Discover how Charlie’s unrelenting commitment set him apart—whether it was flying across the country to demonstrate his commitment to a gig, learning advanced tools like Nuke and Maya while working full-time, or simply making the best sandwiches to show his dedication to craft. He reflects on the challenges and rewards of his career, the critical role of mentorship, and his advice for aspiring VFX professionals looking to break into the industry. 

Charlie reflects on his early days, crediting CG Spectrum’s flexible, mentor-led training in 3D Modeling and Nuke VFX for helping him bridge the gap between production and post-production, and allowing him to stand out in the industry. Through hard work, perseverance, and a deep love for the craft, Charlie rose from entry-level roles to becoming a lead VFX supervisor. With his success story, he wants to encourage more professionals to explore specialized learning as a tool for career growth.

This episode is packed with practical tips and inspiration for aspiring VFX artists and film professionals looking to carve their path in a competitive field. Don't miss it!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn 2D Animation: https://www.cgspectrum.com/career-pathways/2d-animator

Maxine speaks with Hubert Lapointe, Online Educator/Creative Director and Founder at Bon Jam Animation, about how to work as a freelance animator, including how to determine your rate, whether to charge hourly or daily, and marketing yourself on social media. Plus, Hubert gives some great tips on how to succeed in e-learning. This episode is chock-full of actionable tips and is not to be missed, especially for those who are considering starting to work as a freelancer!

Hubert Lapointe is an online educator, Creative Director and Founder at Bon Jam Animation and mentor of 2D Animation at CG Spectrum. His experience ranges from Toonboom software instructor to animation supervisor, to director and finally studio founder at Bon Jam Animation. He has worked at studios like Oasis Animation, Bardel Entertainment, Shed, and Happy Camper Media and has credits on shows like Rick and Morty, The Ollie and Moon Show for Netflix, and primetime children TV series Jon Le Bon.

🔗 Episode notes: https://www.cgspectrum.com/podcast/freelance-animation-hubert-lapointe

00:00 Intro

01:24 Hubert’s background, starting as an animator in Quebec

03:26 Failing the animation test, Hubert’s first job

05:10 Getting into the industry through side roles, finding your path

9:20 Becoming an Animation director

13:50 Benefits of freelancing versus working in a studio

18:34 Getting started as a freelancer and online exposure

24:02 How to make content more interesting for social media

30:10 Producing consistently and creating engagement

36:09 Knowing the audience for your demo reel

42:30 Qualities Hubert looks for when hiring juniors

48:00 How to set your rate and other practical tips

53:16 Hourly versus daily rates

55:45 Starting at a discounted rate

59:15 Negotiating your rate

1:05:10 Tips for e-Learning

1:10:40 Where to find Hubert

Connect on:

📍 https://www.instagram.com/cgspectrum

📍 https://www.linkedin.com/cgspectrum

📍 http://www.facebook.com/CGSpectrum.Film.and.Game.School

📍 https://www.twitter.com/cgspectrum

Hubert:

📍 https://www.bonjam.ca/

📍 https://www.linkedin.com/in/hubert-lapointe/

📍 https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8153335/

📍 https://www.instagram.com/bonjam.ca/

📍 https://www.instagram.com/bleu_ecarlate/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn Real-time 3D: https://www.cgspectrum.com/career-pathways/virtual-production

Maxine speaks with Azra Alkan, Compositing Supervisor and Real-Time Look Development Artist, about how to determine your worth as an artist in film and games. Hear about Azra’s career journey, from moving to the United States from Turkey to study computer programming, getting into compositing supervision and then real-time 3D virtual production. Azra breaks down why authentic networking is so valuable and how important it has been in her profession, including landing the highly competitive Epic Games Unreal Engine Fellowship in 2019. Plus, practical tips like how to research to create opportunities for yourself!

Azra Alkan is an Unreal Engine Artist, Visual Effects Compositor, and Filmmaker. She has been predominantly using traditional tools such as Nuke, Maya, and Houdini to work in the film industry for over 10 years. After being selected for Epic Games’ Unreal Engine Fellowship in 2019, Azra has been trying to unlock new ways that bring power to the traditional VFX pipeline with the addition of real-time tools.

🔗 Episode notes: https://www.cgspectrum.com/podcast/real-time-3d-look-dev-artist-azra-alkan

00:00 Intro

01:14 Azra’s background, growing up in Turkey

04:58 Studying computer programming

07:48 Getting a sign, moving to the States, and starting film studies

11:54 The value of going to school vs. self-guided learning

14:32 If it’s not the right job for you, there is something else

19:55 How to overcome the challenge of not working in a studio

22:30 How to network authentically

26:35 Moving from compositing supervisor to virtual production in real-time 3D

31:32 Epic Games Unreal fellowship

36:18 Advancing by combining skills and talents

42:29 Knowing your boundaries

47:30 Prioritizing your health and keeping perspective

52:08 Making a liveable wage

55:55 How to give helpful critique and feedback

59:44 Listener questions: staying current with software, creative applications for software

