VFXhack

We’ve all heard the overquoted story from about how it took Thomas Edison 10 million tries to get the lightbulb right or how Dyson went through thousands of prototypes before he settled on the perfect design for a vaccum. But, behind these cliches lies more than a nugget of truth, especially in regards to he world of Visual Effects. I have found that no two shows (or two shots for that matter) are exactly the same. And with the pace of innovation racing ahead so rapidly, what’s state of the art in VFX today won’t hold up tomorrow. Is there anything us work-a-day guys and gals of the VFX community can do to keep pace? Well, I’m happy to tell you that the answer is yes. One of the keys to creating a great visual effects sequence is to fail early and fail often. This is a hard pill to swallow for some of you out there. Getting a ahead in this business means always being the guy or gal with the answers. When a Director asks, “How the heck are we gonna do this?” nobody wants to answer “I don’t know. Lemme think about it”. Humility in the VFX world is in short supply and huge egos tend to be greatly rewarded. The fact is, failure is a big part of the VFX (or any artistic) process. And how you handle failure in a work environment is a far better test of your character than success.

Go Big or Go Home-

Fear of failure can lead to being overly cautious in shot design or worse indecision and inaction. If you fear failure, you will never learn anything. Sometimes starting a project can feel like standing on the edge of a giant, bottomless pit of sadness and despair. Although your doubts may not be unfounded, at a certain point ya’ gotta just say to your self “Screw it” and jump in head first. Nobody ever got the glory by sitting on the sidelines saying “See I told you it would be too hard”. So climb aboard that failboat and sail on with a smile on your face.

It Is, What It Is-

One of the things that defines a successful person is the ability to see things for what they are, not what you want them to be. The only way to make your failures work for you is being honest with yourself about what didn’t turn out right in your shot and how it went off course. Cast a critical eye to the work you’ve done. If you were the client, what would you have said about the work you put forward? Don’t get stuck making excuses or qualifying your work. Specifically, identify how you screwed up and what you are going to do differently the next time around.

A Glutton For Punishment-

To really learn from failure you must do it again and again. Just think of it this way, if every time you fail is opportunity to never step in the same pile of VFX doodoo again. Some of you may be afraid to walk around the office with canine poopy on your shoes. Admitting that you screwed up might feel a bit strange in this alpha dog eat alpha dog world. But look at it this way, artists that set themselves up as perfect run the risk of not knowing when something really bad is staring them right in the face (Jar-Jar Binks anyone?).

Basic Failure Safety-

It’s probably not a good idea to continuously fail at important stuff like making a delivery or remembering not to fish a burning bagel out the toaster with a metal fork while it’s still on. Try to create a safe failspace for yourself on each project. Animatics or concept sketches have great failure potential. What you need is sandbox where you can try out creative options without sinking the entire project. Starting out a job with many failures can result in the cream rising to the top early. Just make sure that you’re a quick study and turn your mound of crap into a diamond in short order. Otherwise, you won’t be the guy who learned from his failures and became great, you’ll just be a plain old failure.

LINK to some inspiring Fails over at Failblog

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.

What could be better than spending countless hours doing menial tasks for little recognition and no pay, just for the slim chance of getting a job with even longer hours and slightly more pay at the end of it all? Such is the dilemma of the VFX intern. An internship can be looked at as a once in a lifetime opportunity to get a glimpse into the real world of how the industry works. But it is also a hazing ritual with a tradition as old as civilization designed to weed out those that truly wish to enter a specialized trade from those who would sit around playing World of Warcraft in their parents’ basement all day if they hadn’t been coerced into the workforce by way of a threat to disconnect the cable modem. But don’t worry kids. The fact is, most of us started out as interns (or something similar) and know well the sacrifices you need to make, to forge a career in VFX. As one who has jumped through this burning ring of fire myself (unpaid intern Dreamquest Images 1990) I offer you these humble tips to see you through.

Don’t Be A Teacup

“Teacup” is a derogatory term used by managers of all types to describe young folks who’s psyches are so fragile that even the slightest critique will reduce them to a sobbing pile of goo. I’ll say it again. Don’t be a teacup. If you feel you are being abused, you’re probably not. VFX artists and supes need to react to notes from all sources and find ways to deal with the stress of constant judgment. It’s just part of the job. So if you feel all steamed up, count to ten, suck a lemon, do some push-ups whatever it takes. Listen to feedback no matter how much it stings and move on. If you need to cry it out, that’s what bathrooms are for.

Bonus Tip: If you think someone is really abusive and out of line, don’t make a big beef in front of everybody. Request a private meeting to air your concerns in a rational and reasoned way.

