InFocus Film School Blog

Wondering how to get hired at a visual effects studio? Keep reading for five tips on how to break into the special effects industry.

By: Kennedy Randall

Visual effects are everywhere in the entertainment industry. From movies, television, video games, ads and even social media, visual effects artists are in high demand to create engaging visuals. Obviously, productions like blockbuster superhero movies have VFX but more and more smaller productions are incorporating special effects into their storytelling as well.

Beyond VFX’s ever-growing presence in entertainment, it is an industry that offers a creative outlet. If you are artist with a love for technology and an unstoppable imagination, it is the industry for you. If you want to work with like-minded individuals and pursue your creative dreams, keep reading for our steps on how to get hired at a visual effects studio

Click here to learn more about InFocus Film School’s Compositing for Visual Effects Program

1.Enrol in a Visual Effects Course

VFX is an intricate skill that is always adapting and changing to the latest technology. The simplest way to get a handle on the latest CG software and digital art is by enrolling in a visual effects school or online tutorial. When looking for a VFX program, take some time to look at the instructors. If they are currently working in the industry, this means they will know the latest software like the back of their hand and set you up for success. As well, think about where your program will be located. Vancouver, for example, is a hot spot for VFX because of its large film production industry. Therefore, there are many studios that would be willing to take you on! Click here for the top 10 animation and VFX studios in Vancouver in 2021. From Imagine Engine to Zoic, there are so many opportunities in “Hollywood North!”

As well, having instructors that are involved in the industry will bode well for networking. If you work hard and impress your teachers in school, they might recommend you to their colleagues in the industry. These connections may ease your transition from school to working VFX artist. 

2. Get Professional Experience

Once you’ve finished your program, the next step is to gain professional experience in the industry. Finding work in the VFX world can be hard right after school, but a willingness to work hard and move up in the ranks will always help you out! 

Junior positions are typical entry-level VFX roles. These are likely going to be your best bet. You will be attached to a particular team or department, like modelling or compositing. On this path, you will specialize quickly and work on projects right away. However, if applying for VFX roles is not panning out for you, apply for jobs at studios unrelated to VFX. Whether you become a runner, getting coffee and doing errands, or a production assistant, this is still a way of getting yourself into the industry and meeting people. Experience in the industry is what will lead you to your dream job. Take any opportunity to work hard, network, and keep learning in order to get there!

3. Perfect Your Demo Reel

Your demo reel is really how to get hired at a visual effects studio. If you are sending out your demo reel and nobody is getting back to you, it might be time to try and tune it up a bit. Only include your best work, it is a highlight reel, not an overview. Don’t add anything that doesn’t speak to your current level as an artist. Think about what your skills are and highlight them. What you are best at is likely what you would like to pursue at a visual effects studio, therefore put those front and centre.

On a more boring note, always include your name and contact information. Make it as easy as possible for the studio to contact you if they are interested. Double-check for errors, then check again! You could even reach out to instructors or peers to watch your demo reel for feedback and advice on how to improve it. 

4. Keep Learning

Because VFX is a popular industry, you should always try to keep a leg up on the competition. Taking an art class, whether it’s painting, sculpture, or illustration, may help you understand visual effects from a different perspective. Studying film or photography can help your creative mind flourish. 

While you are in this transition stage from school to professional VFX artist, continue learning. Learn more about the industry, try new techniques, and diversify. It is important to specialize in one sort of VFX, however, mastering multiple can make you far more attractive to a VFX studio than a one-trick pony.

5. How To Get Hired at a Visual Effects Studio? Be a Team Player

The last answer on how to get hired at a visual effects studio? A simple answer is to get along well with your team! Your job will primarily be to work with other artists on projects with a single vision. This means you will have to be ready to collaborate for long hours working with other creative minds. Therefore, be open to learning from others and growing together as artists in this field.

VFX programs are a great way to learn from your peers. By working with a small group of visual effects artists under the leadership of an instructor, it is very similar to the experience you will have at the studio. While in school, you will meet students that can be your partners one day professionally. Our film instructor David Michán has noted that the people he met while in school are the people he reaches out to if he needs a partner on a project. As well, if he is not available for a project, he will pass his peers’ names along instead! Being a team player will get you so far in any industry, especially VFX.

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Wondering how to get hired at a 3D animation studio? Here are 5 tips on how to get work in the 3D animation industry.

