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How hard is it to become a VFX Supervisor and what are the steps to take to get there?
Is it recommended to become an artist first and then move your way up? If so or if not, why? What career path is the most viable for being successful in film in general?
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Jarien’s Answer
Becoming a VFX supervisor is very hard. Yes, the path is to become a VFX artist first and work your way up.
Why? Because being a VFX supervisor requires having a lot of skill in VFX and also understanding not just the technical aspects of how to make VFX and the artistic aspects of what looks good, but also a lot of the logistical aspects of how to solve challenges and make progress in a production, how to communicate well with people, how to be a good leader and encourage people to be better without demotivating them, how to balance between business demands and the reality of timeframes, how to predict time and cost of VFX-related tasks, etc etc. There are many skills required in being a supervisor for anything, which usually take years of doing that thing in order to learn. I'm not sure why someone would want to specifically be a VFX supervisor but not a VFX artist, because a VFX supervisor is basically a very experienced VFX artist.
Here's a little blurb published by a VFX studio about what a VFX supervisor does. Hope this helps!
https://falloffthewall.com/role-of-vfx-supervisor-explained/
What career path is the most viable for being successful in film in general? Since you mention interest in VFX, I'm guessing you're talking about doing some kind of visual art and not being a writer, director, stage manager, etc. I'm a 3D artist mostly focusing on games so my knowledge of film is a bit limited compared to people who actually work on films. I would guess that being a video editor is not quite as difficult an entry point as some other roles. Because VFX or 3D modeling or animation etc are only used in certain shots in live action films, whereas every film needs a video editor for every shot. The video editor is the person who puts all the different clips together and decides the exact timing where one shot cuts to another. I'm not 100% sure and it probably varies per production, but I think sometimes the video editor might have creative decisionmaking power on which take to use, if they want to cut back and forth several times between different angles or hold certain shots longer, etc. I would guess that some directors are very specific about this and some directors may give the editor more leeway.
There are also things like running lighting and equipment that every live action production, whether film, TV, advertisement, etc needs lots of. I don't know a lot about these or how to get into them, I'm just saying there are many pathways into film! I advise looking at the credits of a movie or TV show or an independent short that's only 5-10 minutes and looking at the job titles in the credits and looking up what they are. Look up portfolios of the people in the credits and see what their careers have been like! This can hopefully help you decide what you want to do.
Why? Because being a VFX supervisor requires having a lot of skill in VFX and also understanding not just the technical aspects of how to make VFX and the artistic aspects of what looks good, but also a lot of the logistical aspects of how to solve challenges and make progress in a production, how to communicate well with people, how to be a good leader and encourage people to be better without demotivating them, how to balance between business demands and the reality of timeframes, how to predict time and cost of VFX-related tasks, etc etc. There are many skills required in being a supervisor for anything, which usually take years of doing that thing in order to learn. I'm not sure why someone would want to specifically be a VFX supervisor but not a VFX artist, because a VFX supervisor is basically a very experienced VFX artist.
Here's a little blurb published by a VFX studio about what a VFX supervisor does. Hope this helps!
https://falloffthewall.com/role-of-vfx-supervisor-explained/
What career path is the most viable for being successful in film in general? Since you mention interest in VFX, I'm guessing you're talking about doing some kind of visual art and not being a writer, director, stage manager, etc. I'm a 3D artist mostly focusing on games so my knowledge of film is a bit limited compared to people who actually work on films. I would guess that being a video editor is not quite as difficult an entry point as some other roles. Because VFX or 3D modeling or animation etc are only used in certain shots in live action films, whereas every film needs a video editor for every shot. The video editor is the person who puts all the different clips together and decides the exact timing where one shot cuts to another. I'm not 100% sure and it probably varies per production, but I think sometimes the video editor might have creative decisionmaking power on which take to use, if they want to cut back and forth several times between different angles or hold certain shots longer, etc. I would guess that some directors are very specific about this and some directors may give the editor more leeway.