Make Friends In High Places

Keep an eye out for who bangs the drum on your VFX slave ship. The people who run the show at your shop are always faced with scheduling issues that might require some intern power. If you make your name, face and skills known to the powers that be, this increases your chance of getting called up to the big leagues should the opportunity arise. A friendly “Hello!” at the coffee urn is a good start, but asking for a personal reel review is even better. Make sure you ask for specific criticism on what you can do better. If you can swing it, watch your reel with El Nacho Grande so you can ask questions and get a little extra face time.

Bonus Tip: Don’t stalk, it’s creepy. If you see a supervisor at Trader Joe’s, a quick acknowledgment is fine but let the poor guy (or gal) get his Hummus and get out!

Get Stuff Done

No mater how mundane the tasks you are given, do them to the best of your ability and as quickly and efficiently as you can. Remember, your internship is a test. If you balk about how boring it is to run around town all day dropping off and picking up tapes, people aren’t going to ask you to help out with roto or tracking (the first tasks you’ll probably be asked to do vfx-wise). Complaining is not an option and neither is being lazy. Once your are finished with a task immediately tell your direct supervisor you are done and ask for another assignment. This is the visual effects equivalent to “Thank you sir, may I have another” (that’s an Animal House reference for those who are generationaly impaired).

Bonus Tip: Always volunteer to go on set, even if it means extra hours for no pay. The experience you get on a VFX stage is worth it. Just keep you mouth shut when your there.

Grab For The Brass Ring

That’s an old timey expression that means that you should reach out for the good opportunities that may come your way, not some kind of veiled reference to facial piercings or other body modifications. Oddly enough, the golden opportunity you’ve been waiting for will probably come in the form of a chance to work all night doing thankless drudge work but that’s besides the point. The point is that an iternship is all about getting a foot in the door and showing a VFX company that you have something to offer. You need to be as flexible as you can be and put yourself out there for any chance at all to get real-live production experience.

Bonus Tip: Working on productions for free once (or even twice) is an opportunity, more than that can be exploitation. After a while everyone needs to get some compensation even if it’s at a Barista pay scale.

60 minutes ran a feature recently on” Millennials”, those lost souls that have had the seeming misfortune of being born in the years between 1980 and 1995. Morely was pretty tough on these iPod toting whippersnappers. Maybe he was mad about being named Morely because the story claimed that amongst other things, Millennials don’t know that underwear is meant to be worn under your clothes and that things called “knives” and “forks” can be used instead of shoveling food into your messy gob with your unwashed bare hands. However slanted the folks with the ticking stopwatch may be, this group of perpetual teenagers have flocked to our fledgling VFX industry. So, I have composed this open letter to the Millennials to give them a leg up if they choose to enter the industry that we all hold so near and dear.

Dear Millenials, Sorry to see that 60 Minutes took a elephantine sized dump on your entire generation. That being said, please hear my few nuggets of wisdom, for I too was once the youngest guy in the room. Now I’m ancient at 37 and a proud member of the club that you say can’t be trusted. I’m sorry to say that you too will inevitably make the transition from young hot-shot to pathetic has-been. If you want to make this journey an easier one, listen up.

1. You Don’t Deserve Your Job- Just because your parents ponied up the green to send you to VFX school doesn’t mean you automatically gain admission to a job at a studio. For all it’s faults, this a merit based business. If you don’t have the drive and talent, you won’t get too far. And no, bringing your mom to your job interview will not help.
2. Find Old People- Believe it or not, some of us in our golden years have knowledge that we can pass onto you. There are even Jedi masters older than I who hold the keys to a veritable Pandora’s box of effects know-how. Seriously, you don’t know everything, in fact quite the opposite. Find someone whose been around the block a few times and annoy them until they give up the goods.
3. Give a Crap- This is an easy one. You need to care about the work you do. Supes are looking for artists who put an extra something special into their shots without being asked. The powers that be at a VFX house are always on the prowl for people who have something to contribute rather than those who do only the minimum needed to complete the job.
4. It’s Not Show- Fun- VFX houses are a businesses that need to make a profit to stay in business. And it’s a tough business at that. The list of companies that have bit the dust over the years is long and written in the blood of young artists. Make sure you have a good work ethic and don’t expect ice cream sundaes and balloon animals at your desk every Friday.
5. No Flipflops- Now this is is just plain common sense. Foot thongs are for the gym or the beach and that’s it! And besides, when I see your gnarly toenails sticking out from underneath a bathroom stall, I can’t help thinking that Morely Safer is right and you truly do have no standards. Don’t be a stereotype, leave the shower shoes at home.

Sincerly, VFXHack

LINK to 37 Signals take on the Millennials piece

Special thanks to the 3dPro guys for starting the conversation and to Bill S. for the image