1:07:10 Where to find Azra

Connect on:

📍 https://www.instagram.com/cgspectrum

📍 https://www.linkedin.com/cgspectrum

📍 http://www.facebook.com/CGSpectrum.Film.and.Game.School

📍 https://www.twitter.com/cgspectrum

Azra:

📍 https://www.azralkan.com/

📍 https://www.linkedin.com/in/azralkan/

📍 https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6784875/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn 3D Modeling: https://www.cgspectrum.com/career-pathways/3d-modeling

Digital Portrait Artist Ian Spriggs catches up with Maxine to unpack the creative process behind his mind-blowing realistic 3D character portraitures. Learn how Ian approaches creating his digital portraits, including how he chooses subjects, tricks for lighting and workflow, and the importance of practicing your craft. Ian also discusses the difference between hyperrealism and photorealism, how digital portraiture compares to traditional painting, and finding inspiration in art history.

Ian Spriggs is a digital portrait artist creating believable digital humans. He has also worked as a lead character 3D modeler with credits including Bloodshot, Mulan, The Mandolorian (Chapter 1), Spiderman: Far From Home, and John Wick 3. He's been creating digital art in the industry for over 16 years, working at studios such as OatsStudios, ImageEngine, ILM, Mr X, and is currently at Unity Labs.

🔗 Episode notes: https://www.cgspectrum.com/podcast/create-3d-character-portrait-ian-spriggs

00:00 Intro

01:15 Ian’s 3D Portraiture

03:38 Finding passion through a self-portrait

05:37 Ian’s background in VFX

07:57 Working at ILM and Oats

10:10 Working in small versus large studios

12:01 How Ian selects portrait subjects

16:11 How digital portraiture compares to traditional painting

20:33 Ian’s art shown in galleries

23:06 Ian’s process for portraiture

26:08 Hyperrealism vs. photorealism

29:36 Ian’s portrait of Kim Jung Gi

31:28 Feedback and attention to detail

35:35 Leonardo da Vinci portrait

38:24 Personal work versus professional work

42:03 Finding inspiration in art history

43:50 Lighting models

45:50 Tricks Ian has picked up from the industry

47:35 Following your passion and practicing

50:02 How many hours Ian spends working

53:20 Listener questions: recommendations for realistic sculpting, preferred workflows

55:50 Where to find Ian

Connect on:

📍 https://www.instagram.com/cgspectrum

📍 https://www.linkedin.com/cgspectrum

📍 http://www.facebook.com/CGSpectrum.Film.and.Game.School

📍 https://www.twitter.com/cgspectrum

Ian:

📍 https://www.ianspriggs.com

📍 https://www.instagram.com/ianspriggs

📍 https://twitter.com/spriggsian

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn Environment Art: https://www.cgspectrum.com/career-pathways/environment-artist

Justin interviews Alex Beddows, a Senior Environment Artist at Respawn Entertainment, about how to get ahead in the industry and his pragmatic perspective on career advancement. Alex shares how personal projects like his podcast 'Game Dev Discussion' helped him to network and land jobs, and how his background in sports (rugby) has been a pivotal asset for building leadership in the studio. He shares practical tips about how to research for a position you want and determining the scope of a project, and answers listener questions about inspiration, mental bandwidth, and preferred software for environment art.

Alex is an environment artist with nearly 10 years of experience in varying sectors of the game industry, from mobile to AAA, on titles including Returnal, Scavengers, and Godfall. He also worked at ArtStation as a consultant. Alex currently resides at Respawn Entertainment as a Senior Environment Artist. As well as being an artist, Alex hosts the ‘Game Dev Discussion’ podcast dedicated to the games industry, where he speaks with people from all aspects of games with a strong focus on environment art. 

🔗 Episode notes: https://www.cgspectrum.com/podcast/environment-art-repawn-entertainment-alex-beddows

00:00 Intro

01:12 Alex’s Background from rugby to game art

03:25 Starting the GDD podcast

06:29 How sports helped Alex in the games industry

09:15 Communication and delivering bad news in a positive way

11:54 Progressing with soft skills rather than hard skills

16:28 Doing the research

19:35 Alex’s pragmatic approach to his career

23:45 How knowing what you don’t want to do helps you figure out what you do want to do

26:30 How far is far enough?

