The Art of Observation in Animation & VFX, with Jahirul Amin, founder of CAVE Academy | TVAP EP63 Summary In this conversation, Jahirul Amin emphasizes the significance of real-world observation in the field of animation. He advocates for practical experiences, such as watching people walk or observing natural light and shadows, to enhance understanding and skills in animation. This approach encourages animators to engage with their environment to inform their work, rather than relying ...

In this episode of the VFX Artists Podcast, Kofi interviews Freefolk VFX supervisor Rob Sheridan, about his journey in the visual effects industry, the importance of internships, and the evolving landscape of VFX jobs. Rob shares insights on how he progressed from a runner to a supervisor, the significance of the Futurefolk internship program, and advice for aspiring VFX artists. The conversation also touches on the challenges faced by the industry and the importance of communication...

B-corp and sustainability in VFX, with Robin Chowdhury, COO of Dupe VFX | TVAP EP61 Join us for an insightful discussion on what it means to be sustainable in post production. B Corp Certification is a designation that a business is meeting high standards of verified performance, accountability, and transparency on factors from employee benefits and charitable giving to supply chain practices and input materials. It was great speaking with Robin, COO of Dupe VFX about how he worked towards ...

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...

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 s...

Exploitation of VFX Artists - With Senior CG Generalist Mark Woodcock | TVAP EP58In 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 ab...

The health of the VFX industry in 2024, with foudner of MOTUS Kurt Maclachlan | TVAP EP57In 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 Background02:48 Causes of the Strikes04:29 Key Concerns for Actors and Writers04:59 Impact on VFX Artists06:06 Duration of the Strikes07:48 Current State of the Industry08:09 Hiring and Recover...

The Man Who Wrote The Book on Compositing with Ron Brinkman | TVAP EP56When 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 treme...

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 applicatio...

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 ...

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 ...

This is a hot topic with "No AI" trending on Artstation and pending court cases we spoke to Director, Filmmaker and Game Designer Alvaro García Martínezwho 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 do...

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

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 hu...

What does it take to be a lighting artist? with Jasmine Katatikarn | TVAP EP49This 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 ab...

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 me...

Behind The Desk with Hugo Guerra | TVAP EP47Hugo 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 episo...

I Sold Gum. Now I Blow Things Up! With Action VFX Founder and CEO Rodolphe Pierre-Louis | TVAP EP46I 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 wid...

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 right...

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 pa...