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EPISODE 367 – Magnopus – Co Founder / CEO Ben Grossmann
Oscar-winning Visual Effects Specialist Ben Grossmann has been paving the way for the new immersive web for nearly 20 years. As a Co-Founder of Magnopus, he’s long had a vision of bringing physical and digital worlds together through connected spaces. His passion for immersive technologies has made him a prominent voice on the subject.
Over the years, Ben has used his experience in films to lead augmented and virtual reality projects for brands like Sony, Disney, Meta, and NASA. He led the creation of a virtual live-action world for the makers of Disney’s The Lion King. And most recently, directed Expo Dubai Xplorer, bringing the world’s largest social digital twin to life for tens of millions of visitors globally.
Prior to Magnopus, Ben supervised visual effects on more than a dozen feature films including the Oscar-nominated Star Trek Into Darkness, and Martin Scorsese’s Hugo — earning him the Oscar for Outstanding Special Visual Effects in 2012. His work continues to transform the way movies are made today. Ben has also directed award-winning commercial campaigns and worked on iconic projects like The Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park.
He is also a member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, and the Visual Effects Society.
In this Podcast, Allan McKay interviews the Co-Founder of Magnopus Ben Grossmann about his journey in VFX, taking initiative as a young Artist, the state of VFX versus the promise of VR, visual fidelity versus interactivity, the power of communication and persuasion, how Artists pigeonhole themselves, the power of “WE” and how and when to say NO.
Ben Grossmann on the Magnopus Website: https://www.magnopus.com/bengrossmann
Ben Grossmann on IMDb Pro: https://pro.imdb.com/name/nm1322973/?ref_=search_search_search_result_1
Magnopus on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/magnopus
Announcement about Magnopus in The Hollywood Reporter: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/new-vfx-firm-magnopus-sets-672691/
EPISODE 367 – Magnopus – Co Founder / CEO Ben Grossmann
Hi, everyone!
This is Allan McKay. Welcome to Episode 367!
I’m really excited to be speaking to Co-Founder and CEO of Magnopus Ben Grossmann. We talk about everything about virtual reality, as well as:
- His childhood in Alaska and moving to California to find job;
- Braking into VFX;
- Taking initiative as a young artist;
- The experience of Magnopus;
- The creative state of VFX today;
- Visual fidelity vs interactivity;
- Immersive experiences and the metaverse;
- The challenges of digi humans;
- The prominence of virtual reality;
- The power of communication and persuasion;
- How to build successful relationships with directors;
- and so much more!
Please take a second to share this Episode with others.
Let’s dive in!
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FROM ALLAN McKAY:
[01:06] Have you ever sent in your reel and wondered why you didn’t get the callback or what the reason was you didn’t get the job? Over the past 20 years of working for studios like ILM, Blur Studio, Ubisoft, I’ve built hundreds of teams and hired hundreds of artists — and reviewed thousands of reels! That’s why I decided to write The Ultimate Demo Reel Guide from the perspective of someone who actually does the hiring. You can get this book for free right now at www.allanmckay.com/myreel!
[1:10:03] One of the biggest problems we face as artists is figuring out how much we’re worth. I’ve put together a website. Check it out: www.VFXRates.com! This is a chance for you to put in your level of experience, your discipline, your location — and it will give you an accurate idea what you and everyone else in your discipline should be charging. Check it out: www.VFXRates.com!
Okay, what did you think? I want to thank Ben for taking the time to chat! I hope you got a lot from this Episode. It was definitely one of my favorite ones!
Next week, I’ll be sitting down with VFX Artist and YouTuber Eloi Andaluz Fullà.
Until then –
Rock on!
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