450 - The Sympathizer - Chad Wanstreet - VFX Supervisor
The Allan McKay Podcast
EPISODE 450 - THE SYMPATHIZER - CHAD WANSTREET - VFX SUPERVISOR In this episode, Allan McKay interviews VFX Supervisor Chad Wanstreet about: His role as VFX Supervisor on the highly anticipated series The Sympathizer, an adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel; Collaborating closely with visionary director Park Chan-wook to bring his unique vision to life; The extensive previs and planning process that went into executing the show's complex VFX sequences; Overcoming the challenges of creating digital doubles and face replacements for Robert Downey Jr.'s multiple characters; Ensuring...
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449 - Olivio Serikas - Your Guide To AI Art Workflows
The Allan McKay Podcast
In this episode of the podcast, Allan McKay sits down with Olivio Sarikas, a renowned AI expert and YouTuber, to dive deep into the world of AI image generation. Olivio shares his extensive knowledge and experience working with various AI tools, providing valuable insights for both beginners and advanced users. The conversation covers a wide range of topics, from getting started with AI image generation to exploring the latest advancements in the field. Olivio offers practical advice on navigating the learning curve, finding the right tools, and unleashing your creativity with AI. He also...
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448 - Director Roxana Baldovin
The Allan McKay Podcast
In this episode, Allan McKay interviews Roxana Baldovin, an esteemed music video and commercial director known for her vibrant visual style. Roxana discusses her creative journey, from her early aspirations of being a screenwriter to becoming a sought-after director collaborating with major artists like Snoop Dogg, Steve Aoki, Doja Cat, Bella Poarch and Maluma. She shares insights into her creative process, the challenges of directing, and how she finds inspiration. Roxana also opens up about imposter syndrome, the importance of preparation, and rolling with the punches on set. Finally, she...
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447 - Important Looking Pirates - David Wahlberg
The Allan McKay Podcast
In the latest episode, I'm excited to spotlight David Wahlberg, an esteemed 2D Pipeline Supervisor and Comp Supervisor at Important Looking Pirates VFX in Stockholm, Sweden. With an expansive career of over 17 years, David has traversed the globe, contributing his vast skills to studios in Stockholm, Oslo, London, Sydney and Wellington. His work encompasses roles as a comp supervisor, senior compositor, and a pioneer in developing tools and plugins for Nuke, leveraging his programming expertise in C++ and Python to advance the VFX industry. David's portfolio boasts participation in major...
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446 - A personal 2024 Podcast Update
The Allan McKay Podcast
Quick updates on many things happening in 2024 and on the Podcast! Resuming back to the normal Podcast starting next week but thought I would share views on AI, the industry as it is right now in Q1 of 2024 and more!
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445 - GEN V - VFX Supervisor Karen Heston
The Allan McKay Podcast
Karen Heston is a VFX Supervisor on feature films and episodic tv. They began their VFX career at commercial houses in NYC on the night shift; while finishing their MFA in computer art by day. Starting as a Flame artist, they led VFX teams and engaged with creatives from storyboards to finals. On-set supervision and taking projects from pre-production through post remains their passion today. Karen’s projects include titles like GREEN LANTERN, BEASTS OF NO NATION, OCEAN’S EIGHT, and most recently GEN V. In this Podcast, Allan McKay interviews VFX Supervisor Karen Heston about their...
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444 - Film Producer Josh Rosenbaum - Waypoint Entertainment
The Allan McKay Podcast
Josh Rosenbaum is a Producer at Waypoint Entertainment. Josh majored in Business Administration at the USC Marshall School of Business and minored in Music Industry through the USC Thornton School of Music. Before he joined Waypoint Entertainment, he worked as an Agent Trainee at William Morris. After joining Waypoint Entertainment in 2015, he worked his way up from being a Production Coordinator to now a Producer. Since joining Waypoint, he worked on titles like THE FAVOURITE, CUCKOO, MID90S, HOSTILES. In this Podcast, Allan McKay interviews Producer at Waypoint Entertainment Josh...
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443 - “NO CGI = INVISIBLE CGI” - VFX Supervisor Jonas Ussing
The Allan McKay Podcast
With 15 years in the VFX business, Jonas Ussing has supervisor credits on several feature and television titles, including the Netflix series THE RAIN. Jonas has furthermore earned nominations for an Emmy and a Danish Academy Award. In 2012, Jonas was nominated for an Emmy for his work on INSIDE THE HUMAN BODY. In 2014, he directed a short film ZOMBIEHAGEN which he also wrote. During 2023, Jonas launched his own YouTube Channel The Movie Rabbit Hole. He released two videos that have immediately gone viral in the VFX community, in which he talks about the collective publicity stunt...
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442 - Infinite-Realities Founder and Director Lee Perry-Smith
The Allan McKay Podcast
Infinite-Realities (IR) specializes in digital humans. Founded in 2007, IR has been developing static and motion scanning systems for over 15 years. Lee Perry-Smith is the original Founder of Infinite-Realities. As CEO, he has led various large scale project developments. He has a deep passion for human scanning and the ongoing pursuit of the perfect digital human. In this Podcast, Allan McKay interviews Founder of Infinite-Realities Lee Perry-Smith about his passion for digital humans and scanning technology, the inspiration for his launching of Infinite-Realities; his first feature film...
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441 - Writer, Producer & Head of Writing at Vancouver Film School Kat Montagu
The Allan McKay Podcast
Kat Montagu is the Head of Writing for Film, Television and Games Program at the Vancouver Film School. She has taught for over 20 years in VFS’s Writing and Film Production Departments. Her Career Launch class has prepared countless VFS graduates to work on feature films, in the writers’ rooms of tv series and in video game studios. Kat has been named a VFS Instructor of the Year three times. Kat is also the author of the best stilling book The Dreaded Curse: Screenplay Formatting for Film and Television. This twist on the how-to guide demonstrates best practices through a riotous story...
info_outlineFreelance 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:
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How to create a winning reel that guarantees a chance for a job interview;
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Where to find available work – and how to apply for those jobs;
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How to do successful outreach to potential employers or human resources departments;
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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.