32:39 Scoping your project and maintaining momentum

36:23 The easy way to make a checklist for your portfolio

38:30 Getting inspired through photography

43:30 Making steps toward Art Direction

48:00 Listener questions: inspiration, mental bandwidth, preferred softwares for environment art

57:45 Where to find Alex

Connect on:

📍 https://www.instagram.com/cgspectrum

📍 https://www.linkedin.com/cgspectrum

📍 http://www.facebook.com/CGSpectrum.Film.and.Game.School

📍 https://www.twitter.com/cgspectrum

Alex:

📍 https://beddowsdesign.carrd.co/

📍 https://www.artstation.com/alexbeddows

📍 https://www.dinustyempire.com/podcast

📍 https://www.instagram.com/beddows.design/

📍 https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-beddows-2a827585/

📍 https://twitter.com/BeddowsDesign

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn 3D Animation: https://www.cgspectrum.com/career-pathways/3d-animator

Maxine interviews Mark Pullyblank, Department Head of 3D Animation at CG Spectrum, to talk about his midlife career switch into animation from an entirely different industry -- live music. Mark tells us how he went from starting a new career in animation in his mid-30s with two young kids and zero income to getting headhunted to work on Avatar. He and Maxine discuss why your attitude matters so much, how failures lead to success, and the importance of falling in love with the process. This episode is not to be missed!

Mark Pullyblank spent much of the nineties working as a musician before beginning his animation career. He has been an Animation Supervisor at Rainmaker Digital and Frantic Films, a Senior Animator at Sony Pictures Imageworks, and worked in various departments at Wētā FX. His film credits include Avatar, The Adventures of Tintin, The Smurfs, Night at the Museum, and many others. Mark is currently the Department Head of 3D Animation at CG Spectrum, co-founder of Theia Interactive, Director of Non-Stop Motion Virtual Productions, a Lecturer at a Californian university, and undertakes freelance and consulting work at film and game studios.

🔗 Episode notes: https://www.cgspectrum.com/podcast/animation-career-change-mark-pullybank

00:00 Intro

01:22 Mark’s background and switching into an entirely new career in animation

04:00 Why starting a new career was a hard sell

06:45 Doing things you’re bad at

10:14 Mark’s experience of going back to school as an animator at 33 with two kids and zero income

12:15 Closing the gap between beginner and skilled through practice

15:44 Falling in love with the process, and the work over the fantasy

20:28 The importance of stories and creating art

22:10 Equal enthusiasm for projects, from Dr. Doolittle 3 to Avatar

25:50 Mark’s mindfulness trick

28:30 Learning how to lose: how failure leads to success

34:38 Focus on the things you have control over

40:48 Building toward responsibility

44:02 Impostor Syndrome and setting healthy boundaries

51:50 What to do on your first day in a studio

56:50 How Mark was invited to work on Avatar

57:45 Where to find Mark

Connect on:

📍 https://www.instagram.com/cgspectrum

📍 https://www.linkedin.com/cgspectrum

📍 http://www.facebook.com/CGSpectrum.Film.and.Game.School

📍 https://www.twitter.com/cgspectrum

Mark:

📍 https://www.linkedin.com/in/pullyblank/

📍 https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1603840/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn Character Art: https://www.cgspectrum.com/career-pathways/character-artist

In this week’s interview with J Hill, Lead Character Artist at Turtle Rock Studios, joins Maxine to chat about the success of his eponymous YouTube channel  @J Hill , how he got started as a character artist, using YouTube as a creative outlet and a form of accountability, and why encouraging other people to pursue their passions is so important to him. Plus, J shares some practical wisdom about job interviews, what sets applicants apart, and what he looks for when he’s in the hiring seat. J also answers your listener questions about time management, render engines, and more!

J is a professional 3D character artist in the entertainment industry working as a Lead Character Artist at Turtle Rock Studios, known for popular games Back 4 Blood, Evolve, and Left 4 Dead. J also runs  @J Hill  where he helps artists pursue their interests in digital art, including 3D character art, ZBrush sculpting, 3D modeling, game art, and rendering. 

🔗 Episode notes: https://www.cgspectrum.com/podcast/create-your-dream-job-j-hill

00:00 Intro

01:39 J’s background and 3D Modeling

09:25 How to go ‘off the beaten path’ to make a living

12:03 How J got started on YouTube and creating personal work

17:54 Impostor syndrome and authenticity on J’s YouTube account

22:24 Creating room for and embracing failure

24:10 J’s first job in the industry

31:01 How J landed his second job as a character artist through a forum post and networking

35:32 Expanding your net and staying open minded with job applications

40:47 Working for a studio vs. making personal work

47:32 Personal projects as a way to show your passion

49:29 Advice for people getting into the industry

57:40 Doing work that speaks to you

1:03:03 Listener questions: time management, environment art, why did J choose character art?, Render Engines, ZBrush

1:13:40 Where to find J

Connect on:

📍 https://www.instagram.com/cgspectrum

📍 https://www.linkedin.com/cgspectrum

📍 http://www.facebook.com/CGSpectrum.Film.and.Game.School

📍 https://www.twitter.com/cgspectrum

J Hill:

📍 https://www.artstation.com/jhill

📍 https://www.youtube.com/c/artofjhill/about

📍 https://www.instagram.com/artofjhill/

📍 https://artofjhill.com/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn Houdini FX: https://www.cgspectrum.com/courses/fx-simulation

In this week’s interview, Kate Xagoraris, Midlevel Effects Artist at SPIN VFX & CG Spectrum Mentor of Houdini FX, joins Maxine to discuss her popular Houdini tutorials blog, her work on medical and science visualization tools, dealing with impostor syndrome, being pigeon-holed at work and how to break out of that pattern, as well as embracing the fear that comes with working in FX. As always, we dive into plenty of practical and actionable tips for advancing in your career.

