Chris LeDoux is the Co-Founder of Crafty Apes, a VFX Supervisor and an Entrepreneur. 

Born and bred in Alaska, Chris earned Bachelor’s degree in both psychology and sociology, but his fascination with filmmaking led him to the world of visual effects. He began his career in VFX as a compositor at The Orphanage in 2004. He worked at numerous studios such as Uncharted Territory, Cafe FX and Scanline.

Now a veteran of the film industry, his impressive resume includes compositing and VFX supervision on multiple titles, including 12 Years a Slave, Doctor Strange, Better Call Saul, among others. He has also directed music videos and led visual effects teams for U2, Chris Cornell, New Kids on the Block, Paramore, just to name a few.

Crafty Apes is a full service, boutique VFX company based in Culver City, CA & Atlanta, GA. The company was launched in July of 2011 by three visual effects veterans Jason Sanford, Chris LeDoux and Tim LeDoux. Believing that strong 2D compositing is the backbone behind quality visual effects, Crafty Apes was formed to primarily offer high-end compositing services for feature films and television clients. 

Crafty Apes specializes in compositing effects and visual effects supervision. By paying extra attention to the detail and integration that 2D work requires and by working with the best technology available spread among a select group of artists, Crafty Apes can deliver a superior product to higher end clients in a shorter time period.

Their recent credits include: The Babysitter: Killer Queen, Lovecraft Country, Doctor Strange, Hidden Figures, Lalaland, Fist Fight, Pete's Dragon, Captain America: Civil War, Killing Reagan, Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising, Dirty Grandpa, Allegiant, Insurgent, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Black Mass, The 33, Foxcatcher, 12 Years a Slave, American Hustle, The Monkey King, White House Down, Single Mom's Club, The Last Stand, A Madea's Christmas and many more.

In this Podcast, Allan McKay interviews the Co-Founder of Crafty Apes, VFX Supervisor and an Entrepreneur Chris LeDoux about his inspiration behind launching of Crafty Apes; ROI and taking the risk out of starting a business; why empathy guarantees professional success – and so much more!

For more show notes, visit www.allanmckay.com/435.

Chris LeDoux is the Co-Founder of Crafty Apes, a VFX Supervisor and an Entrepreneur. 

Born and bred in Alaska, Chris earned Bachelor’s degree in both psychology and sociology, but his fascination with filmmaking led him to the world of visual effects. He began his career in VFX as a compositor at The Orphanage in 2004. He worked at numerous studios such as Uncharted Territory, Cafe FX and Scanline.

Now a veteran of the film industry, his impressive resume includes compositing and VFX supervision on multiple titles, including 12 Years a Slave, Doctor Strange, Better Call Saul, among others. He has also directed music videos and led visual effects teams for U2, Chris Cornell, New Kids on the Block, Paramore, just to name a few.

Crafty Apes is a full service, boutique VFX company based in Culver City, CA & Atlanta, GA. The company was launched in July of 2011 by three visual effects veterans Jason Sanford, Chris LeDoux and Tim LeDoux. Believing that strong 2D compositing is the backbone behind quality visual effects, Crafty Apes was formed to primarily offer high-end compositing services for feature films and television clients. 

Crafty Apes specializes in compositing effects and visual effects supervision. By paying extra attention to the detail and integration that 2D work requires and by working with the best technology available spread among a select group of artists, Crafty Apes can deliver a superior product to higher end clients in a shorter time period.

Their recent credits include: The Babysitter: Killer Queen, Lovecraft Country, Doctor Strange, Hidden Figures, Lalaland, Fist Fight, Pete's Dragon, Captain America: Civil War, Killing Reagan, Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising, Dirty Grandpa, Allegiant, Insurgent, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Black Mass, The 33, Foxcatcher, 12 Years a Slave, American Hustle, The Monkey King, White House Down, Single Mom's Club, The Last Stand, A Madea's Christmas and many more.

In this Podcast, Allan McKay and the Co-Founder of Crafty Apes, VFX Supervisor and an Entrepreneur Chris LeDoux do a deep dive into the paradigm shift of Artificial Intelligence: Its effect on the future of VFX, a productive outlook at AI as a way to optimized things, how to train it to your advantage and Chris’s own investments into AI entrepreneurship.

For more show notes, visit www.allanmckay.com/434.

Mark Spindler is a Visual Effects Supervisor at Pixomondo in Frankfurt, Germany. He’s worked on feature films such as Midway, Justice League, Star Trek: Into Darkness, as well tv shows like The Mandalorian and Game of Thrones for which he received two VES Award nominations. His most recent work on House of the Dragon has also been recognized with an Emmy nomination.

He began his career path as a Compositor after finishing his Master of Arts in Media Production in 2012, then became a Lead Compositor and Compositing Supervisor before being promoted to his Supervisor position.

Besides his career as a Supervisor, Mark has also contributed to visual effects by developing several tools for Nuke. Some of those Gizmos, Python scripts and C++ plug-ins can be downloaded from the tools section on his website (http://www.mark-spindler.com/tools.html) or from Nukepedia.

In this Podcast, Allan McKay interviews VFX Supervisor Mark Spindler about his work on both HOUSE OF THE DRAGON and GAME OF THRONES; the pipeline, creative process and go-to tools of a VFX Supervisor; his career at Pixomondo, as well as the future of AI in VFX.

For more show notes, visit www.allanmckay.com/433.

Eric J. Robertson is the Executive Vice President of ReDefine, as well as a Producer, Cinematographer and Entrepreneur.

As part of the DNEG Group, ReDefine leverages an incredible legacy of creative and technical innovation to cater to projects that benefit from their agile boutique approach. The studio designs solutions that are tailored to the requirements of each show and always delivers to the highest levels of quality. The list of their credits includes DUNE: PART II, BORDERLANDS, WACO: THE AFTERMATH, and so many more!

Prior to joining ReDefine, Eric co-founded a New York based VFX Studio Mr. X Gotham. Over the course of his career, he supervised and produced visual effects for over 50 feature films and worked with some of film’s most respected directors including Ron Howard, Jonathan Demme, Sam Mendes, Joel and Ethan Cohen, Jim Jarmusch and Charlie Kaufman.

With a career that spanned all genres, Eric enabled Sacha Baron Cohen’s General Alladeen to walk a tightrope above midtown New York in THE DICTATOR; he transformed Phillip Seymour Hoffman’s vision into a vast warehouse that enclosed the entire island of Manhattan in SYNECDOCHE, NEW YORK and convinced moviegoers that they’re watching Richard Nixon’s confessions in real time in FROST / NIXON. Eric’s creations go from exhilarating and hilarious, to emotional and engaging, all with the visual effects integrated seamlessly with the storyteller’s vision. 

Eric is also an accomplished photographer and cinematographer whose 20+ years of experience in production gives him a storyteller’s eye along with the technical skills that encompass all aspects of the filmmaking process, from script to screen. Eric was instrumental in expanding the V.E.S. into an NYC section and served as its first Secretary / Treasurer. He is a member of IATSE Local 600.

In this Podcast, Allan McKay interviews the Executive Vice President of ReDefine Eric J. Roberson about overcoming challenges and pushing the limits in visual effects; teaching filmmaking principles to the next generation of VFX Supervisors; the future of streaming content in 2024 post industry strikes; as well as Eric’s career in visual effects and the legacy of DNEG in ReDefine’s work and international presence.

For more show notes, visit www.allanmckay.com/432.

Ghost Robot is the creative studio of the future based in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY. They work with a global community of artistic talent to create content for forward thinking clients.

Ghost Robot was founded in 2002 by Zachary Mortensen. The company derived its name from the theme of a music video Ghost Robot was producing at the time. The video was for the song "In The Waiting Line" by the band Zero7. "In The Waiting Line" was the first commercial use of machinima using the animation engine from the Quake video game.

In 2005 Mark DePace joined the company as a full partner and spearheaded the formation of the company's roster of directors for commercial representation. The addition of DePace repositioned the company within the industry and began their official move into advertising and commercial production.

In this Podcast, Allan McKay interviews Ghost Robot’s CEO Zach Mortensen and COO Mark DePace about the inspiration behind launching Ghost Robot and its name; how keeping track of latest innovations is imbedded into their foundation; working on indie films versus blockbusters; the value of giving yourself creative constraints when it comes to resources; how AI is getting integrated into artists’ workflow – and so much more!

For more show notes, visit www.allanmckay.com/431.

Zacharias “Zach” Reinhardt is a 3D Artist, as well as Founder and Lead Instructor at CG Boost. CG Boost provides Blender tutorials and resources for 3D artists, in order to make creating passionate 3D projects achievable for anyone.

