How To Talk To A VFX Supe
After working as both an Artist and Supervisor in the VFX industry for over a quite some time, I’ve found that in order for a shot or a show to turn out right, everybody involved must communicate. As simple as that sounds it can be quite hard to get right. Often times everything from schedules to egos seem to conspire to keep the people who really need to talk to eachother apart. The following are some hopefully helpful tips on how to keep the dialog moving.
Show and tell
As an Artist, part of your job is keeping up on the latest techniques and tricks in VFX. If you come across a cool little deal that saves time or makes stuff look a whole lot better (sometimes both) let someone know. Got a new traking marker setup that will make matchmoving a snap? Take your Supe aside for a few seconds to run by him or her. The same goes for when the best laid plans go astray. There are times that the plates that come back from set don’t quite match up to the original methodology. Instead of trying to fit a square peg in a round hole, call the Supe over, go over the plates togther, regroup and think of a new stradegy.
Keep it civil
One inevitable consiquence of increased contact is increased friction. The time and money involved on creating VFX conspire to create pressures that can stymie the lines of communication. And nothing brings the process to a more abrupt halt than a good old fashioned blow up. I’ve seen my fair share of Artist/Supe throwdowns and they always turn out the same way (except for one extreme case where the authorities got involved). After the screaming match is over, everyone has to make nice and get back to work anyway, and aside from being a tremendous waste of time, blow-ups hamper communication for the duration of the process. If you check your ego at the door, keep the voice volume to a reasonable level and stay away from the blame game, you’ll help keep your show moving forward even under the most difficult circumstances.
Get on the bus
Nobody likes to hear comments at the end of a project like “Yeah, I knew that wasn’t gonna work”. You need to stay as involved as you can in the project from start to finish. Checking Out is not an option. If you do you will lose any sway that you ever had over the direction of the final project. If you are engaged with your Supe the whole time you will have a better chance of being listened to. Have strong opinions or concerns? Let them be heard (in a normal tone of voice of course). A good Supervisor will always listen carefully to an Artist that has the best interests of the show at heart. If they don’t, maybe your at the wrong facility.
Timing is everything
Just as you don’t want to yell “Fire!” in a crowded theater, you don’t want to yell “This shot looks like ass!” during a review session with a client. There is a time and place for every comment. If you want your thoughts to be taken seriously choose the best time to present your ideas and opinions to a Supe. Cornering someone and demanding action before they get to the coffee urn first thing in the morning will guarantee a negative result. Instead, wait for a relative clam in the daily storm and ask for a face to face when time permits. That way a Supe can come to you feeling much more receptive and a lot less defensive.
February 22nd, 2008 at 9:06 pm
One of the basic facets of my job is to try and “guide” the VFX Supe when they are clueless or wrong (which unfortunately, happens much more then 12 years ago; when IMHO the downward trend started). My rule is as follows. I carefully and with courtesy try 3 times to prevent them from shooting themselves in the foot. After which point if my concerns, and attempts are ignored or dismissed I with equal courtesy help them load and aim at whichever of their feet they choose. Usually my “guidance” starts by asking “interested” questions. and by asking the right questions and making the Supe explain his thought processes (if there are any). sometimes he will realized his error(s). Sometimes all it takes is a “really?” said in the right non-threatening intonation. Don’t make him defensive, just reflective. Maybe the Supe is right and I have not considered (or been informed of) some aspect. but the key is to have a good communicative relationship; and always make sure you are being paid well enough to feel ok with having your professional opinions ignored. The more you are being paid the less they will be ignored and the more ok you will feel when they are. Remember like a lot of people in”The Film Biz”, many VFX Supes. have serious ego issues. The Supe may just want to change your work so he can “put his fingerprints” on it. or to feel like he/she was the one that “added Value”, not because there was anything wrong with your work. I have seen a VFX Supervisor ignore the advice of the VFX DP, VFX Cameraman, CG Supe, Lead Compositor, and 2 Digital Artists, out of ego, not sense. Ignore your own A-Team? Lame, pointless and bad for everyone, but still happens. For best way to deal with a Supervisor,. check out Dewey Martin in 1951’s The Thing From Another World. He sets up a situation where his boss thinks he has made all the right choices through the whole film, even though they were all made for him