Episode 348 – Foundation – DNEG’s VFX Sup Chris Keller  DNEG (www.dneg.com) is one of the world’s leading visual effects (VFX) and animation studios for the creation of feature film, television and multiplatform content. DNEG employs nearly 7,000 people with worldwide offices and studios across North America (Los Angeles, Montréal, Toronto, Vancouver), Europe (London) […]

  Episode 347 – Perfectionism is the Enemy Perfection is our inability to balance out our priorities or see the big picture. We get so fixated on everything being perfect, we fall behind our responsibilities, eventually failing to deliver anything at all. This is a huge problem for a lot of junior artists who make […]

  Episode 346 – DNEG’S VFX Supervisor Tom Proctor – Last Night in Soho DNEG (www.dneg.com) is one of the world’s leading visual effects (VFX) and animation studios for the creation of feature film, television and multiplatform content. DNEG employs nearly 7,000 people with worldwide offices and studios across North America (Los Angeles, Montréal, Toronto, […]

  Episode 345 — Women in VFX TEHMINA BEG is a New-York based VFX supervisor currently working at Molecule VFX. She has previously worked at Zoic Studios, The Mill, MPC. Tehmina’s credits include Homeland, Quantifco, The Blacklist, And Just Like That, Modern Love and many more. She is a self-taught artist and photographer. MAGGIE OH […]

  Episode 344 — Women in Leadership Round Table JINKO GOTOH is an Animation Producer and Consultant whose credits include The Little Prince; the Academy Award nominated The Illusionist; the Academy Award winning Finding Nemo. Jinko also serves as Vice-President of Women in Animation dedicated to advancing women in the field of animation. NELL LLOYD-MALCOLM […]

  Episode 343 — Molecule VFX Sup Tehmina Beg Tehmina Beg is a New-York based VFX Supervisor currently working at Molecule VFX. She has previously worked at Zoic Studios, The Mill, MPC. Tehmina’s credits include Homeland, Quantico, The Defenders, The Blacklist, Modern Love and most recently And Just Like That. She is a self-taught artist […]

  Episode 342 — THE MATRIX: RESURRECTIONS – DNEG’s VFX Sup Dan Glass  DNEG (www.dneg.com) is one of the world’s leading visual effects (VFX) and animation studios for the creation of feature film, television and multiplatform content. DNEG employs nearly 7,000 people with worldwide offices and studios across North America (Los Angeles, Montréal, Toronto, Vancouver), […]

  Episode 341 — CRUSHING Your Bigger Goals The WHAT IF? Scenario: It’s an addictive concept for all of us. What if you give up on a career before you ever got started? Fear is just your mind trying to prevent you from change because change is unknown. It doesn’t want you to risk safety […]

  Episode 340 — Zoic’s Executive Creative Director / Co-Founder – Andrew Orloff Zoic Studios is a VFX company of accomplished artists and producers with a deep understanding of story, process and relationships. With offices in Los Angeles, New York and Vancouver, the company has prided itself in partnership, integrity and enthusiasm as the key […]

  Episode 339 — Perception – Co-Founders Jeremy Lasky & Danny Gonzalez Perception is an Emmy nominated design lab pioneering the visionary process of Science Fiction Thinking to architect the future. They divide their time equally between the parallel worlds of science-fiction—working with trailblazing filmmakers and science-fact—collaborating with the world’s most innovative technology brands. Drawing […]

  Episode 338 — Executive Business Advice — Louis Castle  Louis Castle is a prolific American video games designer. He is known for co-founding Westwood Studios and for his work on the Command & Conquer real-time strategy series. In 2017, he became the Head of Amazon Game Studios Seattle.  Most recently, Louis joined GreenPark Sports […]

  Episode 337 — My Experience Looking for a Staff Position There’s such a shortage of visual effects people right now. It’s insane how many projects have been greenlit. And even for a 3D artist, there’s so much stuff out there – and that’s a good thing! Visual effects in general is such a healthy […]

  Episode 336 — Cinecom: Growing a Massive YouTube Business — Jordy Vandeput Cinecom is a YouTube channel and a media organization from Belgium founded in 2014 by Jordy Vandeput. The goal of the channel is to provide educational content for filmmakers and video editors around the world. Jordy Vandeput graduated from a film school […]

  Episode 335 — VFX Legend Richard Edlund – Part 2 Richard Edlund is a four-time Academy Award visual effects winner for Star Wars: A New Hope, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. He is VFX Supervisor, Producer and Cinematographer. Richard was also […]

  Episode 334 – Activision Blizzard – Senior Director Creative Talent Robin Alan Linn 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 […]

  Episode 333 — NO TIME TO DIE — VFX Sup Charlie Noble & Special Effects Sup Chris Corbould  DNEG (www.dneg.com) is one of the world’s leading visual effects (VFX) and animation studios for the creation of feature film, television and multiplatform content. DNEG employs nearly 7,000 people with worldwide offices and studios across North […]