In this Podcast, Allan McKay interviews the Founder of CG Boost Zach Reinhardt about starting his YouTube Channel and gaining traction, the inspiration behind launching his company, alternative packages to study Blender, which area of the industry uses Blender the most – as well as how to make a living as a 3D artist!

For more show notes, visit www.allanmckay.com/430.

Tim Simmons is an experienced media producer with a demonstrated history of creating short and long form video to create engaging content.Tech Savvy, people savvy, and self motivated creator with a successful track record of building a brand from scratch, Tim is passionate about sharing his knowledge with others – and exploring the intersection of creative content and AI.

In 2022, Tim created Theoretically Media, a channel focusing on creative AI imagery. The Channel dives into filmmaking, music, writing, and art, all enhanced by AI latest tools. Believing in technology's power to elevate independent artists' work, Tim explores the cusp of AI and art. The YouTube Channel currently has over 46K Subscribers.

In this Podcast, Allan McKay interviews Tim Simmons, the Creator of Theoretically Media, a YouTube Channel focused on creative AI imagery. Allan and Tim dive into the topic of AI: the rapid growth of AI and the reaction of the artistic community to this technology, the dual Hollywood strike and the issue of copyright, limitations and inspiration of artificial intelligence; as well the launch of his Channel and how to monetize on YouTube.

For more show notes, visit www.allanmckay.com/429.

Melinda Ozel is an Expression Scientist, Consultant and Educator of all things face related. 

Before pioneering a career path in expression science, she worked as a Researcher at Meta and Affective where she used her expression expertise to advise the tracking and simulation of facial behavior. She now helps companies in film, game and tech create compelling animated characters and build high-fidelity face tracking technology.

In this Podcast, Allan McKay interviews Expression Scientist Melinda Ozel about neuroscience, neuro-marketing and psychology; her contribution to the FACS system and working as an educator; as well as tips for building your own consulting business and the importance of coding, SEO and social media.

For more show notes, visit www.allanmckay.com/428.

Activision Blizzard’s history goes back more than 40 years. Two incredible gaming brands Activision and Blizzard Entertainment merged, bringing together the best creative talent in gaming. The acquisition of King in 2016 further strengthened the company’s vision to bring the world together through epic entertainment. Their professional gaming properties include the Overwatch League™, the Call of Duty League™, Hearthstone® Grandmasters, and the World of Warcraft® Arena World Championship, among others. Activision Blizzard Esports also operates Tespa™, the leader in collegiate esports.

In this Episode, Activision Blizzard King’s Executive Principal Recruiter for Art in Animation and Creative Robin Alan Linn gives insider tips about what makes a successful reel, how to negotiate a salary, importance of relationships and reputation, why visual effects is always about storytelling – and why the most crucial question an interviewee can ask is: “What am I bringing to the table?”

For more show notes, visit www.allanmckay.com/427.

A veteran facilitator with over 25 years experience in VFX and animation, Jep Hill is an Executive Creative Director at Alkemy X, an award-winning global creative company at the intersection of advertising, brands and entertainment. The company is a creative partner for the biggest names in film and television, such as Fear of the Walking Dead, Wednesday, The Whale, Westworld, Power, Dear White People, Hunters, Mr. Robot, and many more.

Since 1981, Alkemy X has been a pioneer in a continuously evolving industry — entrusted with projects generating billions of dollars in revenue. With the craft and talent to take on any project, they’re a vertically integrated creative company, offering strategy and execution with speed, quality and efficiency that always exceeds expectation.

In this Podcast, Allan McKay interviews the Executive Creative Director of Alkemy X Jep Hill about leadership skills for artists, the age of AI in VFX — and how artists can take advantage of it; go-to tools and soft skills of a VFX Supervisor, four rules of management, how to win over clients; and the timeless question of: Is the magic of visual effects still alive?

For more show notes, visit www.allanmckay.com/426.

Todd Sheridan Perry is an On-Set Supervisor on the show with a diverse background in video games, film and television. He’s worked on titles like Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers to Final Destination 5, The Immortals, Total Recall, Resident Evil 5 and Avengers: Age of Ultron. Todd has also worked as a CG Supervisor on Marvel’s Doctor Strange which was nominated for a Best Visual Effects Oscar.

Scott Kirvan is a VFX and Virtual Production Supervisor, Tech Enthusiast and multidisciplinary creative. He is also the Co-Author of globally recognized Brazil Rendering System, a high performance production quality GI ray trace renderer. As a Virtual Production and Visual Effects Supervisor, Scott has over 20 years of leadership experience, including client-side supervisory roles and in-studio digital production work. He has a diverse background in filmmaking, VFX, business leadership, and engineering, making him a valuable asset to any production team.

In this Podcast, VFX Supervisors Todd Sheridan Perry and Scott Kirvan do a deep dive into the making of the Amazon comedy series I’M A VIRGO by Boots Riley, the practical effects and some of the technology used in the show, its challenges and how they resolved them.

For more show notes, visit www.allanmckay.com/425.

With 10+ years of VFX industry experience, Digital Artist and VFX Sup Marco Baratto is more than ever interested in being an integral part of it through compositing and creative leadership. An understanding of light, color and composition are essential to his approach. His additional interests include photography, concept art, cinema and mathematics. 

His most recent credit is the role of a Digital Artist in Christopher Nolan’s OPPENHEIMER. His other credits include EXODUS: GODS AND KINGS and GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY.

In this Podcast, Digital Artist Marco Baratto talks about his work on OPPENHEIMER and how much CGI should or should not be utilized is storytelling; as well as the pros and cons of working remotely, the benefit of getting a degree in VFX and the importance of doing your personal work as a VFX artist.

For more show notes, visit www.allanmckay.com/424.

Curious Refuge is a home for unlocking your inner artist using the latest tools.

Founded by Caleb and Shelby Ward, the company believes in giving back to the creative community with their videos, blog content and interactive courses. They develop compelling and innovative video and blog content for free and have a blast with every video.

They also work with world-class clients and storytellers to bring their creative visions to life. Self described as a bunch of goofballs who have a love for life and creativity, they love to share content and inspiration.

Caleb Ward has led marketing teams for startups, Fortune-500 companies and creative brands around the world. His background in filmmaking and marketing has led him to develop keen intuition about what it takes to launch a successful idea. 

In this Podcast, Allan McKay interviews Caleb Ward, the Co-Founder of Curious Refuge, a community for artists that tackles the latest tools including AI, about his starting the company as a positive change, going viral on YouTube, the profound change of AI and its future; as well as the timely question of: Should one embrace AI or fear it?

For more show notes, visit www.allanmckay.com/423.

Grant Miller is a Partner and an Executive VFX Supervisor at Ingenuity Studios.

Grant brings a deep level of technical and artistic acumen to his role as Executive VFX Supervisor at Ingenuity Studios. He oversees the studio's CG, FX, and Pipeline teams, ensuring that final results meet the exacting demands of sophisticated clients. Working closely with directors and creative decision-makers, Grant provides guidance and methodology during preproduction, supervision on set, and ensures seamless collaboration and high-quality results through post.

Over the years, Grant has supervised visual effects for a long list of notable clients, including episodic television shows such as The Night Agent, The Orville, The Boys, and Westworld; films such as Get Out and A Star is Born; music videos for Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, and Lady Gaga; and Super Bowl commercials for Fox Sports. Grant got his start working in video games in 2007, a background that he pulls from as the industry moves toward real-time VFX.

Based in Los Angeles, Grant is a member of the Visual Effects Society and Film Independent. He received an Emmy Award for Outstanding Sports Promotional in 2017, and is frequently called upon to share insights at industry events and conferences.

In this Podcast, Allan McKay interviews VFX Supervisor and Partner at Ingenuity Studios Grant Miller about how up-and-coming Artists can launch their career: the importance of following your dreams, how to train your eye in visual effects, why keeping it simple always wins and some job interview red flags.

For more show notes, visit www.allanmckay.com/422.

With a passion for storytelling and a flare for the visual, Matt Whelan has been making short films and commercials for over 10 years. Training as a classical animator at Sheridan College, Whelan's experience spans live-action and digital Directing, storyboarding, CG animation, and VFX supervision, where he has received international nominations for multiple film/television works. His current focus is on live action narrative. Whelan received a 2023 Emmy® nomination for his work on Apple TV+ series FIVE DAYS AT MEMORIAL.

