In 1987 I entered the film industry as a traditional, effects-animation assistant. Within two years, I segued into management at a high-end computer graphics studio, which led to my role as a VFX Producer. Since 1990, I’ve produced VFX for award winning commercials, theme park attractions, and for the last 16 years, feature films exclusively.
My days as a facility producer ended in the year 2000, and I’ve been working with the filmmaker’s team in production ever since.
The VFX producer holds a unique position in that we may be budgeting the script as early as the development phase, before a picture is fully cast, and are often involved as the final color is “dialed in” during the last days of post. All told, this involvement can last up to two years!
Working with a production group for 18 to 24 months is like moving in with a new family. While on location, we spend all but our sleeping hours together and hope to find enough “like fellows” to make a good time out of our extended stay. We navigate the hierarchy of players in search of the “go to” people, while weaving the persistent demands of VFX into the daily shooting schedule. Once principal photography is completed, we segue into our new set of relatives, i.e., the editorial staff, the VFX vendors, and various departments within the studio.
Although the hours are long, the spirit of collaboration is invigorating. I focus relentlessly on deliberate, efficient communication, and this nonstop effort will last for months. The director’s vision is channeled through the VFX team and relies on good dissemination, because without it, balls will get dropped, fingers will be pointed, and damage may be irreparable as well as dramatically expensive.
After the diligent shepherding and chronicling of decisions made with our unique, temporary family (which no family outsiders can grok), I long for a serious hiatus.
Somewhere in the middle of my last film, a naturopath reviewed a blood test I’d had drawn and remarked, “These results look like you’re facing lions daily”. I had to laugh, knowing that indeed, I was facing lions, and would be for many more months. Anticipating the need for personal time, I budget accordingly and attempt to take six months off before starting a new film.
What does a highly productive, communication wrangler do on hiatus? First of all, nothing! Followed by travel, family, friends, home improvements, closet purging, exercise, watercolors, good food, elections, re-potting plants, hiking, a rare catnap, reading, and more nothing. The goal is to break the pace and patterns of production and attend to my inner core. No one but myself can prioritize this for me. I think of it as an investment in long-term health. It’s a personal responsibility.
Now that I’ve had sufficient re-energizing time, and am ready to dive back in, the calls are starting to come in. I’ll carefully measure my response to each prospect, as I know the importance of choosing my commitment. There is a new project looming on the horizon, and it’s peppered with a handful of familiar faces, which eases my mind considerably. This project has completed principal production, and has been in post for months. The director has been apprised of my arrival, and once the editorial team has been notified, I will be back in the saddle again, albeit for a shorter term this time.
My days as a facility producer ended in the year 2000, and I’ve been working with the filmmaker’s team in production ever since.
The VFX producer holds a unique position in that we may be budgeting the script as early as the development phase, before a picture is fully cast, and are often involved as the final color is “dialed in” during the last days of post. All told, this involvement can last up to two years!
Working with a production group for 18 to 24 months is like moving in with a new family. While on location, we spend all but our sleeping hours together and hope to find enough “like fellows” to make a good time out of our extended stay. We navigate the hierarchy of players in search of the “go to” people, while weaving the persistent demands of VFX into the daily shooting schedule. Once principal photography is completed, we segue into our new set of relatives, i.e., the editorial staff, the VFX vendors, and various departments within the studio.
Although the hours are long, the spirit of collaboration is invigorating. I focus relentlessly on deliberate, efficient communication, and this nonstop effort will last for months. The director’s vision is channeled through the VFX team and relies on good dissemination, because without it, balls will get dropped, fingers will be pointed, and damage may be irreparable as well as dramatically expensive.
After the diligent shepherding and chronicling of decisions made with our unique, temporary family (which no family outsiders can grok), I long for a serious hiatus.
Somewhere in the middle of my last film, a naturopath reviewed a blood test I’d had drawn and remarked, “These results look like you’re facing lions daily”. I had to laugh, knowing that indeed, I was facing lions, and would be for many more months. Anticipating the need for personal time, I budget accordingly and attempt to take six months off before starting a new film.
What does a highly productive, communication wrangler do on hiatus? First of all, nothing! Followed by travel, family, friends, home improvements, closet purging, exercise, watercolors, good food, elections, re-potting plants, hiking, a rare catnap, reading, and more nothing. The goal is to break the pace and patterns of production and attend to my inner core. No one but myself can prioritize this for me. I think of it as an investment in long-term health. It’s a personal responsibility.
Now that I’ve had sufficient re-energizing time, and am ready to dive back in, the calls are starting to come in. I’ll carefully measure my response to each prospect, as I know the importance of choosing my commitment. There is a new project looming on the horizon, and it’s peppered with a handful of familiar faces, which eases my mind considerably. This project has completed principal production, and has been in post for months. The director has been apprised of my arrival, and once the editorial team has been notified, I will be back in the saddle again, albeit for a shorter term this time.