  Episode 332 — Foundry — Jen Goldfinch, Senior Director of Industry Marketing Founded in 1996, Foundry is a visual effects software development company headquartered in London, with over 300 employees and a presence in the US, China, Japan, Australia and Europe.  They have been developing creative software for the Digital Design, Media and Entertainment […]

  Episode 331 — Crushing Success  The more we see the result of the success people are having, the more we can get inspired and model our goals after that success. Which is why I think it’s important to follow other successful people: to see what their habits are and if you can apply those […]

  Episode 330 — Eran Dinur — Photorealism for VFX Eran Dinur is VFX Supervisor, Composer and published author. His career in visual effects began with a fascination for creating 3D natural scenery. Through his early years, he became well known as a VUE expert and innovator. When he joined ILM Singapore, he created visual […]

  Episode 329 — VFX Legend Richard Edlund — The History of STAR WARS Richard Edlund is a four-time Academy Award visual effects winner for Star Wars: A New Hope, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. He is VFX Supervisor, Producer and Cinematographer. […]

  Episode 328 — Cinesite Lead FX TD — David Adan David Adan is an FT TD Lead at Cinesite whose list of credits include Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, American Gods, Mindhunter, Godzilla: King of Monsters, Terminator: Dark Fate, Lost in Space and many more. David’s journey began in 1994 in Cuernavaca, Mexico, when […]

  Episode 327 — Pricing Strategy In the beginning of your career as junior artists, it’s fight or flight. You will either leave the industry because it’s too hard or you’ll work hard on as many jobs as you can. You need that exit strategy, however, otherwise you will burn out.  It’s the fear that […]

  Episode 326 — Artist Burnout There is nothing worse than burnout. As artists, we work hard, we work long hours, chase tight deadlines. As the expression goes in Blade Runner, “The candle that burns twice as bright, burns for half as long.”  So how do you avoid hitting rock bottom? A lot of the […]

  Episode 325 — Becoming a Content Creator — Sam Wickert Sam Wickert is a director and VFX supervisor who has worked closely with many clients such as Epic Games, Google Daydream, AMD, BlackMagic Design, Universal Orlando Resorts, Redbull, and Discover.  The most exciting projects he has enjoyed working on is the content featured on […]

  Episode 324 — Erika Burton — DNEG — President, Global VFX Production Erika Burton brings over 25 years of senior-level experience to her role at DNEG. Most recently, she led as EVP, Global Features & Streaming VFX at Method Studios. Prior to that, she held senior leadership positions at major studios, including Walt Disney […]

  Episode 323 — DUNE VFX Supervisor — Paul Lambert  Paul Lambert is a Visual Effects Supervisor. He is also the inventor of IBK Keyer in Nuke.  Over the course of his over-two-decade long career, he’s worked on such titles as Gone Girl, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, TRON: Legacy, The Curious Case of […]

  Episode 322 — Raise Your Value — Raise Your Rates A lot of the time, artists feel like clients do them a favor by hiring them. The more you understand the ecosystem, the more you start seeing this as a service-based industry: You’re delivering value to your client, they’re delivering value to theirs — […]

  Episode 321 — Manufacturing Hit Commercials — Harmon Brothers The Harmon Brothers is a marketing firm based in Provo, Utah, that has a history of making viral advertising videos. Founded by brothers Daniel, Neil, Jeffrey and Theron Harmon and CEO Benton Crane, the company creates marketing campaigns that are usually the length of an […]

  Episode 320 — Niche Down to Stand Out You need to be ultra specific in how you define yourself when you’re applying for jobs as an artist. It’s the difference between being front-of-mind and standing out — or blending in with all the other applications. And it’s something that none of us do. By […]

  Episode 319 — F9 VFX Supervisor – Peter Chiang Peter Chiang is co-founder of DNEG and a prolific and critically acclaimed Visual Effects Supervisor. He is one of the leaders in his field with over 30 years experience in the industry. Starting out as a graphic artist, animator and later visual effects art director, […]

  Episode 318 — How to Raise Your Prices Knowing when to raise your rates is really critical. A lot of us get the resistance in the beginning. We’re afraid that if we raise our prices too high, we’ll lose our clients. But that’s kind of the idea!  A brand is our position in the […]

  Episode 317 — FOR ALL MANKIND — VFX Supervisors Imagine the world where the global space race never ended. For All Mankind is a thrilling “what if” take on history from Ronald D. Moore (Battlestar Galactica, Outlander) spotlights the high stakes lives of NASA astronauts and their families. Jay Redd is a VFX Supervisor […]

  Episode 316 — Linus Tech Tips’ Editor – Taran Van Hemert Linus Tech Tips is a passionate team of professionally curious experts in consumer technology and video production which aims to inform and educate people of all ages through entertaining videos. They create product reviews, step-by-step computer build guides and a variety of other […]