Eric Durst is a Visual Effects Supervisor known for his work on GODS OF EGYPT (2016), SNOWPIERCER (2013), and BATMAN FOREVER (1995). Durst received a 2023 Emmy® nomination for his work on Apple TV+ series FIVE DAYS AT MEMORIAL. He was previously nominated for an Emmy® in 2017 for his work on National Geographic’s GENIUS.

In this Podcast, Allan McKay interviews VFX Supervisors Eric Durst and Matt Whelan about their work on FIVE DAYS AT MEMORIAL for Apple TV+, the most memorable and challenging sequences on the show, doing previs in Unreal Engine, photorealism in an historic project, as well as the innovation of AI and its influence on visual effects.

For more show notes, visit www.allanmckay.com/421.

James MacLachlan is a London-based VFX Supervisor and Director with a career spanning 19 years.He has worked for studios in New Zealand, Australia and the United Kingdom. 

James has worked at a number of London VFX houses including Glassworks and The Mill and is currently a Freelance On-set VFX Supervisor, Flame and Nuke Artist. He offers secure remote artistry on both Flame and Nuke in his London studio. Over the years he has completed high end VFX on TV Commercials, TV Series effects and design, Channel Idents, Feature Films, Music Videos, Virals and Interactive Online Video projects. He is also known for his work on 28 WEEKS LATER (2007), WICKED SCIENCE (2004) and TED LASSO which has been nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Special Visual Effects, in 2023.

In this Podcast, Allan McKay interviews VFX Supervisor James MacLachlan about his work on the 2023 Emmy-nominated Episode of TED LASSO, the preparation and improvisation of VFX supervision, the tools used on set, how to fast track your career as a VFX Supervisor and so much more!

For more show notes, visit www.allanmckay.com/420.

Jim Morris is President of Pixar Animation Studios, where he oversees all of the company’s productions and operations. Morris began working at Pixar in 2005. Films under his supervision include RATATOUILLE, UP, TOY STORY 3, CARS 2, BRAVE, MONSTERS UNIVERSITY, INSIDE OUT, THE GOOD DINOSAUR, FINDING DORY, CARS 3, COCO and INCREDIBLES 2. As a producer, Morris most recently made the live-action Disney feature JOHN CARTER with director Andrew Stanton. He also produced Pixar’s WALL•E, which won the Academy Award® for Best Animated Feature. Morris was also awarded Producer of the Year in Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures from the Producers Guild of America, the AFI Award, the Golden Globe and the Visual Effects Society Best Animated Feature Award for WALL•E.

Prior to joining Pixar, Morris held a range of key positions for 17 years in various divisions of Lucasfilm Ltd. He served as President of Lucas Digital Ltd., and managed its three divisions, Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), Skywalker Sound and Lucasfilm Animation. As ILM’s General Manager for more than 13 years, he supervised a staff of over 1,400 artists and technicians, and guided the largest visual effects facility in the entertainment industry.  

With Morris’ oversight, ILM created the groundbreaking and Academy Award®-winning visual effects in JURASSIC PARK, DEATH BECOMES HER, TERMINATOR 2 and FORREST GUMP. Other notable projects completed under his management include MISSION IMPOSSIBLE, TWISTER, SAVING PRIVATE RYAN, STAR WARS: EPISODE I, STAR WARS: EPISODE II, THE PERFECT STORM, PEARL HARBOR, MINORITY REPORT, PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN, MASTER AND COMMANDER, and three films in the HARRY POTTER series.

Morris joined ILM in 1987 as a Producer of visual effects for films and commercials. Among Morris’ producing credits are James Cameron’s THE ABYSS (which earned the Academy Award® for Best Achievement in Visual Effects), and Steven Spielberg’s ALWAYS.

Before joining ILM, Morris was Executive Producer at Arnold & Associates, where he oversaw the company’s three offices and produced commercials for clients such as Atari, Chevron and Mattel. Prior to that, Morris was Executive Producer at One Pass, where he headed the commercial production division. He also served in the production departments at advertising agencies J. Walter Thompson, and Foote, Cone & Belding in San Francisco. Morris worked as a producer and director for PBS, and began his career as a cameraman and editor at NBC.

Morris is the recipient of the Producers Guild Digital 50 Award, the Visual Effects Society Board of Directors Award and the Visual Effects Society Founders Award. He has also been named a VES Fellow. Morris served for many years as President of the San Francisco Film Commission, and is Founding Chair of the VES. He is a member of AMPAS, PGA, BAFTA, VES and ASIFA, and currently serves as a member of Motion Picture Academy’s Finance Committee. Morris earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Film and a Master of Science degree in Television/Radio from the Newhouse School at Syracuse University.

In this Podcast, Allan McKay interviews Pixar’s President Jim Morris about his career both at ILM and Pixar; working with legendary Directors such as James Cameron, Steven Spielberg, Andrew Stanton and Robert Zemeckis; behind-the-scenes and Innovations of JURASSIC PARK and FORREST GUMP; the unpredictable magic of live action projects; how limitations inspire VFX inventions; and why “Problems aren’t an impediment to the job. Solving problems IS the job.”

For more show notes, visit www.allanmckay.com/419.

David Baylis is a 3D Artist living in Vancouver B.C Canada who specializes in automotive real-time rendering using Unreal Engine. He is originally from Lille, France. David works at Epic Games as a Consultant who produces demos, tutorials and webinars.

Having always been a car enthusiast, David loves exploring new ways to deliver photorealistic renderings. There is a lot of history behind each car, and that is what he tries to portray in his artworks.

In this Podcast, Allan McKay interviews 3D Artist David Baylis about innovations in ray tracing and AI, the future of VFX careers in the era of machine learning, NVIDIA and Chat GPT, DLSS technology, how to get started in Unreal and why learning 3D is a lifelong occupation.

For more show notes, visit www.allanmckay.com/418.

James David Hattin is the Founder and Creative Director of VFX Legion. James oversees every aspect of the visual effects process for episodic television shows and feature films, from start to end, and provides clients with 20+ years of skill and experience as a lead creative and Visual Effects Supervisor.

Prior to launching VFX Legion, James spent three years as senior compositor and compositing/digital effects supervisor at Zoic Studios. James exited Zoic in 2013 to apply his creative skill set and technical ingenuity to a new challenge: designing a leading-edge digital management pipeline. Looking beyond long-standing traditional VFX business models, he tapped state-of-the-art technology to build the new infrastructure from the ground up. 

Legion was launched later that year, with James’ pioneering digital pipeline positioning the studio at the forefront of the next generation of visual effects companies. Legion’s LA-based studio is structured to work as an on-site collaborative partner with TV and film studios. It provides an end-to-end approach that maximizes the quality and efficiency of VFX for episodic television shows and feature films around the globe.

Under the VFX Legion banner, Hattin's supervised VFX for a mix of TV shows and movies. Episodic series include SCANDAL, HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER, THE CATCH, SUITS, EL CHAPO, EYE CANDY, REVOLUTION and GONE. Film work includes SINISTER 2, STEPHANIE, OUIJA: ORIGIN OF EVIL, THE PURGE: ELECTION YEAR and THE PURGE: ANARCHY to name a few.

James' work has been recognized with a VES Award nomination for 'Outstanding Visual Effects in Broadcast Programming,' for FALLING SKIES, and a Primetime Emmy nod for WORLDS APART, to name a few. He is an Emmy Award honoree of the California Channel’s, The Three Branches of Government and a member of The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

In this Podcast, Allan interviews the Founder and Creative Director of VFX Legion James Hattin about launching his own company and the lessons he’s learned along the way: how to build trust, negotiate contracts, keep clear communication with clients and VFX artists alike, as well as the importance of humility in visual effects.

For more show notes, visit www.allanmckay.com/417.

Martin Hall is a VFX Supervisor with 30+ years of experience in visual effects. Trained in the traditional fine arts, he found visual effects to be the perfect synthesis of art, technology, and business, while being the most collaborative of all creative endeavors. Among his numerous film and television credits include, LOVE DEATH & ROBOTS, VENOM, GAME OF THRONES, THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN, WINNING TIME: THE RISE OF THE LAKERS DYNASTY, PERRY MASON, ALL THE OLD KNIVES, ENCOUNTER, and many others.

Based in Los Angeles, Hall is CEO at Epic Entertainment Enterprises / Epic-FX and VFX Supervisor at Paramount Pictures. In addition, he serves on the VES Board of Directors, Los Angeles section, and is an educator at Gnomon.

Martin’s most recent project as a VFX Supervisor is the CBS-VFX television project RABBIT HOLE on Paramount +, starring Kiefer Sutherland as a corporate spy who is framed for murder by powerful forces who have the ability to influence and control populations. Each episode of RABBIT HOLE contains as many as 200 visual effects shots. The majority of the shots are designed to be "invisible" to viewers. These include creating digital set extensions, designing and building digital environments, and augmenting backgrounds, in addition to the more noticeable effects. 