Kate Xagoraris is an FX artist currently working for SPIN VFX. She's worked on projects like Nightmare Alley, The Witcher, and Raised by Wolves, Vikings: Valhalla, and The Boys. She also runs a popular science and visual effects blog called More VFX Help, where she covers Houdini and much more, and has her own YouTube channel,  @Kate .

🔗 Episode notes: https://www.cgspectrum.com/podcast/break-through-imposter-syndrome-fx-artist-kate-xagoraris

00:00 Intro

01:50 Kate’s background in animation and first steps in Houdini

06:30 Introducing science into effects work

07:30 How Kate’s blog started and her most popular articles

12:30 Inside the studio: “Production doesn’t know what artists do”

14:52 Tips for people who want to move up in their career

18:15 Navigating growth in a studio environment

22:22 How to deal with getting typecast or pigeonholed for one skill

25:51 Challenging yourself versus working in your comfort zone, doing one thing a day that scares you

28:48 The story behind Kate’s first Houdini shot on The Boys

35:06 The pressure of being the first woman on her FX team

42:30 How Kate writes her blog posts knowing her colleagues might come across them

45:10 Dealing with impostor syndrome

47:55 The importance of taking time off to process experiences and information

52:12 Kate’s medical and science visualization tools and using Houdini for NASA and Hubble

59:26 Where to find Kate

Connect on:

📍 https://www.instagram.com/cgspectrum

📍 https://www.linkedin.com/cgspectrum

📍 http://www.facebook.com/CGSpectrum.Film.and.Game.School

📍 https://www.twitter.com/cgspectrum

Kate:

📍 https://www.artstation.com/katexagoraris

📍 https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-xagoraris-237970161/

📍 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbBVDltzL3eoADdraZGuuEg

📍 https://www.katexagoraris.com/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn 3D Modeling: https://www.cgspectrum.com/courses/3d-modeling

This week, Senior Texture Artist Chun Chun Yang sits down with Maxine to discuss how she got into 3D art, the rewards and challenges of switching careers from film to games, and the lessons she learned along the way. Maxine and Chun Chun also talk about pushing through discomfort to create new opportunities, challenging yourself to find joy in career growth, and much more!

Along with her successful texturing tutorials on Gumroad, Chun Chun has worked as a 3D artist for film, contributing to titles like Ready Player One, Deadpool, Aladdin, and Beauty and the Beast. She's worked as a Texture Artist at Digital Domain and as a Senior Texture Artist at Industrial Light & Magic. After being scouted by an art director at Blizzard Entertainment, Chun Chun recently transitioned into games and is now working as a Character Material Artist on Blizzard's Diablo IV. She also has a successful YouTube channel,  @Artruism Digital  .

🔗 Episode notes: https://www.cgspectrum.com/podcast/blizzard-texture-artist-chun-chun-yang

00:00 Intro

01:16 Chun Chun’s entry to 3D art

05:40 What is texturing?

07:33 Chun Chun’s transition from film to games

11:30 Challenges in moving from film to games

13:37 Talking to managers about new opportunities

17:44 Starting her YouTube channel  @Artruism Digital 

22:39 Career growth and developing your confidence beyond your job title

26:00 The learning curve for Houdini

28:59 Other procedural texturing artists to look out for

31:00 Challenging yourself and creating joy through career growth

32:15 Practical tips for creating your portfolio and finding a job

35:24 Getting scouted by an Art Director at Blizzard

36:00 People skills and your professional reputation

40:48 Future trends, and Realtime in Unreal Engine

45:30 How to network when you’re working remotely

47:26 Where to find Chun Chun

Connect on:

📍 https://www.instagram.com/cgspectrum

📍 https://www.linkedin.com/cgspectrum

📍 https://www.facebook.com/CGSpectrum.Film.and.Game.School

📍 https://www.twitter.com/cgspectrum

Chun Chun:

📍 https://www.youtube.com/c/ArtruismDigital

📍 https://www.artstation.com/chunchunyang

📍 https://www.linkedin.com/in/chun-chun-yang-175b0515/

📍 https://twitter.com/chunchunyang

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn Compositing: https://www.cgspectrum.com/courses/vfx-compositing

This week, Maxine interviews Pedro Andrade, Head of Compositing as well as Founder of the Comp Lair podcast and The Next Level training program, a Compositing Supervisor training program he created. They talk about how Pedro started his podcast and The Next Level training program out of a desire to share knowledge, and exactly what tools, skills and perspectives helped Pedro jump from a compositor to supervisor position in only two years. Tune in to hear Pedro talk about embracing your unique perspective, the freedom of letting go of expectations, and the value in being prepared for opportunities that come your way.

