ikFiHXeDP1M
    πŸ“£Behind The Desk with Hugo Guerra | TVAP EP47
    https://youtu.be/jGJruJHOx2g

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    #thevfxartistspodcast #vfxpodcast #compositing #careerAdvice #NewEntrants #HouseOfDragons #India #PrehistoricPlanet #MPC #WorkInIndia


    00:00:00 : Intro - What to Expect
    00:01:24 : There's a Tipping POint for Every Artist
    00:02:19 : I Didn't Know How to Get into VFX
    00:02:45 : Why Compositing?
    00:03:20 : Getting in Touch via Linkein, Josh Parks
    00:03:47 : Online Courses
    00:05:18 : Keagan Haris Patreon and Marseile
    00:07:42 : Studying While Working in Another Industry
    00:09:51 : London Siggraph , Bring Your Own Comp
    00:12:10 : First Freelance Job
    00:13:31 : Finally Getting Into The Industry
    00:15:03 : The Rookies: Dragon Personal Project
    00:17:51 : Bangalore and Mumbai
    00:22:58 : Work Life in India
    00:26:43 : Being Creative in School
    00:34:38 : Indian Work Culture
    00:42:00 : Advice for Other New Entrants

    You can watch all our episodes on our YouTube channel.

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  • What does it take to be a lighting artist? with Jasmine Katatikarn | TVAP EP49

    This week we catch up with Jasmine Katatikarn, lighting artist and co-founder of the Academy of Animated Art.

    We discuss finding your career path at any stage in life, what it takes to be a lighting artist, what makes a successful lighting application to top VFX, and animation studios, working in the VFX and animation as a woman and POC, diversity in the industry and more.

    Without a doubt, we also go on to find out about Jasmine's career path in the industry, as well as how she co-founded the Academy of Animated Art, and what her academy teaches lighting artists.

    Jasmine has over two decades of industry experience as both, being a lighting artist in the VFX industry, and the feature animation industry. Jasmine has gone to work for studios such as Blue Sky Studios (Disney), The Mill, Framestore, and many more incredible studios, stamping her signature on shows such as Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, Rio, Rio 2, Spies in Disguise and more.

    Enjoy!

    β—‰ Academy of Animated Art
    β—‰ Academy of Animated Art Courses
    β—‰ Diversity Action Program

    Social Media:
    β—‰ Instagram
    β—‰ LinkedIn

    Connect with Jasmine on
    β—‰ LinkedIn
    β—‰ Instagram

    As always, if you liked this episode, please πŸ‘ like, πŸ“ comment, πŸ“’ subscribe, and πŸ“£ share!

    Listen to all episodes on our website πŸ”ŠπŸ”ŠπŸŽ§πŸŽ§
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    Watch our other videos
    πŸ“£The Effective Freelance Compositor, with Shonda Hunt | TVAP EP31

    πŸ“£Becoming a mother made me an efficient VFX Animator - Part 1 | TVAP EP35


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  • This week we caught up with Courtney Pryce. The industry veterans know him from his years as a Creative Specialist at Foundry.

    We cover a lot of ground, beginning in the "Rock&Roll" years of London VFX in the early 2000s. Also covering the role of the Creative Specialist and the secrets of financial stability as a Compositor. Courtney worked with UK Film and TV industry Union, BECTU, to put together a suggested rate card for freelance and contract staff in VFX. We get to engage with the methodology and consequences of open disclosure of the often taboo subject of the pay scale.

    Courtney also engaged strongly with the industry-wide discussion of racism sparked by the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020. We don't shy away from tackling the issue of racism and nepotism in the workplace and there is a forthright but ultimately optimistic discussion.

    Nevertheless, we never lost sight of Courtney's key skills as a solid professional compositor and reactive as he shares a wealth of knowledge that will benefit artists of all levels and from all backgrounds.

    You won't want to miss out on this discussion!

    As always, if you liked this episode, please πŸ‘ like, πŸ“ comment, πŸ“’ subscribe, and πŸ“£ share!

