The VFX Artists Podcast, hosted by Kofi Opoku-Ansah and Daniel Mark Miller is the spot for artists to share, learn and discover other artists in the VFX industry. We aim to bring artists from different levels and departments to discuss industry practice, software, processes, journey and more. We are a podcast made by artists for artists.

Creativity, Money and the Freelance Career, with Courtney Pryce | TVAP EP 4

Home Page

A VFX Recruiter's Guide To Getting Hired | TVAP EP51

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 👍 like, 📝 leave us a comment, 📢 subscribe, and 📣 share!



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

Behind The Desk with Hugo Guerra | TVAP EP47


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

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 👍 like, 📝 comment, 📢 subscribe, and 📣 share!

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

📣 Keagan Harris Patreon: patreon.com/keaganharris
📣 Josh Parks Masterclasses: https://www.compositingpro.com/nuke-masterclass-courses/
📣 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
📣What does it take to be a lighting artist? with Jasmine Katatikarn | TVAP EP49
https://youtu.be/ikFiHXeDP1M
📣Behind The Desk with Hugo Guerra | TVAP EP47
https://youtu.be/jGJruJHOx2g

Follow Us 👍👍📌📌
◉ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thevfxartistspodcast/
◉ Twitter: https://twitter.com/vfxartistspod
◉ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-vfx-artists-podcast/

Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheVFXArtistsPodcast

Listen on 🔊🔊🎧🎧
◉ Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3NSllZG
◉ Amazon Misuc: https://amzn.to/3UrOrSn
◉ Google Podcasts: https://bit.ly/3fWyuog
◉ Stitcher: https://bit.ly/3EjHUmY




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

Launching a Comp Career in India | Rishabh Laheja | TVAP EP50

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!

◉ 



As always, if you liked this episode, please 👍 like, 📝 comment, 📢 subscribe, and 📣 share!

Listen to all episodes on our website 🔊🔊🎧🎧


The Effective Freelance Compositor, with Shonda Hunt | TVAP EP31

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

This week we caught up with Courtney Pryce. Industry veterans will know him from his years as Creative Specialist at Foundry.

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!

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 

: methodology and controversy
00:43:41 : Black Lives Matter and Racism in the Industry 
00:54:25 : Projects most proud of. 

Creativity, Money and the Freelance Career, with Courtney Pryce | TVAP EP 48

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 👍 like, 📝 comment, 📢 subscribe, and 📣 share!

Listen to all episodes on our 

Building the Biggest VFX Asset Library in The World! ActionVFX CEO Rodolphe Pierre-Louis | TVAP EP46

Share Knowledge - Keep Learning with María Carriedo | TVAP EP43




You can find Hugo on the following platforms:




#thevfxartistspodcast #vfxpodcast #hugoguerra #hugosdesk




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!

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 to a permanent 15% off for our listeners with the code "TVAP" !

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. 

 - Realtime Supervisor at Untold Studios London

 - 3d artist, Animator & Graphic designer

 - Senior Lecturer & Course Leader for Concept Art at Staffordshire University

 - Company Owner / Creative Director (Visualisation for Film, Game & TV) at Bigtooth Studios

 - Writer // Director // Producer focused on integrating AI, UE5.

#thevfxartistspodcast #vfxpodcast #aiart #midjourney

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

You can see some of Paul Miller's original design sketches for Silhouette

Recently Silhouette has expanded it's compositing toolset so we discuss their choices around this. Of course machine learning is something cannot avoid discussing 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.

00:10:56 : Marco's Journey from Artist to Software 

00:14:01 : The Smallness of the Industry 

00:28:38 : The Decision to Add More Comp Features 

00:31:28 : Performance and Paul's Nightmares 

01:17:38 : Paul's Advice for Aspiring Developers 

01:22:41 : Marco's Advice for Getting into VFX and into Software 

(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/

Powering Invisible VFX, with Paul Miller and Marco Paolini, creators of Boris Silhouette | TVAP EP44

In this episode, we chat to María Carriedo, CG Lead at Freefolk. Born in Mexico, María 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 María's journey into VFX and her approach to continuous learning and development. 

As a lead María is involved in the hiring process so her showreel advice will be invaluable to any 3D Artists seeking new projects. While trained in Maya, María 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, 

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 

On-Set in Extreme Environments with Jörundur Rafn Arnarson | TVAP EP42

Jörundur 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! 

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.

On-Set in Extreme Environments with Jörundur Rafn Arnarson | TVAP EP4

How I manage being a VFX artist and a mother of two - Rebecca Holdstock  | TVAP EP41

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.




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!

#vfxindustry #workingmom #vfxartist

How I manage being a VFX artist and a mother of two - Rebecca Holdstock | TVAP EP41

How We Created 3DEqualizer For The VFX Industry, with Rolf Schneider | TVAP EP40

In this episode, I had the biggest opportunity to chat to Rolf Schneider, owner of Science-D-Visions, about how he Created 3DEqualizer For The VFX Industry.

Looking back at the evolving digital scene in the 80's and 90's, we discuss working on the Commodore 64 and Amiga, to creating the first version of 3DEqualizer in 1996, to MPC and ILM purchasing their first licenses in 1996 and '97. We do a deep dive about the whole journey and how it all happened.

An episode not to be missed!