As a 2D Supervisor, Pedro has worked at companies such as DNEG, Cinesite, and Milk VFX. As former Head of Compositing at MPC, he managed 100+ people across London, Berlin, and Montreal, from junior artists to supervisors, on both episodic and film projects. Pedro's credits include House of the Dragon, Avengers: Endgame, The Boys (season 3), Doctor Who, and Guardians of the Galaxy.

🔗 Episode notes: https://www.cgspectrum.com/podcast/comp-lair-compositing-supervisor-pedro-andrade

00:00 Intro

01:53 Why Pedro started the Comp Lair Podcast

05:00 The Next Level training program and four skills a Compositing Supervisor needs to master

10:50 How Pedro shifted from music and engineering into Visual Effects

19:20 Freelancing, Star Trek: Into Darkness

20:45 Finding your unique voice and using it to get ahead

26:03 The importance of being prepared

28:32 Practical tips for people who want to get into the industry

31:31 How Pedro learned a new skill in 3 months and the value in being proactive

37:38 The state of VFX and compositing and what to expect in the future

Connect on:

📍 https://www.instagram.com/cgspectrum

📍 https://www.linkedin.com/cgspectrum

📍 http://www.facebook.com/CGSpectrum.Film.and.Game.School

📍 https://www.twitter.com/cgspectrum

Pedro:

📍 https://www.youtube.com/c/CompLair

📍 https://www.complairvfx.com/

📍 https://www.complairvfx.com/thenextlevel

📍 https://www.facebook.com/complair

📍 https://www.instagram.com/comp_lair/

📍 https://discord.com/invite/Tkhtau8

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn Virtual Production: https://www.cgspectrum.com/courses/virtual-production

This week, Justin sits down with industry legend Aaron Sims, VFX Concept Artist and founder/CEO of Aaron Sims Creative, to talk about the industry’s evolution from practical effects to visual effects, Aaron’s latest venture into virtual production, and practical tips for succeeding in the industry.

ASC is an award-winning Design, VFX, and Game Studio with over 30 years of experience working on some of the biggest titles in the business: Stranger Things, Wonder Woman, the Planet of the Apes trilogy, and more. Tune in to hear how Aaron transitioned from working as a practical makeup FX artist in the 80s, to working on iconic films like Gremlins 2, Batman Forever, Men In Black, and Artificial Intelligence: A.I. with industry greats like Steven Spielberg, Stan Winston, and Rick Baker, and now breaking boundaries by embracing Unreal Engine as the next great innovation in storytelling.

🔗 Episode notes: https://www.cgspectrum.com/podcast/aaron-sims-storytelling-virtual-production-vfx

00:00 Intro

01:18 Aaron’s start as a makeup FX artist in the 80s

03:04 Practical vs. Visual effects

5:42 Working with Bruce Campbell and Sam Raimi

7:20 How the visual effects industry has evolved

10:10 What made Aaron get into VFX

13:14 Why certain movies effects hold up better than others

17:10 Inspiration from Jurassic Park, Planet of the Apes, Star Wars

19:12 Developing Stan Winston Digital

21:18 Designing robots for Steven Spielberg’s AI

24:53 Experimentation, innovation, and transitioning to Unreal

28:57 Learning Unreal and its applications for virtual production

30:25 Aaron’s short The Eye Calanthek

36:45 Metahumans and Realitycapture

42:22 Creature work on Gremlins 2 and Men in Black

44:45 Aaron’s favorite creatures he’s worked on

47:11 Practical tips for getting into the industry

53:49 Is new software and technology helpful or hurtful?

Connect on:

📍 https://www.instagram.com/cgspectrum

📍 https://www.linkedin.com/cgspectrum

📍 http://www.facebook.com/CGSpectrum.Film.and.Game.School

📍 https://www.twitter.com/cgspectrum

Aaron:

📍 https://www.aaronsimscreative.com/

📍 https://www.instagram.com/aaronsimscreative/?hl=en

📍 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCn12Sq3F4wgqEqYtkyVyJ5Q

📍 https://www.linkedin.com/company/aaron-sims-creative

📍 https://twitter.com/_ascreative?lang=en

📍 https://www.artstation.com/aaronsimscreative

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn VFX Compositing: https://www.cgspectrum.com/courses/vfx-compositing

Justin catches up with Compositing Supervisor and CG Spectrum Head of Compositing, Sean Amlaner, about what a compositing artist really does, the burgeoning demand for compositors in the industry, and they go behind the scenes of CG Spectrum's newly-released Dune-inspired commercial, which Sean worked on as a Compositor and VFX Supervisor!