RABBIT HOLE is set in New York City but filmed in Toronto, which is just the beginning of the creative challenges for the visual effects team. They needed to create numerous digital 3D New York streets filled with computer-generated cars and buildings and make sure they were seamlessly blended into the action. 

In this Podcast, Allan McKay interviews VFX Supervisor Martin Hall about his work with CBS-VFX on RABBIT HOLE for Paramount +, as well as the importance of staying on top of new technology, the creative power of empathy; and the soft skills and tools of VFX Supervisor.

For more show notes, visit www.allanmckay.com/416.

André Luis is the Co-Founder, CEO and creative force behind Trojan Horse was a Unicorn (THU), one of the world's leading transformative experiences for digital artists and creative professionals. 

In 2013, he came up with the idea to create THU as a result of wanting to do things differently, be useful to society, and have an impact on people's lives. With a background in Industrial Design and Marketing Management, André's career was paved through the worlds of design, marketing, web development, and computer graphics. Nowadays, he is fully dedicated to empowering creators through THU, a global organization with several projects around the world that support the creative community while leaving a mark in the digital entertainment industry.

In this Podcast, Allan McKay interviews the Co-Founder, CEO and creative force behind Trojan Horse was a Unicorn André Luis about the history of THU and its impact, the event being a home for introverts, the crucial role of networking in your career, as well how to succeed in the creative industry WITHOUT the creative industry.

For more show notes, visit www.allanmckay.com/415.

A veteran facilitator with over 25 years experience in VFX and animation, Jep Hill is an Executive Creative Director at Alkemy X, an award-winning global creative company at the intersection of advertising, brands and entertainment. The company is a creative partner for the biggest names in film and television, such as Fear of the Walking Dead, Wednesday, The Whale, Westworld, Power, Dear White People, Hunters, Mr. Robot, and many more.

Since 1981, Alkemy X has been a pioneer in a continuously evolving industry — entrusted with projects generating billions of dollars in revenue. With the craft and talent to take on any project, they’re a vertically integrated creative company, offering strategy and execution with speed, quality and efficiency that always exceeds expectation.

In this Podcast, Allan McKay interviews the Executive Creative Director of Alkemy X Jep Hill about visual effects being all about problem solving, leadership versus management, how to succeed as a VFX team and how to self-manage as a VFX Artist, in order to have a successful career.

For more show notes, visit www.allanmckay.com/414.

Barnstorm VFX is an Emmy-nominated studio behind the visual effects on Amazon Studios’ THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE, HBO’S SILICON VALLEY and CBS’ STRANGE ANGEL. Barnstorm’s team embodies the pioneering ingenuity, daring creativity and freewheeling spirit of the first aviators.

Founded in 2011 with the original location in Los Angeles, Barnstorm VFX now has a second office in Vancouver, British Columbia. 

In this Podcast, Allan McKay interviews Co-Founders of Barnstorm VFX Cory Jamieson and Lawson Deming about the lessons of entrepreneurship, how to land clients, the balance of risk and decisiveness, as well their advice to up-and-coming VFX Artists.

For more show notes, visit www.allanmckay.com/413.

John Romero is an award-winning game designer, level designer and programmer whose work spans over 130 games, 107 of which have been published commercially, including the iconic works Wolfenstein 3D, DOOM and Quake. He has worked in the mobile, hardcore, mid-core, casual and MMO space. 

John has co-founded eight successful game companies including the likes of id Software, Gazillion Entertainment and, most recently, Romero Games which celebrated its 7th anniversary in 2022. He is considered to be among the world’s top game designers, and his games have won well over 100 awards. 

One of the earliest indie developers, John began working in the game space in 1979 on mainframes before moving to the Apple II in 1982. He is a completely self-taught programmer, designer and artist, having drawn his inspirations from early Apple II programmers. He co-owns Romero Games. 

John’s autobiography DOOM Guy: Life in First Person is getting released in July 2023. Industry-redefining breakthroughs in design and tech during his time at id Software made DOOM and Quake cultural phenomena, and this thrilling story recounts every step of the process, from collaborative, heavy metal–fueled days spent crafting the industry’s most revolutionary and cutting-edge games to a high-profile falling-out with id cofounder John Carmack. After years in the gaming spotlight, Romero is now telling his story—the whole story—shedding new light on the development of his games and his business partnerships, from the highest highs to the lowest lows, sharing insights about design, code, the industry, and his career right up to today. Sharing gratitude for a lifetime in games, Romero reveals the twists and turns that led him, ultimately, to be called DOOM Guy. A copy of the book can be purchased here: https://www.amazon.com/Doom-Guy-Life-First-Person/dp/141975811X.

In this Podcast, Allan McKay interviews John Romero, the legendary Creator of DOOM and Co-Creator of id Software, about his start as a programmer, overcoming life struggles, getting his start as a programmer, launching id Software and the success of Commander Keen, the cultural impact of DOOM, transitioning to 3D – and the release of his first autobiography DOOM GUY: LIFE IN FIRST PERSON.

For more show notes, visit www.allanmckay.com/412.

As Global President & Chief Operating Officer at Digital Domain, Lala oversees the company's global VFX services and operations. As part of her duties, Lala partners with production management, finance, production accounting, recruiting, artist management, technology management and operations to steer Digital Domain to success. She communicates closely and helps to coordinate work between DD’s global studios, ensuring that production and operations practices are properly aligned to keep the quality of work at the highest levels.

Lala’s experience began in northern California with a strong start in the accounting and banking field. She developed her visual effects pedigree after spending nine years at Industrial Light and Magic, and Lucasfilm Animation. There she became a seasoned veteran of talent acquisition and management.

In 2007, Lala joined Digital Domain as the Director of Human Resources, Talent Acquisition and Development, and rose to the role of EVP/General Manager for the North America operation. Over her tenure, Lala’s strong leadership and mentorship was responsible for the development and retention of DD’s key talent, who are widely recognized throughout the industry for their outstanding work in the field of visual effects.

Under her leadership, Digital Domain’s supervisors, artists and technicians have continued to push the envelope, taking on ever more challenging and groundbreaking work.

In this Podcast, Allan McKay interviews the Global President and COO of Digital Domain Lala Gavgavian about the history and growth of D2, her previous experience at ILM, the lessons of her career, how the VFX industry has changed and diversified, as well as the importance of soft skills for artists in the global market.

For more show notes, visit www.allanmckay.com/411.

Gabriel Aguiar is a YouTube Creator and a Unity Expert. Focused on his work in Blender and Unity, Gabriel’s YouTube Channel currently has over 100K followers. He also provides assets for game developers on his Patreon.

In 2021, Gabriel launched a game studio Golden Bug Studios in Coibra, Portugal. The studio is currently working on a project called Rabbit's Tale.

In this Podcast, YouTube Creator and Unity Expert Gabriel Aguiar talks to Allan McKay about his experience launching a YouTube Channel and his own studio, developing an original IP, as well as gives advice to young VFX artists and entrepreneurs about resources, skills and branding.

For more show notes, visit www.allanmckay.com/410.

In his book THE ALCHEMIST, Paolo Coelho talks about a Personal Legend. So many people give up just moments before they reach their own Personal Legend. After a while, if you aren’t getting the desired goal, it’s hard to convince yourself not to give up. It’s especially hard when other people are telling you to give up. 

Insecure people lash out at people who are more accomplished or ambitious, or courageous. They’re intimidated by someone who rubs them the wrong way. This also applies to new tools or technology. These days, it’s a common reaction toward AI. So many people fear that AI will take over their jobs. Instead, they can choose to get new skills and get in front of this innovation. 

You’re the one choosing your outlook:

• Rather than seeing someone as a threat – you can see them as an ally.

• Rather than seeing innovation as a threat – you can see it as an opportunity.

Nothing worth doing comes easy. It’s always darkest before dawn. But once you’ve earned your place, the success is so much sweeter.

Inspired by Paolo Coelho’s THE ALCHEMIST, Allan McKay talks about your Personal Legend, how to eliminate the negative voices that challenge you to keep going, how to change your own outlook – and choose to be inspired, instead of being intimidated.

For more show notes, visit www.allanmckay.com/409.

Crafty Apes is a full service, boutique VFX company based in Culver City, CA & Atlanta, GA. The company was launched in July of 2011 by three visual effects veterans Jason Sanford, Chris LeDoux and Tim LeDoux. Believing that strong 2D compositing is the backbone behind quality visual effects, Crafty Apes was formed to primarily offer high-end compositing services for feature films and television clients. 