    Listen to all episodes on our website
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    Watch our other videos
    πŸ“£The Effective Freelance Compositor, with Shonda Hunt | TVAP EP31
    https://youtu.be/Ggz82uk6KxI
    πŸ“£How I manage being a VFX artist and a mother of two - Rebecca Holdstock | TVAP EP41
    https://youtu.be/D6zzhlay_Ac

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    β—‰ Stitcher: https://bit.ly/3EjHUmY


    #thevfxartistspodcast #vfxpodcast #compositing #FoundryNuke #vfxartist #Freelancing #financialliteracy


    00:00:00 : Intro - what to expect
    00:18:17 : The Role of a Creative Specialist at Foundry
    00:20:06 : When you're too comfortable
    00:24:00 : Freelancing "Year Zero"
    00:27:01 : Having kids as a freelancer
    00:31:01 : Burnout
    00:34:52 : VFX Rate cards: methodology and controversy
    00:43:41 : Black Lives Matter and Racism in the Industry
    00:54:25 : Projects most proud of

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  • Behind The Desk with Hugo Guerra | TVAP EP47

    Hugo Guerra, Director, VFX supervisor, and creator of Hugo's Desk.

    In this episode, Kofi chats to Hugo about his career in the VFX industry. Uncovering decisions and steps that have made Hugo the Director and Supervisor he is today.

    With an incredible industry footprint, Hugo has a huge voice across the VFX industry, and I felt it quite relevant to learn more about the man behind the glasses, or as our title says, 'Behind The Desk'.

    In this episode, we discuss the creative and VFX industry in Portugal, and Sweden, remote working, industry overtime, Hugo's VFX journey in London during his time at The Mill, mistakes VFX artists to make when looking for work, steps they could take to protect themselves from being taken advantage of, best video games, movies, series of 2022, industry-wide issues, how we could tackle them, and many more.

    It was a packed and insightful discussion worth listening to the end, as well as one to be shared!

    A massive thank you to Hugo for his time and for being such a gem to the industry.

    As always, if you liked this episode, please πŸ‘ like, πŸ“ comment, πŸ“’ subscribe, and πŸ“£ share!

    Listen to all episodes on our website

    Watch our other videos
    πŸ“£Building the Biggest VFX Asset Library in The World! ActionVFX CEO Rodolphe Pierre-Louis | TVAP EP46

    πŸ“£Share Knowledge - Keep Learning with MarΓ­a Carriedo | TVAP EP43


    You can find Hugo on the following platforms:
    Hugo's Desk
    Befores & Afters
    Hugo's Desk LinkedIn
    Hugo's LinkedIn
    Hugo's Twitter
    Hugo's Desk Twitter

    Listen on πŸ”ŠπŸ”ŠπŸŽ§πŸŽ§
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    #thevfxartistspodcast #vfxpodcast #hugoguerra #hugosdesk

    Chapters
    00:00:00 Coming up...
    00:01:32 Introductions
    00:03:11 Who is Hugo?
    00:10:24 The Portuguese creative industry could be better
    00:16:30 Reminiscing the London, Soho VFX industry in the 2000's
    00:19:27 The unhealthy traits of the VFX industry - Overtime work
    00:32:16 Chasing The Goal
    00:37:05 How I ended up in the VFX & creative industry
    00:39:37 Love-Hate relationship with the VFX industry
    00:46:37 What I teach Nuke Compositors
    00:49:49 What Junior compositors need to know when job seeking
    01:02:41 Achieving targets on a creative journey
    01:05:25 Films on Hugo's list for 2022
    01:09:29 Where to find Hugo!
    01:10:46 Thank you for watching! Subscribe!

    You can watch all our episodes on our YouTube channel.

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    Thank you for your support! We appreciate you!

  • I Sold Gum. Now I Blow Things Up! With Action VFX Founder and CEO Rodolphe Pierre-Louis | TVAP EP46

    I am pretty sure you've heard of Action VFX, I've used them in my own shots! So we managed to get the Founder and CEO on the show to talk about his career. It's a success story that very nearly wasn't!

    This is a great one for any artists or filmmakers who are thinking of starting a business because Rodolphe has a lot of insight into how to turn FX talent into a business model, as shown by the widespread use of Action VFX elements in the industry.

    Join us and follow Rodolphe's journey from filmmaker to entrepreneur.

    After the interview I cheekily asked if I could get our subscribers a discount code and they very kindly agreed! Details at the end of the video.

    As always, if you liked this episode, please πŸ‘ like, πŸ“ comment, πŸ“’ subscribe, and πŸ“£ share!

