Episodes
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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 VFXYou can watch all our episodes on our YouTube channel.
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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 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.
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
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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Missing episodes?
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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
๐ฃInside VFX Recruitment with Melissa Blakey, Global Head of Talent at Crafty Apes | TVAP EP53 (Part-1)
https://youtu.be/C6n0zndRPDI
๐ฃInside 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 ๐ like, ๐ comment, ๐ข subscribe, and ๐ฃ share!
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โ Stitcher: https://bit.ly/3EjHUmYYou can watch all our episodes on our YouTube channel.
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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
๐ฃInside VFX Recruitment with Melissa Blakey, Global Head of Talent at Crafty Apes | TVAP EP53 (Part-1)
https://youtu.be/C6n0zndRPDI
๐ฃInside 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 ๐ like, ๐ comment, ๐ข subscribe, and ๐ฃ share!
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#thevfxartistspodcast #vfxpodcast #vfxindustry #writersstrike
Thumbnails copyright to GQ Magazine - https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/culture/article/hollywood-vfx-industry-breaking-pointYou can watch all our episodes on our YouTube channel.
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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 ๐ like, ๐ comment, ๐ข subscribe, and ๐ฃ share!
Listen to all episodes on our website
https://www.thevfxartistspodcast.com/You can watch all our episodes on our YouTube channel.
Subscribe & Watch all episodes on our YouTube Channel Visit our websiteThank you for your support! We appreciate you!
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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.You can watch all our episodes on our YouTube channel.
Subscribe & Watch all episodes on our YouTube Channel Visit our websiteThank you for your support! We appreciate you!
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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 ๐ like, ๐ comment, ๐ข subscribe, and ๐ฃ share!
Listen to all episodes on our website
Watch our other videos
๐ฃThe Importance of Matchmove within the VFX pipeline | TVAP EP54 (P-1)
๐ฃInside VFX Recruitment with Melissa Blakey, Global Head of Talent at Crafty Apes | TVAP EP53 (P-1)
๐ฃInside VFX Recruitment with Melissa Blakey, Global Head of Talent at Crafty Apes | TVAP EP53 (P-2)
๐ฃBehind The Desk with Hugo Guerra | TVAP EP47
Follow Us ๐๐๐๐
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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 ConclusionYou can watch all our episodes on our YouTube channel.
Subscribe & Watch all episodes on our YouTube Channel Visit our websiteThank you for your support! We appreciate you!
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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.
Subscribe & Watch all episodes on our YouTube Channel Visit our websiteThank you for your support! We appreciate you!
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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 Garcรญa Martรญnezwho 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
https://www.thevfxartistspodcast.com/
#vfxpodcast #compositing #motioncaptureYou can watch all our episodes on our YouTube channel.
Subscribe & Watch all episodes on our YouTube Channel Visit our websiteThank you for your support! We appreciate you!
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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 ๐ like, ๐ leave us a comment, ๐ข subscribe, and ๐ฃ share!
PXL Talent on LinkedIn
Connect with Sophie Maydon on LinkedIn
Listen to all episodes on our website
Watch our other videos
๐ฃWhat does it take to be a lighting artist? with Jasmine Katatikarn | TVAP EP49
๐ฃBehind The Desk with Hugo Guerra | TVAP EP47
Follow Us ๐๐๐๐
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โ Twitter
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Subscribe to us on YouTube
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 ConclusionYou can watch all our episodes on our YouTube channel.
Subscribe & Watch all episodes on our YouTube Channel Visit our websiteThank you for your support! We appreciate you!
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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 ๐ like, ๐ comment, ๐ข subscribe, and ๐ฃ share!
You can click on up below links to get the courses of some brilliant instructors.
๐ฃ Keagan Harris Patreon: patreon.com/keaganharris
๐ฃ Josh Parks Masterclasses: https://www.compositingpro.com/nuke-masterclass-courses/
๐ฃ FXPhd: https://www.fxphd.com
Our own interview with @joshvfxify : https://youtu.be/tgqlS2BswZ0
Listen to all episodes on our website
https://www.thevfxartistspodcast.com/
Watch our other videos
๐ฃWhat does it take to be a lighting artist? with Jasmine Katatikarn | TVAP EP49
https://youtu.be/ikFiHXeDP1M
๐ฃBehind The Desk with Hugo Guerra | TVAP EP47
https://youtu.be/jGJruJHOx2g
Follow Us ๐๐๐๐
โ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thevfxartistspodcast/
โ Twitter: https://twitter.com/vfxartistspod
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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 EntrantsYou can watch all our episodes on our YouTube channel.