Crafty Apes specializes in compositing effects and visual effects supervision. By paying extra attention to the detail and integration that 2D work requires and by working with the best technology available spread among a select group of artists, Crafty Apes can deliver a superior product to higher end clients in a shorter time period.

Their recent credits include: The Babysitter: Killer Queen, Lovecraft Country, Doctor Strange, Hidden Figures, Lalaland, Fist Fight, Pete's Dragon, Captain America: Civil War, Killing Reagan, Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising, Dirty Grandpa, Allegiant, Insurgent, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Black Mass, The 33, Foxcatcher, 12 Years a Slave, American Hustle, The Monkey King, White House Down, Single Mom's Club, The Last Stand, A Madea's Christmas and many more.

In this Podcast, VFX Supervisor Marc Smith and VFX Comp Supervisor Tanner Bartlett discuss their work on Mark Mylod’s THE MENU, the way their studio Crafty Apes approaches a new project, as well as give advice to artists on why it’s important to admit your shortcomings and the skills that make you most hireable. 

For more show notes, visit www.allanmckay.com/408.

Frank Petzold is an internationally acclaimed Director and VFX Supervisor, and he’s been working in film for over 25 years. Whether working in film or television, Frank creates cutting edge visuals.

Before stepping into the world of directing, this award-winning VFX Supervisor enjoyed a successful career in Germany as a Director of Photography, specializing in shoots with visual effects components. In the early 90s, Frank joined the Tippett Studio in California to supervise and direct VFX work for major Hollywood films. Starting with the cult classic STARSHIP TROOPERS, he quickly moved from one blockbuster to the next, including ARMAGEDDON, THE MATRIX, HOLLOW MAN, THE RING, GOLDEN COMPASS and many others.

Working closely with Directors such as Steven Spielberg, Paul Verhoven, Frank Oz, Gore Verbinsky, Ivan Reitman, Frank learned how to bring story to life. With that extensive experience, he began directing complex commercials for the international market.

When ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT Director Edward Berger called Franks, with whom he worked on the AMC Series THE TERROR, the idea of working on such an iconic literary IP made Frank intimidated and inspired at the same time. Based on Erich Maria Remarque’s best-selling 1929 novel of the same name, the film follows an idealistic young German soldier in WWI who soon learns the harrowing reality of war. Because of the intimate perspective and to capture the verisimilitude of life in the trenches, Petzold’s goal was to ground the visual effects in photorealistic reference points. In other words, in this case, less is more. In 2023, the film won 4 Academy Awards.

Frank has been a member of VES since 1999.

In this Podcast, Allan McKay talks to the VFX Supervisor and Director Frank Petzold about his start in VFX at the legendary Tippett Studio; his work on STARSHIP TROOPERS, HOLLOW MAN, ARMAGEDDON, as well as the 2023 Academy Award Winning film ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT.

For more show notes, visit www.allanmckay.com/407.

Some people argue that you can’t make more than $50K in VFX. Others compare their lives to the curated lifestyles on social media and demand to get paid more. It really comes down to your WHY: Why do you need more cash? The quickest pay rise you can give yourself is figuring out your budget. It’s better to figure out your finances and take control of your money. And if you still want to earn more money, you need to understand the industry you’re in and what it pays people.

That being said, you can earn bigger numbers in VFX. If you want to earn more, you have to rethink the whole process. Recently, I was offered a Director position on a AAA game. Working in video games, you can make extra cash either in bonuses or by having a side hustle. If you were to start to think about dealing with things on a bigger level – as a studio – you can start to understand the process. 

As a VFX Supervisor and previously a Producer and Studio Owner, I understand budgets. When Producers create budgets, they don’t have the money allocated yet. Once vendors submit their bids, Producers sit down and figure out what the budget for a project might be and the number of artists they need to hire. Then they worry about their margins, their expenditures and profit. The Producers on the client side don’t scrutinize the details. All they care about – is deliverables. That allows you to rethink the process by changing the way you charge your rate.

Now, you could go work at the same place your entire life. If you take that linear career trajectory,  you end up waiting for a pay rise every year. If making more money is all you’re after, you need to examine a few things: 

• First of all, ask yourself if you’re in the right industry? 

• If you do want to do it in VFX, can you create a side hustle?

• Do you see yourself launching your own studio?

• Can you move from the vendor to the client side of VFX?

If you want to make money by simply doing VFX, you need to get creative. I’ve talked about this in the past: There is no limit to how much money you can make in visual effects! Ask yourself the question: How do the people who pay me – pay themselves? Once you understand that, you can position yourself in a way that justifies the money you want to make.

In this Podcast, Allan McKay busts the myth that a VFX Artist cannot make a lot of money in visual effects and gives his insight as a VFX Supervisor, Producer and Studio Owner about how you can make a lot more money in this business.

For more show notes, visit www.allanmckay.com/406.

VICO SHARABANI is a Creative Entrepreneur, award-winning Creative-Director, Director, and Producer. He is also the Founder and CCO of The-Artery, a New York based media production company that creates high-end visual content for brands, feature films, commercials, digital experiences, art installations and more.

As one of the most notable Flame artists in the world, Vico is the winner of the first ever Autodesk Flame Award recognizing his vast contributions to the VFX industry over the past 25 years. Vico’s portfolio includes a wide range of commercials for fortune 500 companies such as Mercedes-Benz, Nike and AT&T, music-videos for Beyoncé, Coldplay, Niki Minaj, KanYe West, and work on dozens of films such as Wes Anderson's The Grand Budapest Hotel, Ocean’s 8, Tower Heist and Sex and The City, to name a few.

YUVAL LEVY is a Director, Creative Director and VFX Supervisor at The-Artery. With two decades of VFX experience, Yuval spent half that period of time steadily moving up the ranks at Gravity New York (formerly RhinoFX) as CG Supervisor / Head of CG to VFX and Digital Supervisor, as well as Creative Director. Along the way, he’s lent his talents to high-profile top-tier brands including BMW, Mercedes, and Coca-Cola, commercials and documentary films for National Geographic and The History Channel, and multiple successful feature films such as The Other Guys, Crazy Stupid Love and The Adjustment Bureau.

Vico and Yuval co-supervised the VFX on Paramount Pictures’ recent horror film SMILE which has crushed it in the box office. Globally, the film grossed over $137.5 million with a $17 million production budget in just the first two weeks.

In this Episode, the Founder and Creative Director of The-Artery Vico Sharabani and VFX Supervisor and Creative Director Yuval Levy talk about their collaboration on Paramount Pictures’ recent film SMILE, creating its realistic visuals, the most challenging horror sequences and so much more!

For more show notes, visit www.allanmckay.com/405.

ARwall is a group of indie filmmakers based in LA who are on a mission to democratize their virtual production tech that has previously only been accessible to major studios. ARwall is a virtual production, software and solutions company. 

Since its founding 7 years ago, the company has been one of the pioneers of in-camera realtime effects. They've worked on projects for HBO, Disney and Discovery.  Most recently, ARwall's work won an Emmy for their first film Muppets Haunted Mansion where their real-time tech enabled the stunning visuals. 

In this Podcast, Allan McKay interviews CEO and Co-Founder of ARwall Rene Amador about the launch of the company, its plugins, tools and affordable solutions for filmmakers, the pros and cons of virtual production, as well as shares the behind-the-scenes of their most challenging projects to date.

For more show notes, visit www.allanmckay.com/404.

Wonder Dynamics is utilizing Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning to develop cutting-edge technologies, innovate production tools and create original content for Film and TV Industry. A startup founded in 2017 by Ready Player One star Tye Sheridan and VFX expert Nikola Todorovic aims to lower the cost and level the playing field for visual effects.

In 2021, the company raised $9 million in a Series A funding round that included Epic Games and Samsung as investors, helping expand its team of machine learning engineers and CG artists to expedite Wonder AI Suite — a cloud-based content creation platform designed to bring blockbuster-level VFX to projects of all sizes. 

The startup has a heavyweight advisory board that includes Sheridan’s Ready Player One director Steven Spielberg, Avengers: Endgame co-director Joe Russo, Capital Factory CEO Joshua Baer, Rhea Films’ Terry Dougas, Google research scientist and Berkeley professor Angjoo Kanazawa, private equity investor Robert Schwab, MIT Head of AI Antonio Torralba and Film Finances president Gregory Trattner.