Sean has worked as a Compositing Supervisor, Senior Compositor, and Senior Artist Trainer for studios such as Technicolor VFX, Sony Pictures Imageworks, Walt Disney Animation Studios, and Rhythm & Hues, among others. He has worked on over 100 feature and episodic television post-productions including Star Trek: Picard, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Black Panther, Frozen, Westworld, Thor: Ragnarok, and Avengers: Infinity War.

🔗 Episode notes: https://www.cgspectrum.com/podcast/understanding-vfx-compositing-sean-amlaner

00:00 Intro

01:15 What is a compositor and where is compositing used?

04:15 Who does a compositor work within the project pipeline?

08:27 Which software Sean uses for compositing and what it takes to master it

12:41 What other softwares to learn to gain an edge in compositing

15:15 How is virtual production going to affect the compositing industry

18:32 How much compositing work shows up in the final product? 

20:53 Sean’s background, switching from engineering to animation to compositing

23:53 Tips for getting into compositing

27:00 The virtual production pipeline used on the CG Spectrum Dune-inspired commercial 

32:50 The different stages involved in creating the commercial 

Watch the CG Spectrum Dune-inspired commercial: https://youtu.be/MCA8lZwh7ks

Go behind the scenes on our commercial shoot: https://youtu.be/M4HeJQ5SV-8

Watch our VFX breakdown: https://youtu.be/R6B1peE0cZ8

Read more about our VFX breakdown: https://www.cgspectrum.com/blog/vfx-breakdown-dune-inspired-commercial

Connect on:

📍 https://www.instagram.com/cgspectrum

📍 https://www.linkedin.com/cgspectrum

📍 http://www.facebook.com/CGSpectrum.Film.and.Game.School

📍 https://www.twitter.com/cgspectrum

Sean:

📍 https://www.linkedin.com/in/amlaner/

📍 https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2154997/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn VFX: https://www.cgspectrum.com/courses/visual-effects

Marcella Brown, Senior FX Artist at Wētā FX and founder of  @THE VFX Club Podcast , joins Maxine in studio to talk about her VFX career, including working on Encanto at Disney, the power of networking and mentorship, dealing with failure and burnout, and how her own family background has been a motivator in her career. Marcella's credits include Encanto and Godzilla vs. Kong, and she is is currently working on the highly anticipated upcoming Avatar: The Way of the Water.

The VFX Club Podcast is a space where artists from all backgrounds, creeds and colours can express through their own words what VFX means to them, with episodes focusing on what’s current in the industry straight from the artists' point of view. More at: https://thevfxclub.com/podcast/

The VFX Club's The Inception Project (t.i.p) recognizes the need for greater diversity and addressing representation, with a goal to reach the next generation of young artists that grow up in marginalized and hurting communities. Learn more at https://thevfxclub.com/the-inception-project/

🔗 Episode notes: https://www.cgspectrum.com/podcast/diversity-vfx-industry-marcella-brown

00:00 Intro

1:43 Marcella’s background

5:41 Crowd simulation work

7:41 The value of supportive colleagues and the importance of relationships

8:54 Working in Canada as a Black artist

11:34 Marcella’s work on Godzilla: King of Monsters and Dumbo

14:44 Motivation for work

16:20 Getting laid off

19:30 Having the opportunity to make a great reels

20:30 Marcella’s move back to the States, networking, dealing with failure

27:25 How Marcella got into Disney, and the interview process, working on Encanto

30:15 Marcella’s current role at Wētā FX

34:10 Burning out, how to identify it, and motivate yourself

37:34 Marcella’s family background

43:05 Where to find Marcella

Connect on:

📍 https://www.instagram.com/cgspectrum

📍 https://www.linkedin.com/cgspectrum

📍 http://www.facebook.com/CGSpectrum.Film.and.Game.School

📍 https://www.twitter.com/cgspectrum

Marcella:

📍 https://www.instagram.com/cella_brown/?hl=en

📍 https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcella-brown-3180bb5a/

📍 https://thevfxclub.com/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn Game Development: https://www.cgspectrum.com/game-development

Maxine chats with Forbes 30 Under 30 in Games, Sarah Spiers, the Interim Executive Director of the IGDA Foundation, and Development Director at EA Games. Sarah details her strategy for breaking into the games industry, including how to create a great portfolio, networking, and the value of mentors. Plus, she and Maxine share crucial practical tips for crafting your resume (including one common mistake that could be costing you interviews!), the only three stories you need to prepare for a job interview, and how job recruiting *really* works.

Sarah currently works as the Development Director for EA Maxis, and serves as the Interim Executive Director of the IGDA Foundation. Her most recent producer role was overseeing feature development for Krafton's PU: Battlegrounds. She has helped clients such as Apple, Scholastic, NBC/Universal, and PBS bring their IP to games.