By: Kennedy Randall

Animation is at the forefront of the entertainment industry. Now, more than ever before, studios need professionals who are well equipped for a fast-paced career in the field. From the film industry to video games, to social media, animation fills up much of our digital landscape. 

One of the big questions on many aspiring animators’ minds is how to get hired at a 3D animation studio. If you’ve been working hard in a 3D animation program and you’re trying to get into the animation game, we have 5 things to work on and to keep in mind when trying to get hired.

Click here to learn more about InFocus Film School’s 3D Animation and Visual Effects Program

1. Get the Basics

3D Animation is a skill-based job. Naturally, this means you will have a certain level of expertise and familiarity with animation software. To get acquainted with software for animations, you will either need to enrol in an online course or enrol in a 3D animation degree program. In a degree program, you will have someone guiding you through the various animation tools like Blender & Adobe After Effects. After you get the basics down, you can begin dedicating yourself to your craft and polishing up these essential skills. Because animation is always changing, it is important to stay up to date on the industry standard. When thinking about how to get hired at a 3D animation studio, making sure you are well versed in the software they will be using is the first step to success.

2. Diversify

As an animator, you need to be able to draw. Having strong visual illustration skills will help you as an animator and make you more appealing to studios. With so many animators out there, studios nowadays will be more inclined to hire someone who has multiple skills. Being able to illustrate will help you out in your animation and against the competition.

Other skills to add to your repertoire would be graphic design and after-effects. Graphic designers are always needed in this digital era. Having a good eye for layouts and graphic design will prove useful when marketing yourself to studios. As well, most studios nowadays use After Effects, so having a concrete understanding and experience with it is essential.

3. Start Animating

Gaining experience is one of the most valuable things you can do for your career in any industry. Start working at any job you can get. If it’s not your dream studio, you will learn how professional animation studios work. If it is a studio you could see yourself working at forever, be prepared to start from the bottom and work your way up. Freelancing is also an option. The more animation you produce, the better your work will get. 

As well, by working with businesses, customers, and studios, you will gain a network of opportunities that can come in handy for the rest of your career. Networking is important throughout your career. Stay in touch with people you enjoyed working with in school. They might recommend you one day to their studio or put you in touch with someone who can help you.

4. Portfolio Pieces

Now that you have graduated from a 3D animation program and have gained some experience in the industry, you will have many pieces to choose from. By taking up plenty of projects you will have an opportunity to show different talents to clients. When creating your portfolio make sure you are only showcasing your best work. The portfolio is an opportunity to visually talk to clients or studios on your behalf.

Making a website for your portfolio is extremely important in today’s day and age. It is a seamless way to always have your name and work out there. As well, as an animator, being able to create engaging websites is a plus, as your work speaks for itself!

5. Perfect Your Demo Reel

Your demo reel is the most important aspect when asking how to get hired at a 3D animation studio. A demo reel is composed of short videos where you put all your best moving and static images together. It is a highlight reel, showing studios how you can help them make the best animation possible. Make sure that you include your name and contact details on your demo reel so you are easily accessible. As well, putting your demo reel on your email correspondences and website is a great way to get your work out there. Bringing your demo reel to studios or sending it to them virtually is the most productive thing you can do to get hired at a 3D animation studio. By putting yourself out there and showing hard work, talent and creativity, you will increase your chances of getting hired.

Another tip is getting feedback and comments on your demo reel. Asking your professors, friends and colleagues on areas you can improve is extremely productive. A second, third, or even fourth set of eyes never hurts. Take the feedback critically and perfect your demo reel!

Finding success in the 3D animation industry can be hard, but hard work, perseverance, and determination will bring creative work, attracting some of the best studios. Take these five tips on how to get hired at a 3D animation studio as a jumping off point for a successful career in the animation world.

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With another semester of talented filmmakers heading out of InFocus’s doors into the film industry, we are delighted to announce our graduation screenings for Film Production 56! From comedy to drama, thrillers and murder mysteries, there will be something for every film fanatic. We can not wait to see their hard work on the big screen. We are so proud of our film production students and excited to see where their future takes them.

Join us on March 2nd and 6:30PST at the Goldcorp Centre for the Arts to view their grad films. Click here to RSVP!

The Films

Era of Genius

Written and Directed by Mysa Barasneh

The Shearers Coat

Written and Directed by Connor Aubrecht

Philia

Written and Directed by Jonas Pascual

Between the Crossroads

Directed by Levi Plessis

Written by Calvin Wong

I Love Ya! Goodbye!