In this Podcast, Allan McKay interviews Co-Founder and CEO of Wonder Dynamics Nikola Todorovic about the launch of the company, its Advisory Board that includes Steven Spielberg, the AI tools that the startup is building – and how all of this machine learning tech is helping filmmakers with their storytelling.

For more show notes, visit www.allanmckay.com/403.

Move.ai develops patented AAA quality marker-less motion capture technology powered by computer vision and deep learning. Their software runs off any mobile device or camera, can capture any relative volume size and can be deployed in any environment on the planet. 

It’s been tested to be directly comparable to existing suit/optical based systems and generates standard data formats that can be exported to any game engine in real time.

The company’s mission is to enable millions of animators and content creators globally to have access to the same level of motion capture as the AAA studios!

In this Podcast, Co-Founder of Move.ai Anthony Ganjou talks to Allan McKay about his company – a AAA quality marker-less motion capture technology – its target audience, the diversity of its consumer, and the implication of the current AI Moment in human history.

For more show notes, visit www.allanmckay.com/402.

The intense drama and riveting action in the newest primetime CBS hit series FIRE COUNTRY is accompanied by spectacular firestorms: The work of visual effects leaders CBS VFX which was selected by producers to create the namesake infernos and deliver other critical visual effects for the most watched new network series of the season. Led by VFX Supervisor Colin Strause, whose career includes such big-screen blockbusters as RAMPAGE, SAN ANDREAS and THE AVENGERS, CBS VFX brings together a visual effects crew of more than 100 people to deliver as many as 135 effects shots in every episode of the series from Jerry Bruckheimer Productions and CBS Studios.

To make fire into a palpable antagonist in the series and to showcase the many different and terrifying forms that fire can take, the work from CBS VFX incorporates multiple elements, sometimes including actual pyrotechnics that were filmed on set in highly controlled circumstances. Although the series is set in Northern California, it is shot in British Columbia where extremely dry conditions mostly prevent the large-scale use of physical fire.

FIRE COUNTRY is the largest in an impressive range of recent projects for CBS VFX, which have also included the acclaimed series ONE PERFECT SHOT for HBO Max and ARRAY Filmworks; and innovative virtual production solution to COVID-relateds challenges for THE DREW BARRYMORE SHOW; and special productions for the 2021 MTV Movie Awards and NCAA Final Four. 

CBS VFX has developed groundbreaking technology and created visual effects for multiple series across many networks, including Apple TV’s ROAR, THE OFFER for Paramount +, THIS IS US on NBC, Netflix’s DEAD TO ME, and BIG SHOT on Disney +.

Brothers Colin and Greg Strause have charted a meteoric rise from self-taught artists working on local cable commercials in the suburbs of Chicago, to renowned visual effects gurus. Their careers began on the original run of THE X-FILES television show before working their way onto early CG-driven features, THE NUTTY PROFESSOR, VOLCANO, and the iceberg sequence of James Cameron's TITANIC. Founding their own VFX house, Hydraulx in 2002, the brothers have worked on visionary sequences for over ninety feature films including AVATAR, THE AVENGERS, SKYFALL, 300, CAPTAIN AMERICA, 2012, IRON MAN 2, BATTLE: LOS ANGELES and THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW. Their work on the latter brought Greg a BAFTA for Best Achievement in Special Visual Effects.

In this Podcast, Allan McKay interviews the VFX Supervisor, Director and Producer Colin Strause about his start in VFX – from launching his own company Hydraulx to directing feature films – his learning on the job and working on the challenging fire sequences on FIRE COUNTRY on CBS.

For more show notes, visit www.allanmckay.com/401.

Ash Thorp is a graphic designer, illustrator, artist, and creative director for a multitude of media, including feature films, commercial enterprises, and print. Most recently, Ash worked on the concept for the Batmobile and the Batcycle, for the 2022 film The Batman directed by Matt Reeves. 

Previously, Ash has worked on graphics for Ender’s Game and Total Recall, as well as contributed to the design concepts for Spectre, Prometheus, X-Men First Class, Call of Duty and others. His first directorial debut started with the assembly of an international team for his Ghost in the Shell tribute, as well as the main title for OFFF Barcelona 2014. In 2015, he was requested to assemble an international team of designers and create the title sequence for FITC Tokyo. Later that year, Ash co-directed “Ares — Our Greatest Adventure”, a promotional trailer for the feature film The Martian.

Allan McKay is an Emmy Award winning VFX Supervisor and Technical Director. He is responsible for many visual effects sequences including on hit titles like God of War: Ragnarok, Avengers: Endgame, Game of Thrones, Marvel’s Runaways, Bloodshot, Transformers, Blade, The Last Airbender, Star Trek, Superman, Flight, The Equalizer, and dozens of others; as well as many of the top video games worldwide: Halo, Destiny, Call of Duty, Bioshock, Prototype, Half-Life, and Team Fortress 2. 

Allan has over two decades of experience working in the visual effects industry for many leading studios such as ILM, Pixomondo, Blur Studio, Sony, Paramount Picture, Atomic Fiction, Prime Focus, Ubisoft, Activision and dozens of others.

In addition to his VFX work, Allan runs many online courses, as well as a mentorship. Throughout the past two decades, he has appeared as a speaker at events in over 15 different cities including Paris, Sydney, Los Angeles, New York, Vancouver, Singapore, Helsinki. He has taught master classes at SIGGRAPH and IAMAG, and has spoken at events with Nvidia Google.

His hit Podcast is rated in the top 200 podcasts on iTunes where he interviews many award winning VFX Artists, Supervisors and Film Directors, focusing on both creativity and drive, as well as on how to boost your career and achieve success as a creative.

In this Podcast Ash Thorp interviews Allan McKay about his outlook on failure and how to move past it, AI and other technological disruptions, following one’s calling, as well as the importance of gratitude and always moving forward.

For more show notes, visit www.allanmckay.com/400.

William Faucher is a 3D Artist, Unreal Engine Educator, CG Spectrum Mentor and a successful YouTuber. He is a deaf 3D Generalist who’s been working in the entertainment industry for the past 14 years. Some of his titles include VFX / CGI shots in Marvel's Black Panther and HBO's Watchmen. 

He created his YouTube Channel over 2 years ago and it currently has over 165K subscribers. 

In this Podcast, 3D Artist, YouTuber and Unreal Engine Educator William Faucher talks about his journey of in VFX and Unreal, as well as gives advice to artists about the importance of being a generalist, learning new skills, embracing one’s soft skills, and knowing how to take criticism.

For more show notes, visit www.allanmckay.com/399.

Pindar Van Arman is an award-winning AI Artist who builds, codes and experiments with robots that paint in a variety of styles. Pindar was a winner of the Robot Art Competition for his home-made robots that use AI to paint artworks. He is best known for his robotic art project Cloud Painter, a sophisticated robot painter highlighted in videos below.

Van Arman’s exploration into robot art began by following his curiosity, attempting to answer the question: Where does creativity come from? To try to understand this universal question, he dissects his own artistic process and teaches robots to paint.

Van Arman’s impressive and award-winning works include CloudPainter, an autonomous robot that anyone with an Internet connection can control to produce artworks. He has been featured in many interviews, TV episodes, and conferences. 

In this Podcast, AI Artist Pindar Van Arman talks about his journey into AI art, the disruption of AI, singularity and the future of AI, the definition of “art” and where AI art and NFT’s fit into that, as well as answers the most urgent question of 2023: Will AI take our jobs?

For more show notes, visit www.allanmckay.com/398.

When it comes to job interviews, the number one thing to think about is putting yourself in the interviewer’s shoes. The more you can think like them – the pain points they may have, their wants and needs – the more you are in tune with what they’re thinking. It’s all about understanding their needs and alignment. By understanding what they want, you’re able to be the best fit.

Going for an interview is a chance to stand out, beyond your reel. A great interview is when you’re moving into the rates and start dates. It’s a chance for you to excel above everyone else. The interviewer will have a preconceived idea of who you are. They will look at your social media as well. So you can use this as an opportunity to put out more pictures of yourself at work.

One of the things that artists mishandle is asking good questions. If you blend in, you become forgettable. Figure out a way to be yourself but also how to stand out. What is your angle? What do you want to be remembered for? Also, think about speaking to them like their equal. Ask about the project or the client they’re working on. This way, you’re sounding like someone working with them. By asking questions, you can extract information that’s laser focused. 

Take the initiative to lead the conversation. That takes knowing exactly what you want. And if you know what you want – you can negotiate that naturally and in your favor. The more you’re clear about what you want, the more you’re able to express that naturally. It’s part of being a successful negotiator. So get clear about what you want: 

• Do you want more cool stuff for your reel? 