🔗 Episode notes: https://www.cgspectrum.com/podcast/magic-the-gathering-art-eric-wilkerson-ovidio-cartagena

00:00 Intro

01:15 How Sarah got started at the IGDA Foundation

04:10 Moving up to her role as a producer at PubG

08:12 Sarah’s advocacy for mental health in the workplace, the importance of sick days

13:27 Sarah’s long-term plan for breaking into the games industry and how it worked out: including portfolio, networking, and mentors

18:10 Crucial practical tips for creating your resume to get hired

26:04 More tips for aspiring game developers to break into the industry, prepare for job interviews

31:00 Sarah’s tips and answers to common job interview questions

33:23 Stop deciding that you’re not good enough for the job before you’ve even applied

35:26 The “Pony List”: how job applications and recruiting systems work

42:35 Self-advocating as a career tool and how Sarah got on the Forbes 30 under 30 list

46:38 Where to find Sarah

Connect on:

📍 https://www.instagram.com/cgspectrum

📍 https://www.linkedin.com/cgspectrum

📍 http://www.facebook.com/CGSpectrum.Film.and.Game.School

📍 https://www.twitter.com/cgspectrum

Sarah:

📍 https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahspiers/

📍 https://twitter.com/sspiers_k

📍 https://igdafoundation.org/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Find Ovidio Cartagena at https://www.ovidiocartagena.com/

Learn Digital Illustration: https://www.cgspectrum.com/digital-painting

Award-winning Illustrator Eric Wilkerson and Wizards of the Coast Art Director Ovidio Cartagena chat with Justin about their work together on card illustrations for Magic: The Gathering, how an art director chooses artists for the job, and how Eric got his “golden ticket” into card illustration. They also share a ton of practical career tips on preparing and presenting your portfolio, including why it's important to diversify.

🔗 Episode notes: https://www.cgspectrum.com/podcast/magic-the-gathering-art-eric-wilkerson-ovidio-cartagena

00:00 Intro

1:50 How does Game Card illustration work?

4:30 Eric’s journey into card illustration

9:32 Ovidio’s process for choosing artists

15:00 The advantage of diversifying your portfolio

19:36 How to present work in your portfolio

22:30 Figuring out who you are and honing your focus

26:20 Ovidio’s approach as an art director

27:46 How Eric approaches creative briefs

31:35 The importance of having a clear vision and practicing

35:00 Prioritizing diversity and representation

43:08 Where to find Eric and Ovidio

Becoming a trading card Illustrator: https://www.cgspectrum.com/blog/trading-card-illustrator-career

Connect on:

📍 https://www.instagram.com/cgspectrum

📍 https://www.linkedin.com/cgspectrum

📍 http://www.facebook.com/CGSpectrum.Film.and.Game.School

📍 https://www.twitter.com/cgspectrum

Eric:

📍 https://ericwilkersonart.com

📍 https://youtube.com/c/PaintedInColor

📍 https://www.instagram.com/ericwilkersonart

📍 https://www.artstation.com/ericwilkerson

📍 https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-wilkerson-0a435b3

Ovidio:

📍 https://www.ovidiocartagena.com

📍 https://twitter.com/ovidiocartagena

📍 https://www.instagram.com/ovidiocartagena

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn Game Design: https://www.cgspectrum.com/courses/game-design-course

Justin checks in with his former student, Daniel Pinch, a Senior Game Designer at Airship Syndicate and Game Design Mentor at CG Spectrum. They talk about what qualities made Daniel stand out and succeed as a student, how to create an impressive game design portfolio, the skills Daniel looks for when hiring people, and finding a work-life balance.

🔗 Episode notes: https://www.cgspectrum.com/podcast/airship-syndicate-game-design-getting-hired

00:00 Intro

04:00 Starting at Airship Syndicate

06:16 The importance of reputation, wearing many hats

09:25 How Daniel got into the games industry

16:00 Creating your portfolio as a game designer

20:30 Daniel jumps into his first studio job at Phosphor

25:13 Incorporating feedback on level design

28:10 The skills Daniel looks for when hiring people

30:00 Finding a balance between problem-solving at work and personal life

34:00 Valuing your time

39:00 Coming full circle from student to mentor

44:07 What Daniel would change about being a student - collaboration and taking feedback

49:29 Overcoming self-doubt

52:51 Where to find Daniel

Connect on:

📍 https://www.instagram.com/cgspectrum

📍 https://www.linkedin.com/cgspectrum

📍 http://www.facebook.com/CGSpectrum.Film.and.Game.School

📍 https://www.twitter.com/cgspectrum

Daniel:

📍 https://www.danielpinch.com/

📍 https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielpinch13/

📍 https://www.twitch.tv/pinchinator

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn about our 3D Modeling courses at https://www.cgspectrum.com/3d-modeling

Connect on:

📍 www.instagram.com/cgspectrum

📍 www.linkedin.com/cgspectrum

📍 www.facebook.com/CGSpectrum.Film.and.Game.School

📍 www.twitter.com/cgspectrum

David:

📍 https://www.davidcunningham3d.com/

📍 https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-cunningham-18a8b077/?originalSubdomain=uk

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn more about our Game Programming courses: https://www.cgspectrum.com/game-development

Connect on:

📍 http://www.instagram.com/cgspectrum

📍 http://www.linkedin.com/cgspectrum

📍 http://www.facebook.com/CGSpectrum.Film.and.Game.School

📍 http://www.twitter.com/cgspectrum

More on Firas:

📍https://www.linkedin.com/in/firas-hosn-77182412/

📍https://github.com/fhosnCG

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, William and host Justin Mohlman discuss maintaining motivation when you’re largely self-taught, building the life you want (and moving to Norway!), pivoting from games to film and now to YouTube, as well as how his personal hobby - photography - has been a great asset for helping to develop his technical skills. 