    Listen to all episodes on our website
    https://www.thevfxartistspodcast.com/

    Watch our other videos
    πŸ“£HD - AI in the VFX & Creative Industry: Impact, Issues & Solutions | TVAP EP45
    https://youtu.be/i7VhV2WlzEA
    πŸ“£Share Knowledge - Keep Learning with MarΓ­a Carriedo | TVAP EP43
    https://youtu.be/BFQ21Nu5vQE

    Follow Us πŸ‘πŸ‘πŸ“ŒπŸ“Œ
    β—‰ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thevfxartistspodcast/
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    #thevfxartistspodcast #vfxpodcast #compositing #motioncapture

    Chapters
    00:00:00 : Preview
    00:00:45 : A Special Offer for Subscribers
    00:03:05 : starting in Filmmaking
    00:04:24 : College Years, Freelancing
    00:05:05 : My First Business
    00:07:24 : The Idea for Action VVFX
    00:08:36 : Things to bear in mind when shooting for Compositors
    00:16:34 : The first shoot
    00:19:33 : Launching on Kickstarter
    00:52:15 : Advice for Starting a Business
    00:56:56 : Firing Employees
    01:05:00 : Plans for the future

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  • AI in the VFX & Creative Industry: Impact, Issues & Solutions | TVAP EP45

    Join us, as we discuss the impact of AI in the VFX & Creative industry.

    With the rise of platforms such as Midjourney, Dalle-2, and Stable Diffusion influencing artists, we bring forth this open discussion about what the impact could be for our industries if certain laws and rules aren't put into place to protect artists and creators worldwide.

    We look to touch on copyright ownership and rights, privacy, ethics, and more!

    Join us this Wednesday, Nov 2nd, 2022, for the discussion and to take part in our Q&A session with industry professionals in the VFX & creative industry.

    Our guests are, in no particular order:

    Simon Legrand - Realtime Supervisor at Untold Studios London
    Justin Braun - FX TD at Untold Studios London
    Vladimir Venkov - Modeler/Texture Artist
    Carlo Santoriello - 3d artist, Animator & Graphic designer
    Anthony Martin - Senior Lecturer & Course Leader for Concept Art at Staffordshire University
    Jamie Bakewell - Company Owner / Creative Director (Visualisation for Film, Game & TV) at Bigtooth Studios
    Tom Paton - Writer // Director // Producer focused on integrating AI, UE5.

    Artwork created by Carlo Santoriello

    Listen to all episodes on our website

    #thevfxartistspodcast #vfxpodcast #aiart #midjourney

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  • This week it's been a real pleasure to meet Paul Miller and Marco Paolini - Software Developer and Product Manager behind the Oscar winning software, Boris Silhouette.


    Despite advances in AI, manual rotoscoping and invisible paintouts are still an essential bullwark of the VFX industry and not going away anytime soon.

    We begin our discussion with their work on Elastic Reality (used on classic shows like Quantum Leap) and talk about how they have built Silhouette for artists who need to paint 100 stokes a second and export mattes accurate to better than a 16th of a pixel.

    Recently Silhouette has expanded it's compositing toolset so we discuss their choices around this. Of course machine learning is something cannot avoid discussing, so we look at both its promise and its limitations at the high end.

    In closing both Paul and Marco give some excellent career advice for anyone entering or advancing in the VFX and Software Development industries.


    Enjoy!

    00:00:00 : Preview
    00:01:39 : Introductions
    00:02:20 : Founding the team
    00:03:55 : Elastic Reality
    00:06:51 : Original plan for Silhouette
    00:07:43 : The Node Graph
    00:10:56 : Marco's Journey from Artist to Software
    00:14:01 : The Smallness of the Industry
    00:20:05 : What Keeps the Team Busy
    00:25:34 : The Scripting Engine
    00:28:38 : The Decision to Add More Comp Features
    00:31:28 : Performance and Paul's Nightmares
    00:35:49 : Silhouette as OFX Plugin
    00:41:15 : Limits of Machine Learning
    01:06:26 : Retimes
    01:17:38 : Paul's Advice for Aspiring Developers
    01:20:50 : Learn Python!
    01:22:41 : Marco's Advice for Getting into VFX and into Software
    01:28:41 : Closing thoughts
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    #Silhouette #Oscars #scitech #VFX #Podcast #rotoscoping #invisiblevfx


    As always, if you liked this episode, please like, comment, subscribe and share!


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    https://www.thevfxartistspodcast.com/

    You can watch all our episodes on our YouTube channel.

    Subscribe & Watch all episodes on our YouTube Channel Visit our website

    Thank you for your support! We appreciate you!

  • In this episode, we chat to MarΓ­a Carriedo, CG Lead at Freefolk and former colleague of Daniel's at The Mill.

