week 2 – VFX-X

Runner

Runners are all-purpose helpers in a VFX studio. They support any and all members in the studio and make sure that everyone has what they need. Runners do a variety of jobs. They deliver materials and messages between departments. They organise meetings and schedules. They keep the office clean and tidy and might work on reception or be responsible for locking up. They also make a lot of tea and coffee. They do whatever professional task needs doing.

A runner is an entry level position. In some studios, being a runner is a route into VFX artist roles and comes with opportunities to learn about those positions. In other studios, runners are seen as the entry point into production management. Some companies might assign runners a mentor and give them training tasks. The runner role can be a good route into the industry for someone without relevant degree education but with a good portfolio and lots of enthusiasm.

What’s a VFX runner good at?

Interest in VFX: take an interest in the work of the company, be keen to learn technical skills where you can and grow your knowledge about VFX
Being proactive: use your initiative to find jobs to do and show resourcefulness, make a good effort in all of the tasks that you do
Enthusiasm: be confident, approachable and communicate well with all team members and clients
Reliability: be on time and be able to multitask efficiently
Adaptability: be able to prioritise jobs and cope well under pressure, adapting to changing project schedules and sometimes working late or irregular hours
A smart cookie who can work unsupervised and always with a positive and sunny outlook.
A friendly, quick thinker who is able to use their initiative.
Someone who is happy to roll up their sleeves up and work hard, juggle multiple tasks and get things done quickly and efficiently.
A ‘doer’ who can jump in and fix problems when they arise with a solution approach and a keen willingness to learn.
A working knowledge of word processing and spreadsheet software (word, excel).
Able to work either day or evening shifts and availability for weekend work as required

Any of the following experience is a great advantage:
• Customer service experience would be helpful but not essential.
• Knowledge of visual effects would be good but not essential.

Paint artist

What does a prep artist do?

Prep artists clean up the backgrounds of live action-footage ready for the effects to be layered onto it by the compositor. The shots they work on, known as plates, either moving or still, don’t have foreground action or players included.

Prep artists use specialist VFX software to clean plates. There are many processes used to do this cleaning. They remove any unwanted dust and scratches from the frame. They sort out dropped frames, where a camera has been unable to capture all the frames in a given time resulting in little jerks in the action. They remove any unwanted items such a boom microphones or electric pylons.

They are typically employed by VFX studios but can also operate as freelancers.

What’s a prep artist good at?

Art: be skilled at drawing and painting using a graphics tablet, have a high level of accuracy with the pen or stylus
A keen eye: recognise when and where images need to be cleaned, even in the minutest detail, make your work invisible
Patience: be methodical and thorough
Knowledge of VFX programs: be adept at using relevant programs such as Maya, Photoshop and, particularly, Nuke
Organisation: work well with strict deadlines, be able to complete work under pressure
Paint Artists work with Compositors to help them integrate all elements of an image, including CG and live action, to create film visual effects shots. They remove unwanted items from plates, such as; wires, rigs, crew, mocap people and tracking markers. They clean up the backgrounds of live action-footage ready for the effects to be layered onto it by the compositor.

Roto artist

Roto artists manually draw around and cut out objects from movie frames so that the required parts of the image can be used, a process known as rotoscoping.

The parts of an image that are wanted after cutting out are known as mattes. Roto artists work on the areas of live action frames where computer-generated (CG) images or other live-action images will overlap or interact with the live image.

If the live-action camera is not moving within a shot, rotoscoping might involve only one frame. If the camera’s moving, roto artists trace the relevant areas of every frame within the shot so that CG can be combined accurately with the live-action. Roto artists need to have a keen eye and patience in order to complete this meticulous and repetitive work.

In addition to rotoscoping, roto artists assist in the preparation of material for compositing.

Roto artists are typically employed by VFX studios but can also be freelancers.

What’s a roto artist good at?

Drawing skill: trace accurately with a good line
Patience: be methodical and thorough, taking care to rotoscope well so as to help to produce a high-quality final image
Knowledge of programs: be adept at using relevant programs such as Photoshop
Delivery: work well with strict deadlines, be able to complete work under pressure
Taking initiative: observe what’s happening, be pro-active, ask questions at the appropriate time

Desirable Skills:

Prior experience in a Paint and Roto role
3D Maya interface experience
An understanding of Python scripting and how to use this to create and edit Framestore gizmos
Planar and point tracking software experience
A general understanding of the VFX production and comp workflows
A knowledge of photography and practical lighting