Rob Nederhorst is a veteran of the VFX industry. As a VFX Supervisor, he’s worked on titles like JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 3 - PARABELLUM, THE CONJURING, GHOSTBUSTERS, CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER, and so many others.

Rob has deep knowledge in compositing, lighting, 3D, 2D and programming. In addition, he does his own photography (https://www.flickr.com/photos/71678094@N00/) and teaches at University of Southern California. 

In this Podcast, Allan McKay interviews VFX Supervisor Robert Nederhorst about his viral Generative AI Webinar for SAG-AFTRA Membership and the feedback that followed; the current CGI backlash and why the best visual effects are invisible; why AI will never replace VFX artists and why 2024 will be a year abundant with opportunities – and so much more!

For more show notes, visit www.allanmckay.com/439.

Eric Wachtman is a CG / VFX Supervisor and Art Director at LAIKA where he’s been working for nearly 20 years. Prior to that, he served as the Director of CG / Visual Effects and Art Director at the Cartoon Network.

LAIKA was founded in 2005 in Oregon and is guided by the vision of its President & CEO Travis Knight. Located just outside Portland, Oregon, LAIKA was awarded a Scientific and Technology Oscar® for its innovation in 3D printing in 2016. 

Its five films – MISSING LINK (2019); KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS (2016); THE BOXTROLLS (2014); PARANORMAN (2012), and CORALINE (2009) – were all nominated for Oscars® and PGA Awards as Outstanding Animated Film. 

MISSING LINK was the first LAIKA film to win the Golden Globe® for Best Animated Feature and was awarded two Visual Effects Society (VES) awards for Outstanding Visual Effects in an Animated Feature and Outstanding Animated Character, and received seven Annie Award nominations. KUBO received a second Oscar® nomination for Outstanding Visual Effects and won the BAFTA Award, as well as three Annie Awards, the National Board of Review's Best Animated Feature citation, and 19 regional and critics’ group awards. THE BOXTROLLS earned Critics’ Choice and Golden Globe Award nominations and 13 Annie Award nominations, more than any other film that year. PARANORMAN garnered BAFTA, Critics’ Choice, and GLAAD Media Award nominations, won two Annie Awards, and was cited as the year’s best animated film by 14 critics’ groups. CORALINE earned Golden Globe, BAFTA, and Critics’ Choice nominations and was named one of the year’s 10 Best Films by the American Film Institute (AFI). 

In this Podcast, Allan McKay interviews the CG / VFX Supervisor at LAIKA Eric Wachtman about his experience working on award-winning titles of CAROLINE and PARANORMAN, his leadership in founding the Portland Chapter of VES, how curiosity and passion drives one’s VFX career, the secret to winning reels and so much more!

For more show notes, visit www.allanmckay.com/438.

Alex Wang is a VFX Supervisor. He started his career in visual effects at The Orphanage on THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW, right after graduating from Ringling College of Art and Design in 2003. He then joined Image Movers Digital to work on THE CHRISTMAS CAROL and MARS NEEDS MOMS.

In 2010, Alex joined Digital Domain for TRON LEGACY, and then he worked on TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON, JACK THE GIANT SLAYER and FURIOUS 7. He also served as a CG Supervisor on FAST AND FURIOUS 7 and then VFX Supervisor on DEADPOOL.

In this Podcast, Allan McKay interviews VFX Supervisor Alex Wang about creating the post-apocalyptic practical and visual effects of the Emmy-nominated HBO show THE LAST OF US, the skills of a VFX Supervisor, staying relevant by keeping up with technology, how AI is changing VFX pipelines and so much more!

For more show notes, visit www.allanmckay.com/437.

Freelance is such a big topic in visual effects! For those of you starting in the industry, you’re probably wondering how to get your foot in the door. Ultimately, 2024 will be a very busy year. That means that those of you who are good should be ready to turn down work. 

The first thing you need to think about is how you’re positioning yourself in the business: What are the special skills that you have that allow you to stand out from others? We are in a problem solving business. Positioning means that you know how to sell yourself – by providing solutions to the potential employer – as well as understand your worth. You need to be aware of what you bring to the table and how to sell yourself. (That also means that you’re aware of what you’re not good at, which gives you room for improvement.)

You also need to understand the needs of your employer. You show that understanding by providing a reel that sums up your best work – and is very heavily catered to the specific task that the employer is looking to fill. In addition, your cover letter must mention the position you’re applying for and your understanding of what the position entails. That allows you to position yourself as the go-to person for this role.

In this Episode, you’ll learn about:

• How to create a winning reel that guarantees a chance for a job interview;

• Where to find available work – and how to apply for those jobs;

• How to do successful outreach to potential employers or human resources departments;

• How to identify the most in-demand skills and innovate in new technology.

One of the advantages of 2024 is widely available remote job opportunities. That means that you can live anywhere. By living in a cheaper area, you’re able to lower your overhead and actually enjoy your lifestyle. That also means that nowadays you can work for any studio you want. Remember: It’s not just about being skilled as a VFX Artist – it’s about the right artist for the right job, at the right time.

In this Podcast, Allan McKay gives critical insight into how to find remote work and freelance work in 2024, how to be successful at outreach to potential employers, how to create a winning reel that guarantees employment, how to work for a dream studio remotely – and so much more!

For more show notes, visit www.allanmckay.com/436.

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.