There are also things like running lighting and equipment that every live action production, whether film, TV, advertisement, etc needs lots of. I don't know a lot about these or how to get into them, I'm just saying there are many pathways into film! I advise looking at the credits of a movie or TV show or an independent short that's only 5-10 minutes and looking at the job titles in the credits and looking up what they are. Look up portfolios of the people in the credits and see what their careers have been like! This can hopefully help you decide what you want to do.
Updated
Patrick’s Answer
Hi, Phinneas! Great answers here already for you, here's mine: I used to write screenplays for VFX-driven films. Like, 40% of our films were VFX shots or sequences so I got to know that world. I watched "Spike", one of our VFX artists, rise up the ranks with good, consistent work. Then Spike volunteered to go to Bulgaria to manage some VFX shots over there for us. In Bulgaria, Spike continued to grind away at the VFX tasks before him, and then Spike was soon managing and teaching a few Bulgarians how to do VFX work. And then, Spike was the VFX Supervisor.
I agree it starts with putting in time first as a VFX artist. And then, to fast-track yourself, I would suggest doing what Spike did - be on the lookout for what I would call... "rigorous opportunities". That means a project or job that will probably be really bad or hard at first but could have a big payoff. In Spike's case, he was just another talented VFX artist, but he seized a rigorous opportunity when it came up. Yeah, Spike had to eventually leave home and go live in Bulgaria for a while, but hey --- he quickly became a legit VFX super who can translate that experience and connections back to the U.S. or anywhere else in the world.
Learn the craft and be on the lookout for rigorous opportunities, Phinneas. Good luck!
Patrick
I agree it starts with putting in time first as a VFX artist. And then, to fast-track yourself, I would suggest doing what Spike did - be on the lookout for what I would call... "rigorous opportunities". That means a project or job that will probably be really bad or hard at first but could have a big payoff. In Spike's case, he was just another talented VFX artist, but he seized a rigorous opportunity when it came up. Yeah, Spike had to eventually leave home and go live in Bulgaria for a while, but hey --- he quickly became a legit VFX super who can translate that experience and connections back to the U.S. or anywhere else in the world.
Learn the craft and be on the lookout for rigorous opportunities, Phinneas. Good luck!
Patrick
Updated
Crissy’s Answer
If you want to help manage a VFX Artist but not have to beome an artist first then look into project management. And there are many ways to becoming a project manager. There are courses jsut for project management and they don't often tie you to one specific sector. For example you might train in project management and project management motion graphics projects or contraction projects. Have SOME kind of prior knowledge or experience within motion graphics will help you get the junior project manager position within that field to begin with though.
My friend for example earns a great hourly, daily or annual salary for being a Producer on Motion Graphics Projects. She actually trained to become an engineer. So you see you're not tied to whatever you choose to study. But you can navigate your career path better by good planning.
I would suggest project manager training as well as some media or creative production management training or experience (eg intern at a post production company)
My friend for example earns a great hourly, daily or annual salary for being a Producer on Motion Graphics Projects. She actually trained to become an engineer. So you see you're not tied to whatever you choose to study. But you can navigate your career path better by good planning.
I would suggest project manager training as well as some media or creative production management training or experience (eg intern at a post production company)
Updated
Thomas’s Answer
Comp Supervisor here! Well, for me it was hard work, you really need to have a great performance as artist, then you need to understand el how to do, learn to teach, social skills, and master the software that your team will use. The best thing that you need to do is planning and a good eye for detail.
Maybe just work some years as vfx artist in big productions, then search to be sup in smaller projects so when you see an opportunity in a big project, you will already have the experience.
Work as vfx artist
understand and master software
understand pipelines and foresign the "problems"
Social skills
be sup in samller projects then biggers.
Maybe just work some years as vfx artist in big productions, then search to be sup in smaller projects so when you see an opportunity in a big project, you will already have the experience.
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