    Born in Mexico, MarΓ­a studied VFX at the prestigious Gnomon School in LA before working at Psyops on commercials. Since then she moved to London to work at The Mill before her current role. In this interview we learn about MarΓ­a's journey into VFX and her approach to continuous learning and development.

    As a lead MarΓ­a is involved in the hiring process so her showreel advice will be invaluable to any 3D Artists seeking new projects. While trained in Maya, MarΓ­a mostly works with Houdini so we discuss the merits of the 2 giants in the 3D industry as well as touching on Zbrush, Unreal and the new Solaris/Karma renderer in Houdini.

    There's a lot packed into this interview so you will want to check it out!

    Einstein image credit: Smart Energy/The Mill, "Join the Revolution"

    00:00:14 : Current role

    00:00:32 : Education and beginning of career

    00:14:34 : Showreel advice from the point of view of a hirer

    00:19:15 : What seniors can learn from new entrants

    00:20:33 : What qualities make a better 3D artist

    00:26:17 : R&D Stages of a project

    00:29:25 : Reference from everyday life

    00:33:54 : Solaris and Unreal

    You can watch all our episodes on our YouTube channel.

    Subscribe & Watch all episodes on our YouTube Channel Visit our website

    Thank you for your support! We appreciate you!

  • JΓΆrundur Rafn Arnarson returns after exchanging the frozen mountains of Iceland for the Deserts for his recent VFX Supervisor role on "Rise of The Witches".

    We talk about how extreme environments influence filmmakers, the route from Compositing to VFX Supervision, "bad CGI", helicopters and much much more.

    With a Supervisor whose body of work ranges from Icelandic indie films to Cannes Palm D'Or, Triangle of Sadness to Prehistoric Planet to franchise blockbusters Dr Strange - Multiverse of Madness and Game of Thrones, You won't want to miss this one!

    As always, if you liked this episode, please like, comment, subscribe and share!

    Listen to all episodes on our website
    https://www.thevfxartistspodcast.com/

    #vfxpodcast #compositing #motioncapture

    00:03:43 : Triangle of Sadness
    00:13:42 : The most sought after commodity on-set
    00:16:03 : The mindset of extreme environments
    00:23:15 : RIse of The Witches - a Saudi Arabian epic
    00:28:07 : Dr Strange and Prehistoric Planet
    00:36:25 : Issues I have with CG
    00:45:45 : Guiding big and small budgets
    00:49:17 : I will always cut out VFX if I can
    00:53:04 : "Bad CGI"
    01:26:04 : Advice for filmmakers using VFX for the first time.

    Rendered: 2022-10-01 15:10:27
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  • In this episode, we chat to Rebecca Holdstock, senior matchmove and rotomation artist at Cinesite London about her VFX career, spiralling over a decade in some of London's well known and biggest studios, through to becoming a mother of two and the change that comes with being a working mother.

    I had the privilege of working with Rebecca at Cinesite on The Witcher season 2, and for the first time in my life, I was working with a mother, who was signing on in the middle of the day, on a customised working hours.

    This blew my mind, and triggered my interest in the topic to which we sat down to discus.

    Becoming a working mother, or choosing to become a working mother in any industry is often times a big challenge and decision that affects women in all sorts of life and industries. Whilst Rebecca's story focuses on the VFX industry, it very much is relatable to all women and working mothers in every industry, and will be for every generation to come.

    It therefore is a rightful and important subject to be discussing and brining it to light, to create awareness, and hopefully encourage and or prepare other women in the VFX and wider working industries.

    Chapters
    00:00:00 Ident
    00:00:05 Introductions
    00:01:40 A bit about Rebecca
    00:02:31 Journey into the VFX industry
    00:09:32 Getting foot in the door of the VFX industry
    00:13:19 Settling in the Matchmove department
    00:23:49 Motherhood and being an artist in the VFX industry
    00:31:59 Managing kids and shots during early days of covid
    00:51:46 Planing to start a family, vs having kids unexpectedly
    00:54:10 What can be improved for women working in the VFX industry
    01:03:15 Advice to any artists looking to start a family
    01:05:59 What should women look out for, when applying to join a VFX studio
    01:10:51 Conclusion

    As always, if you liked this episode, please like, comment, subscribe and share!

    Listen to all episodes on our website
    https://www.thevfxartistspodcast.com/

    #vfxindustry #workingmom #vfxartist

    You can watch all our episodes on our YouTube channel.

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    Thank you for your support! We appreciate you!