Subscribe & Watch all episodes on our YouTube Channel Visit our websiteThank you for your support! We appreciate you!
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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!
โ Academy of Animated Art
โ Academy of Animated Art Courses
โ Diversity Action Program
Social Media:
โ Instagram
โ LinkedIn
Connect with Jasmine on
โ LinkedIn
โ Instagram
As always, if you liked this episode, please ๐ like, ๐ comment, ๐ข subscribe, and ๐ฃ share!
Listen to all episodes on our website ๐๐๐ง๐ง
https://www.thevfxartistspodcast.com/
Watch our other videos
๐ฃThe Effective Freelance Compositor, with Shonda Hunt | TVAP EP31
๐ฃBecoming a mother made me an efficient VFX Animator - Part 1 | TVAP EP35
Follow Us ๐๐๐๐
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Subscribe
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Subscribe & Watch all episodes on our YouTube Channel Visit our websiteThank you for your support! We appreciate you!
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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 ๐ like, ๐ comment, ๐ข subscribe, and ๐ฃ share!
Listen to all episodes on our website
https://www.thevfxartistspodcast.com/
Watch our other videos
๐ฃThe Effective Freelance Compositor, with Shonda Hunt | TVAP EP31
https://youtu.be/Ggz82uk6KxI
๐ฃHow I manage being a VFX artist and a mother of two - Rebecca Holdstock | TVAP EP41
https://youtu.be/D6zzhlay_Ac
Follow Us ๐๐๐๐
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โ Twitter: https://twitter.com/vfxartistspod
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Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheVFXArtistsPodcast
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โ Google Podcasts: https://bit.ly/3fWyuog
โ 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 ๐ like, ๐ comment, ๐ข subscribe, and ๐ฃ share!
Listen to all episodes on our website
Watch our other videos
๐ฃBuilding the Biggest VFX Asset Library in The World! ActionVFX CEO Rodolphe Pierre-Louis | TVAP EP46
๐ฃShare Knowledge - Keep Learning with Marรญa 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 ๐๐๐ง๐ง
โ Apple Podcasts
โ Amazon Misuc
โ Google Podcasts
โ Stitcher
#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.
Subscribe & Watch all episodes on our YouTube Channel Visit our websiteThank you for your support! We appreciate you!
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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 ๐ like, ๐ comment, ๐ข subscribe, and ๐ฃ share!
Listen to all episodes on our website
https://www.thevfxartistspodcast.com/
Watch our other videos
๐ฃHD - AI in the VFX & Creative Industry: Impact, Issues & Solutions | TVAP EP45
https://youtu.be/i7VhV2WlzEA
๐ฃShare Knowledge - Keep Learning with Marรญa Carriedo | TVAP EP43
https://youtu.be/BFQ21Nu5vQE
Follow Us ๐๐๐๐
โ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thevfxartistspodcast/
โ Twitter: https://twitter.com/vfxartistspod
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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
Chapters powered by [Chaptered.app](https://Chaptered.app)You can watch all our episodes on our YouTube channel.
Subscribe & Watch all episodes on our YouTube Channel Visit our websiteThank you for your support! We appreciate you!
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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
You can watch all our episodes on our YouTube channel.
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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
(chapters powered by [Chaptered.app](https://Chaptered.app))
#Silhouette #Oscars #scitech #VFX #Podcast #rotoscoping #invisiblevfx
As always, if you liked this episode, please like, comment, subscribe and share!
Listen to all episodes on our website
https://www.thevfxartistspodcast.com/You can watch all our episodes on our YouTube channel.
Subscribe & Watch all episodes on our YouTube Channel Visit our websiteThank you for your support! We appreciate you!
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In this episode, we chat to Marรญa Carriedo, CG Lead at Freefolk and former colleague of Daniel's at The Mill.
Born in Mexico, Marรญa 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 Marรญa's journey into VFX and her approach to continuous learning and development.As a lead Marรญa is involved in the hiring process so her showreel advice will be invaluable to any 3D Artists seeking new projects. While trained in Maya, Marรญa 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 websiteThank you for your support! We appreciate you!
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Jรถrundur 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
Powered by [Chaptered.app](https://Chaptered.app)You can watch all our episodes on our YouTube channel.
Subscribe & Watch all episodes on our YouTube Channel Visit our websiteThank you for your support! We appreciate you!
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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 #vfxartistYou can watch all our episodes on our YouTube channel.
Subscribe & Watch all episodes on our YouTube Channel Visit our websiteThank you for your support! We appreciate you!
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