• Do you want a good salary? 

• Do you want to work with great people?

The key to getting what you want – is to give them what they want first. Negotiating is about both people making sacrifices. But it all comes back to asking the right questions.

In the interview, try to move the conversation along beyond the interview. When you start discussing the problems on a project, you’re starting to think as part of their team. You’re signaling that you’re working together. Another tactic is treating your interviewer as an equal. If you treat them as a friend rather than your boss, you may feel more relaxed during the interview. 

In this Podcast, Allan talks about how to stand out in a job interview, how to ask productive questions, how to be an active listener, how to communicate with the interviewer as an equal – the crucial skill of putting yourself into your interviewer’s shoes – and how to negotiate in your favor.

For more show notes, visit www.allanmckay.com/397.

Important Looking Pirates (ILP) is a visual effects and digital animation studio located in central Stockholm founded in 2007 by Niklas Jacobson, Yafei Wu, Carl Hermelin and Eric Hermelin. The studio has more than 200 artists and have worked on big titles like Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker; and series like Westworld, The Mandalorian, Stranger Things, Lost in Space.

ILP was nominated for a number of Emmys for their work on Stranger Things and Lost in Space.

In this Episode, Co-Founder of Important Looking Pirates Niklas Jacobson talks about the origins of ILP (and its title), their work on Star Wars, Lost in Space and Stranger Things; as well as gives advice on how to stand out as an artist or a company, mindset of a studio owner, and the most important asset of a VFX studio.

For more show notes, visit www.allanmckay.com/396.

Sir Wade Neistadt is a Freelance Animator, VFX Artist and YouTube Creator. Currently, his YouTube Channel has over 205K followers.

In 2014, after his short film about a sick superhero brought him to the Cannes Film Festival, he completed Animation Mentor's Character Animation Program and got immediately hired at DreamWorks Animation as a Technical Trainer / Educator. Two years later, he left the studio to travel, work freelance and build his YouTube Channel.

Sir Wade had taught over 50 classes across our pipeline ranging from proprietary software for animation, layout, and lighting, to third-party tools such as Maya, Mari, Substance, After Effects, Nuke, etc.

In this Podcast, Allan McKay interviews YouTuber and Freelance Animator Sir Wade Neistadt about his journey from an animation school to the Cannes Film Festival, his first job at Dreamworks, launching his YouTube Channel – as well as skills artists need to launch their careers.

For more show notes, visit www.allanmckay.com/395.

Christopher Zammit is a VFX Supervisor and Art Director. He’s worked on many films like Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Tomorrowland, Ghostbusters, and of course films in the Transformers franchise Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Transformers: Age of Extinction and Transformers: The Last Knight. 

In this Podcast, VFX Supervisor and Art Director Christopher Zammit about his work on TOP GUN: MAVERICK, THE BOYS, GHOSTBUSTERS, THE THING, GODZILLA; as well as how to make production constraints work in your favor as a VFX Artist.

For more show notes, visit www.allanmckay.com/394.

It is amazing how far Artificial Intelligence has progressed just in the last year! No one could’ve predicted the speed of this innovation. A lot of artists are now worried about being replaced with machine learning. While AI can automate and speed things up, it is still up to us as artists to know how to use it as an extension of their ability.

Before, we couldn’t talk to computers. We could only program computers via 1’s and 0’s. When GPTs came along, we started communicating with a computer and giving AI commands. AI is also able to read the internet and interpret the data it consumes. It knows that it also has to fail in order to succeed. Eventually, it will perform the task correctly. That alone changes the playing field! 

But what does that mean for artists? We used to think AI would be assigned repetitive tasks. But now AI is able to create art using the style of another artist. Things like that disrupt the industry. It’s a threatening time for a lot of artists. With the advent of Stable Diffusion, Midjourney, DALL-E, ChatGPT, it’s a really exciting time to be alive! All of these models that came out in the past year. As a matter of fact, Stable Diffusion is one a couple of months old (www.allanmckay.com/390)!

Innovation has always been threatening. As humans, we’re naturally fearful of change. No one can predict what’s going to happen. But historically, those who are early adapters of innovation – they win! Those who are fearful get left behind. Which is why it’s important for every artist to continue to evolve. So let’s now be afraid of this new technology but instead embrace it and be on the forefront of it. In other words: ADAPT OR DIE.

In this Podcast, Allan McKay discusses the most recent developments in Artificial Intelligence, the rapid speed of this innovation, how it’s been affecting artists’ jobs – and why it’s important for artists to innovate in order to be on the forefront of this new technology.

For more show notes, visit www.allanmckay.com/393.

Respeecher uses deep learning (AI) techniques to produce high quality synthetic speech. 

The company was launched in 2018 by Alex Serdiuk, Dmytro Bielievtsov and Grant Reaber. In March 2020, Respeecher received $1.5 million in startup funding from ff Venture Capital, Acrobator Ventures, ICU Ventures, Network VC, and several angel investors. A year later, the company launched the beta of Voice Marketplace, a democratized version of Respeecher’s tech available for small creators. In September 2021, Respeecher was awarded with an Emmy for their work on In Event of Moon Disaster.

Since then, the team at Respeecher has worked on the following projects: The Book of Boba Fett and The Mandalorian (synthetic voice of young Luke Skywalker), Aloe Blacc’s tribute to Avicii (cross-lingual Avicii’s singing voice cloning), collaborated with 72andSunny, NFL, Digital Domain on the Super Bowl commercial (voice of Vince Lombardi / 2.1B impressions), Disney’s Obi-Wan Kenobi Series.

In February 2022, Respeecher team, most of which is in Ukraine, navigated through the full blown Russian invasion and managed to have no disruptions in operations. The company continues to grow, employ their fellow Ukranians and support their home country.

In this Podcast, Allan McKay interviews Alex Serdiuk, Co-Founder of Respeecher, about the AI technology of synthetic speech; leveraging it in the fields of entertainment, medicine and investigative journalism; Respeecher’s work on The Book of Boba Fett and The Mandalorian and so much more!

For more show notes, visit www.allanmckay.com/392.

The mission of Monsters Aliens Robots Zombies (MARZ) is to deliver feature-film quality visual effects on television timelines by harnessing GPU clusters, game engine technology, AI and senior industry talent. Leveraging these pillars allows us to consistently execute with both speed and quality for our premium television projects.

Lon Molnar is the Co-President of MARZ. With more than 20 years of experience, Lon has contributed a vast amount of visual effects to film and television as an Artist, VFX Supervisor, and former CEO of the award winning VFX company Intelligent Creatures. Inspired by the magic of TOY STORY, Lon attended the Vancouver Film School with the single goal of opening up his own VFX studio. As he built his resume, he became dissatisfied with working on VFX for tv, and set his sights on feature films. He became a VFX generalist, working in animation, lighting, compositing and modelling, while using a vast array of software. 

After serving as the CG Supervisor on the groundbreaking films CHICAGO and THE CELL, he fulfilled his earlier dream and opened up Intelligent Creatures in 2002. Working with talented creators like Mark Forster, Darren Aronofsky, Alejandro González Iñárritu, David Tattersall, Oliver Stone and others, Lon quickly built the Toronto-based VFX house into an award-winning studio.

Intelligent Creatures lent its creativity to dozens of projects such as MR AND MRS SMITH, THE WITCH, and BABEL. They built robust pipelines to tackle critically-acclaimed projects, such as the WATCHMEN's famous Rorschach mask of moving inkblots. Some of their later work, such as the award-winning series ORPHAN BLACK and the Emmy-nominated CURIOSITY: BATTLEFIELD CELL pushed the boundaries of visual effects on TV.

Fifteen years after the formation of Intelligent Creatures, Lon recognized that unlike when he had started in the industry, TV was no longer the "lesser" medium for VFX. When he spoke to Jonathan Bronfman, the two found themselves sharing symbiotic ideas. They saw a gap that others didn't. What if, they asked, we can build a company that focuses on serving only one market, and defines the standard of excellence in that market? That was the beginning of MARZ.

In this Podcast, Allan McKay interviews Co-President of MARZ Lon Molnar about the company’s history and leveraging its technology innovations; the invisible visual effects and the development of the de-aging technology; positive outcomes of the COVID-19 pandemic in the field of VFX an so much more!

For more show notes, visit www.allanmckay.com/391.

Stability AI is the company behind Stable Diffusion, a powerful, free and open-source text-to-image generator that launched in August 2022. Since launching, Stable Diffusion has been downloaded and licensed by more than 200,000 developers globally. Stability AI's consumer-facing product DreamStudio quickly grew to well over a million registered users from more than 50 countries who collectively have created more than 170 million images.