Find William on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/c/williamfaucher) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/williamfaucher.vfx/) and on the CG Spectrum website (https://www.cgspectrum.com/mentors/william-faucher). Learn more about our Real-time 3D and Virtual Production courses at www.cgspectrum.com/courses/realtime-3d-virtual-production-course. 

Connect on:

📍 www.instagram.com/cgspectrum

📍 www.linkedin.com/cgspectrum

📍 www.facebook.com/CGSpectrum.Film.and.Game.School

📍 www.twitter.com/cgspectrum

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We follow Sykosan’s career — working his way up from assisting animators to creating and directing a Katy Perry music video — and his plans to move more towards directing. Plus, go behind the scenes of Katy Perry’s Cry About it Later music video and hear the cute backstory behind one of Sykosan’s animated characters, and his alternative ending to the video clip!

While Sykosan continues to move towards directing, his expertise covers all stages of the animation process including writing and editing, film directing, character design, background, asset design, 2D effects, and compositing! His distinctive style is a modern blend of western and Japanese influences, but he also demonstrates a strong ability to match a large variety of animation styles.

Throughout his career, Sykosan’s work has been used across all kinds of media — advertising, feature films, video games, and music videos — for a diverse range of clients, including Katy Perry, the BBC, Netflix, Adobe MTV, Samsung, Sony, Adidas, Gucci, and Megan Thee Stallion. He is also a mentor of 2D Animation at CG Spectrum.

To see more of his work, check out his website or follow him on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and ArtStation.

Sykosan

📍https://www.sykosan.com/

📍https://twitter.com/Sykosan

📍https://www.instagram.com/sykosan/

📍https://www.youtube.com/c/sykosan

📍https://www.artstation.com/sykosan

The CG Spectrum Podcast

📍https://www.cgspectrum.com/podcast

📍https://www.instagram.com/thecgspodcast/

📍https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/cgspodcast/

📍https://www.facebook.com/cgspectrumpodcast

📍https://twitter.com/thecgspodcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Carl has worked in the industry professionally for over 17 years. He started his career at Gearbox Software in 2004 as a Level Designer for the Brothers In Arms franchise. In 2008, Carl was part of a small team that was integral to evolving the Borderlands art style into what it has become today. After a small hiatus at id Software working on Rage, Carl rejoined Gearbox Software to create and lead their Level Art and eventually their Lighting Art Departments. Carl recently moved on from his position as World Building Director at Gearbox Software to start up Ruckus Games; an independent game developer with a mission to inspire the next generation of game makers. His credits include Brothers In Arms, the Borderlands franchise and Rage.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brittany has worked in leadership positions across major studios, including Method Studios, Mr. X (now Technicolor), Deluxe and now Wētā FX. She’s contributed to more than 60 films and TV shows, including Loki (season 1), Peacemaker (Season 1), Black Panther, Blade Runner 2049, Vikings (season 6), Mad Max: Fury Road, and the Star Wars franchise.

Watch the video episode and see Brittany's compositing work.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Justin Mohlman has 18+ years of experience in the video gaming industry, and has helped bring dozens of game titles to life while at studios like Disney Interactive, Epic Games, Robomondo, Midway Games, and Phosphor Studios. You can find his work in legacy franchises such as Tony Hawk, Kingdom Hearts and Mortal Kombat as well as other AAA titles like Singularity and Stranglehold. As the acting Creative Director for The Rookies, the industry standard for animation, visual effects and the gaming industries, Justin brings his extensive knowledge of games as well as 12+ years of experience as an instructor in higher education. When he's not teaching at CG Spectrum, he keeps busy as the Game Development Producer and Author at Epic Games, the video game and software developer responsible for such products as Unreal Engine, Gears of War and Fortnite.

Maxine Schnepf is CG Spectrum's Career Development Manager, helping students increase their hiring potential and get ready for life beyond school in their chosen discipline. Maxine is highly experienced and well-connected in the VFX industry, having worked in all aspects of the post-production process as a VFX Producer, Department Manager, Production Coordinator, and everything in between. She's worked at worldwide studios such as Mr X, Deluxe Animation, and Technicolor VFX, and helped deliver over 40 films and series during her career, including blockbusters like Blade Runner 2049, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2, and Ready Player One.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.