  Episode 315 — Becoming a TD A Technical Director handles the technical side, builds scripts, automates tasks or supports their team. Sometimes, they’re the ones handling tricky shots. Sometimes their job is about problem solving. Other times, a TD comes up with a solution when production hits a wall. At the same time, a […]

  Episode 314 — Corridor Digital — Wren Weichman Wren Weichman is a VFX Artist and a YouTube Host at Corridor Digital.  Corridor Digital is a Visual Effects Studio based in Los Angeles. They’re best known for creative short-form viral videos, as well as producing and directing the web Series Rush and YouTube Red’s Lifeline. They […]

  Episode 313 — Sh*t I Wish I Knew When I Was Younger In the beginning of our career, we just want traction: those quick wins that will validate us. When we get to that elite level, there are tidbits of advice from everyone else that sound stupid. But most of the things we think […]

  Episode 312 — UNDERGROUND RAILROAD — VFX Supervisor  Dottie Starling is a Visual Effects Supervisor, CGI artist and digital modeler. Through both her freelance VFX career and her work with production houses such as Cinesite, Asylum, and Wildfire VFX, Dottie has worked on countless blockbuster motion pictures including Titanic, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, 007’s […]

  Episode 311 — How to Land Projects Through Your Brand As artists, we all have a fear that if we do too much of the same thing, we’re going to be known as a one-trick pony and get pigeonholed. But the big mistake we make when we let our careers run its own course. […]

  Episode 310 — CHALK WARFARE Director — Sam Wickert Sam Wickert is a director and VFX supervisor who has worked closely with many clients such as Epic Games, Google Daydream, AMD, BlackMagic Design, Universal Orlando Resorts, Redbull, and Discover.  The most exciting projects he has enjoyed working on is the content featured on his […]

  Episode 309 — Why You’re Not Landing Clients A lot of the time, we don’t care about building relationships. We just want instant results. We just want to get a response from the first person to whom we reach out. We don’t want to introduce ourselves to a client and make us the priority. […]

  Episode 308 — Stuart Lippincott — Landing Work Through Social Media Stuart Lippincott is a motion graphics designer and NFT artist. He is known as @Stuz0r on social media.  In this Podcast, Allan McKay interviews motion graphics designer Stuart Lippincott about NFT’s as a side hustle, establishing the rates you’re worth, attracting better clients, […]

  Episode 307 — Clinton Jones — Leaving Corridor Digital  Clinton Jones is a Director, Content Creator, VFX Artist and Photographer. He has worked at Rocket Jump and at Corridor Digital. On his YouTube Channel, where he is known as Pwnisher, he launches challenges for his community, as well as creates tutorials. His YouTube Channel […]

  Episode 306 — Taking Pride in Your Work  Taking pride in your work and in your process is so critical! You want to have people want to work with you again. If you don’t get it — if you still don’t care — that is an issue for any Supervisor. This seems like simple […]

  Episode 305 — Tarsier Studios — Little Nightmares Tarsier is an independent game studio situated in Malmö, Sweden. They are the developers of Statik and the award winning Little Nightmares franchise.  Founded in 2004 as Team Tarsier, the team eventually changed their name to Tarsier Studios when they released their first two projects involving […]

  Episode 304 — MAZE RUNNER Director Wes Ball Wes Ball is a Director, VFX and graphic artist. He’s directed The Maze Runner trilogy and currently has several projects in development, including the next installment of the Planet of the Apes franchise. Wes graduated from the Florida State University College of Motion Picture Arts. In […]

  SPECIAL EDITION — UNDERGROUND RAILROAD — VFX Sup Dottie Starling Dottie Starling is a Visual Effects Supervisor, CGI artist and digital modeler. Through both her freelance VFX career and her work with production houses such as Cinesite, Asylum, and Wildfire VFX, Dottie has worked on countless blockbuster motion pictures including Titanic, Lara Croft: Tomb […]

  Episode 303 — BossLogic Kode Abdo — AKA BossLogic — is a graphic artist from Melbourne, Australia. He first started drawing when he was 6 years old. After transferring his skills to a digital platform, BossLogic was able to expose his work to a wider audience, a move that came with great success. As […]

  Episode 302 — The Courage to Level Up — Matthew Encina Matthew Encina is a content creator, educator and creative director with over 15 years of experience of directing, designing and animating.  He previously served as the Chief Content Officer at The Futur and a Creative Director at Blind. He has taught through video […]

  Episode 301 — How to Land Your Dream Job How do you land your dream job at your dream studio? You start by having a killer reel. The more you look at the history of the studio, the more you can understand who they’re looking to hire. If you look at what this studio […]

  Episode 300 — Janda & McKay Michael Janda is an executive level creative leader with more than 20 years of experience in both in-house creative departments and agencies working with some of the greatest brands in the world. In 2002, he founded the creative agency Riser, a nationally recognized agency creating high-profile work for […]