Headquartered in London with developers distributed across the globe, Stability AI was founded by Emad Mostaque as the first open-source, artificial intelligence (AI) company developing breakthrough technologies for the benefit of humanity and the world. 

In this Podcast, Creative Director for Stability AI Bill Cusick talks about the creative vision behind Stable Diffusion and its potential application in art and filmmaking, the meaning of AI in the history of humanity; and why artists should get excited about the existence of AI art (instead of viewing it as competition)!

For more show notes, visit www.allanmckay.com/390.*

*This interview was recorded in November 2022.

The most commonly asked questions that get asked are: 

• “Should I go to school to study VFX?” 
• “Should I study online?” 
• “What school / online community should I join?”

Attending a school is a more traditional way of learning. However, because of the speed at which technology is changing, school is not always the best route. Throughout the history of this Podcast, Allan has interviewed many artists and VFX supervisors and they attest that: Learning on the job — is the best and the fastest route to learn!

The biggest myth in VFX is that you need a diploma in order to get a job. But in reality, the most important thing in getting hired is knowing that you can do that job, even if you were to get hired tomorrow. The only place where a diploma actually matters is when you’re applying for a work visa in a different country. Otherwise, the most important tool in getting hired – is your REEL!

If you spend 4 years at a college, you could've spent that time getting experience in the industry. In addition, the price tag of getting a formal education (especially in the US) is so high, your student debt adds to the pressure of having to get a job right after school. In 4 years, you could’ve already built a reel and a network necessary for you to get that first job. Many studios offer internships and training on how to use their proprietary tools anyway. The more you’re self-taught, the more open you are to learning.

If you choose to study online, you often get to study with people who are already working in visual effects. That means that they will be teaching you the latest skills and technology. You can get access to those people through live reviews. You can also start building your community with other students – who are also going on to work in VFX. 

In this Podcast, Allan discusses the 3 CHOICES OF LEARNING – and the pros and cons of every choice:

• Studying in college / at a university;
• Studying online for free; 
• Paying for online courses.

Learn just in time – not just in case. With VFX being a fast-paced and quickly changing industry, you have to keep learning all the time. You have to keep going back to the drawing board and getting new skills. No matter the route you take – you have to go all in!

In his answer to the most frequently asked question SHOULD I GO TO A VFX SCHOOL?, Allan McKay breaks down the pros and cons of studying at a 4-year university versus studying online and why a VFX artist must be constantly learning – no matter the route! – as well as the importance of going all in!

For more show notes, visit www.allanmckay.com/389.

Brendan Kane is the Bestselling Author of ONE MILLION FOLLOWERS: HOW I BUILD A MASSIVE SOCIAL AUDIENCE IN 30 DAYS and HOOK POINT: HOW TO STAND OUT IN A 3-SECOND WORLD, as well as the Founder and Managing Director of Hook Point.

Since 2005, Brendan has helped the largest brands and celebrities in the world to reverse engineer how to make content go viral. He has worked with major corporations MTV, Viacom, Vice Magazine, Paramount Pictures, IKEA and Sketchers shoes on their digital strategy, as well as celebrities like Taylor Swift, Rihanna and Adriana Lima. In addition, he developed the first ever influencer campaign on YouTube in 2007; oversaw $200 million in marketing spend and generated $1 billion in revenue.

In this Podcast, Bestselling Author of ONE MILLION FOLLOWERS Brendan Kane talks about how-to’s of creating content that serves your viewers – and the algorithm, maximizing your followers’ engagement, content vs context, chaos as part of the creative process and so much more!

For more show notes, visit www.allanmckay.com/386.

Perfectionism holds artists back. It gets the best of us, both junior and senior artists like. It’s part of the inability to manage ourselves. 

It also ends up costing more: You’re spending so much time on the project, you burn through the budget. You end up paying the client for the privilege of working on their project.

There is a famous quote from Leonardo da Vinci, “Art is never finished, only abandoned.” But if you’re creating art as a business, you need to know when enough is enough. You’re the one who has to give yourself the constraints. Your goal is to create the best work within those constraints.

All of this can be avoided if you:

• Track your time; and
• Have a clear target of what you aim to deliver. 

Failure is also part of the process. It helps you identify the dead ends in the process and to avoid them. But the ego sometimes gets in the way and forces you to avoid admitting defeat. In addition, if you do your art every day – like Goro Fujita or Beeple (see links below) – you can see your progress. What gets measured – gets managed!

Speaking as a Studio Owner and VFX Supervisor, Allan McKay tackles the subject of perfectionism: how it sabotages artists’ careers, how to defeat perfectionism – with self-established constraints, clear communication and having a clear vision of the process ahead – and how to identify and avoid self-sabotage.

For more show notes, visit www.allanmckay.com/387.

Chris Bailey is a Productivity Expert and the bestselling Author of two books about productivity: The Productivity Project and Hyperfocus: How to Be More Productive in a World of Distraction. Chris writes about productivity at www.alifeofproductivity.com and speaks to organizations around the globe on how they can become more productive, without hating the process.

Chris was born in Red Deer, Alberta and raised in Ontario, Canada. He first became interested in productivity in high school after reading David Allen’s Getting Things Done. He graduated from the Sprott Business School of Business in 2013. After college, he started researching productivity and conducting experiments, while documenting his experiences on this blog A Year of Productivity. Insights and strategies learned from these experiments were compiled into his 2016 book The Productivity Project. His second book Hyperfocus: How to Be More Productive in a World of Distraction was released in August 2018.

Most recently, Chris wrote his third book How to Calm Your Mind, which is a toolkit of accessible, science-backed strategies that reveal how the path to a less anxious life, and even greater productivity, runs directly through calm.

In this Podcast, Allan McKay interviews Bestselling Author of Hyperfocus Chris Bailey about anxiety and the effects of repeated stress; what constitutes burnout and how to combat it; burnout versus engagement; as well as Chris’s upcoming book How to Calm Your Mind.

For more show notes, visit www.allanmckay.com/386.

We all have doubts if we’re on the right path. Being an artist requires a lot of patience, perseverance and skill. In addition, we have to continue learning and innovating. 

There is this inner voice that asks, “Am I investing my time into something that’s going to pay off?” It weighs on you. It doesn’t help when we have people around us, telling us to give up. There is so much negativity on the internet – and on social media – as well, and it’s hard to weed out that noise. Everyone is opinionated and not everyone knows what they’re talking about. It makes us double guess our path and sometimes even give up!

It’s tough to keep going when you’re alone. The best thing is to find our circle: A group of people excited about our one thing. If you’re an artist, you need to have people who support you and lift you up. You have to find your community. There is a concept of something called “monk mode”: It’s about eliminating the noise and getting focused. Get focused and surround yourself with people who help you rise up.

When it comes to VFX, there is no shortage of work out there – especially right now! But the negative people are the loudest. Before we lived in a permission based economy. Now, we are all connected and there is so much opportunity to do what we want to do! 

If there is something you want to do – go after it. There is no excuse to not get paid to be an artist. Art and design is everywhere. Everywhere we look, there is a need for artists. It’s just about lining up your skills with the right job. How do you do that? Through your portfolio / reel and your brand. That’s where social media is a great space: It allows you to show your work. 

In this Podcast, Allan McKay talks about the need for a community that supports and uplifts you as an artist; why it’s important to shut out the negativity of the internet and social media – and instead use it to promote your brand and gain exposure; and why right now – is the BEST TIME to be an artist!

For more show notes, visit www.allanmckay.com/385.

Tim Miller is a Film Director, Animator, Creative Director and VFX Artist. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film for the work on his short film Gopher Broke. He made his directing debut with Deadpool. He is also known for creating opening sequences for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Thor: The Dark World.

In 1995, Tim co-founded Blur Studio with David Stinnett and Cat Chapman. Blur is where animators and artists can collaborate and be in control of their creative destinities. Since then, the Studio has evolved into an award-winning production company with work spanning the realms of game cinematics, commercials, feature films and more. Committed to their clients, artists and to the telling of great stories, Blur continues to grow not only as a high-end animation studio, but also as original content creators, having recently helmed Netflix’s first animated anthology Love Death + Robots.

In this Podcast, Allan McKay deconstructs his interview with Film Director and Co-Founder of Blur Studio Tim Miller, to review the valuable bits of advice on: why ignorance is bliss when starting a new studio or business, the importance of doing a daily self-check, knowing how to ask for help, how to keep your professional relationships alive, being a competitive brand – and so much more! 

For more show notes, visit www.allanmckay.com/384.