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

3DE



00:00:00 Ident
00:00:05 Introducing Rolf
00:00:35 A bit about Rolf, his background and role at Science-D-Vision
00:02:15 Working on the Commodore & Amiga in the 80's
00:04:32 How we started building 3DEqualizer
00:07:06 Coming up with a name for 3DEqualizer
00:08:07 The team
00:11:35 Developing animation & (ray tracing) rendering software in the 80's
00:16:09 Getting the first studio to buy 3DEqualizer
00:22:42 Tools over interface?
00:27:07 Playing a major role in the VFX industry
00:32:17 The future of matchmove & motion tracking within 3DE alongside AI
00:36:40 Industries outside of VFX using 3DE
00:38:50 Is it easier to impliment tools into 3DE
00:42:52 How 3DE became the industry standard for the VFX industry
00:46:21 Best Wins till date
00:49:13 What keeps you going and innovative
00:53:01 What should the industry expect in the future
00:53:18 Appreciation & Conclusion

#3dequalizer #matchmove #rolfschneider

Being An Artist In The Chinese VFX Industry | TVAP EP39

In this episode, I chat to Yin Wu, a Junior CG Artist at The Mill, Shanghai, about his experience and journey into the Chinese VFX industry.

My curiosity of the Chinese industry, leads me to chase for comparisons between the U.K. VFX industry - Finding similarities and differences on topics like work-life-balance and how the industry differentiates itself between Beijing and Shanghai.

Yin's story is that of dedication and merit.

As a developing CG artist, with background in Blender, we dive in to find out why Blender stands out for him. We also discuss his transition into Unreal engine, and Houdini.

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



https://www.linkedin.com/in/yin-wu-b8804aa9/

https://www.youtube.com/c/TheVFXArtistsPodcast


00:00:00 Ident
00:00:05 Intro
00:00:46 Get to know Yin
00:01:04 How I got into the VFX industry
00:05:20 Getting my first VFX job in China
00:06:44 Becoming an artist at The Mill Shanghai
00:10:06 A bigger picture of the VFX industry in China
00:11:04 Work-life-balance in the Chinese VFX industry
00:14:20 Regulations for better work-life balance in the Chinese VFX industry
00:15:33 Working in Blender
00:18:23 Inspiration behind the cityscape
00:19:55 Transition to Unreal Engine
00:21:49 Typical route to entry into the Chinese VFX industry
00:23:50 Freedom of career direction in the Chinese community
00:25:14 What inspired your journey into the creative industry
00:26:10 Need for change in the Chinese VFX industry
00:31:48 Advice for aspiring VFX artists
00:33:16 Commercials vs Film, Shanghai vs Beijing
00:34:31 Conclusion

#vfxpodcast #chinesevfxindustry #vfxartistchina

How I Became A VFX Coordinator | TVAP EP38

In this episode, we chat to Atem Kuol about how he became a VFX coordinator.

Starting up as a witness camera operator and venturing into VFX production before embarking on 'Death on the Nile' as assistant coordinator, Atem gives us the low down on his experiences and how he made it into the VFX industry from his early beginnings in the live TV industry.

One not to be missed, from anyone looking to understand what VFX coordinators do, and the ins and outs of how one gets to be one.

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

Connect with Atem



00:00:00 Ident
00:00:05 Intro
00:00:10 A bit about Atem
00:03:19 The role of a VFX coordinator explained
00:06:54 VFX journey - The inspiration
00:10:01 What's the entry route for VFX coordinators
00:11:35 Coordinating alongside covid
00:13:01 Working with departments on a day-to-day basis
00:14:05 Coordinator's relationship & process with VFX vendors
00:16:10 What's the best way to understand every department's needs
00:19:02 Features or Episodics
00:20:14 Advice for aspiring coordinators
00:21:40 Advice for coodinators looking to move between vendor side and production company
00:22:43 Humble Beginnings Films
00:23:58 Conclusion

#vfxpodcast #vfxcoordinator #vfxcareer

The ups and downs of life as a compositor with Josh Parks | TVAP EP37

This week we catch up with Senior Compositor and trainer, Josh Parks for a lively discussion of all things tech, industry and career related.

Starting out as "The wildcard choice" for MPC's training program, he has built an impressive career with credits including: Jungle Book, Transformers: The Last Knight, Ready Player One, Wonder Woman, Guardians of the Galaxy, Lovecraft Country, Stranger Things and much more

We also talk about Josh's training materials and how building this from early in his journey in VFX has not only helped other artists, but also helped himself to grow as a compositor.

We also discuss Unreal, volume, machine learning and the future of the industry so you will want to check this one out!


00:00:05 : Introductions
00:04:33 : Machine learning and the black box
00:09:04 : The Mailing List
00:11:41 : How creating learning materials can help the creator
00:13:04 : Keying and Dan's worst interview ever
00:18:48 : Josh's route into the industry
00:22:15 : The ups and downs of life as a comper
00:37:18 : Ownership of art and Caravaggio getting client notes
00:51:00 : Unreal in Nuke
00:57:34 : 


01:07:12 : Outro and a bit of industry history

Rendered: 2022-07-24 20:30:49
Powered by [Chaptered.app](https://Chaptered.app)

Episode 51 Out Now!

Episodes