Written and Directed by Robin Moir

Odd Job

Directed by Riel Pearce

Written by Levi Plessis

Wind of Hell

Directed by Nessie Blanes

Written by Mysa Barasneh

Diced

Directed by Aidan Tong

Memories in a Dream

Written and Directed by Jelica Rojas

The Last Scene

Written and Directed by Mark Fogwe

The Milkman

Written and Directed by Alex Richmond

(Doc)

Directed by Nessie Blanes

Jonathan Castillo – “Master of Ghosts”

Directed by Nuray Sahin

Kapa Arkieh – “Unfamiliar”

Directed by Calvin Wong

Learn more about our Film Production program.

Wondering what to do next after film school? Here are 5 different paths our students have taken to success in the film industry.

By: Kennedy Randall

You’ve studied the in’s and out’s of filmmaking and honed your creative skills. You have the rest of your career ahead of you in a constantly evolving and growing industry. But deciding what path to take to success after film school is a big choice. There are many different career paths you could take. Becoming your own boss by producing your own films or freelancing is a popular one. You could also join the best in the industry and work on blockbuster sets. Whichever path you choose, success is just around the corner. We took a look at some of what our InFocus alumni have done after film school to lay out five different paths to success in the film industry.

Click here to learn more about InFocus Film School’s Film Production Program!

1. Produce A Feature Film

For an emerging filmmaker, producing your own feature films is one of the most exciting prospects to take in the film industry. Though a lot of work, producing and directing your own movie is incredibly thrilling and fulfilling as you have greater control over the creation of your film. Having full creative control is one of the best ways to find your voice as a filmmaker and it is a common path that our students take after film school. 

However, creating your own feature film can be daunting. But no project is ever too small! There is no need to spend the big bucks on your film. Use your friends or classmates as cast and crew, your house as set, and rent equipment to make your ideas come to life. If you are looking for more tips on how to write a low-budget feature film, check out this article. 

Luckily for you, after film school you graduate with plenty of ideas that you can turn into a feature-length film. If you are struggling to come up with an idea for your film, take one of your favourite short films from class and expand the story. Add more characters and plot – then you’ve got yourself a feature film!

2. Direct Music Videos or Advertisements

Although best-known for his Oscar winning Dramas, critically acclaimed director Martin Scorsese often dabbles in directing commercials. Many of our students take his lead, getting experience on other sets before jumping right into producing feature films. Directing music videos or advertisements is a great way to get hands-on experience in the industry and make connections. Getting comfortable using a wide variety of equipment is a valuable experience for an emerging filmmaker. Adding different experiments to your CV is always a good idea!

As well, learning how to take someone’s vision and create a film is an extremely important skill in the film industry. It isn’t always going to be your vision you have to follow but often someone else’s. Listening to a band or artist’s creative direction on the set of a music video is a great opportunity to learn how to take direction and produce something for the client. Many of our students take this path this after film school. Check out this epic music video by Julie Gomez that she made while in our InFocus Film Production Program! 

3. Work on BlockBuster Film Sets

Finding a job on set is one of the most common paths our graduates take. Being in Vancouver, AKA Hollywood North, there are many production companies in our neighbourhood. Every year we have hundreds of films that shooting in our backyard. InFocus students have gone on to work with big networks and companies like Disney, Marvel, Hallmark, Netflix and Warner Brothers after film school. As well, with so many TV shows being filmed in Vancouver, this is a great option. Finding a job on a TV set ensures steady work as production time is consistent. Students have worked on BatWoman, Yellowjackets, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow and many more!

After film school not only will you have the skills needed to land a job on set but strong connections with fellow students and teachers that will help you find these opportunities. Your teachers may also get wind of a production coming to your city and recommend their students.

4. Take Your Projects After Film School to Festivals

As we mentioned before, after film school you end up with an arsenal of great ideas. While in film school, many students submit their films to film festivals. This should not stop after you graduate! It is sometimes worthwhile to reshoot or expand your initial film if there were any suggestions from your professors or peers to improve the film. You can take your passion projects to festivals to gain recognition and start your filmmaking career.

Our students have produced many short films that have gone on to win awards at festivals both in Vancouver and abroad. By submitting to as many as possible, you get your film and your name out there in the industry. This is valuable for making connections, meeting fellow filmmakers to partner with one day, and gaining professional experience.

5. Freelancing

If you aren’t sure what path you want to take after film school, freelancing is a great choice. Being a freelancer can offer you so much freedom and flexibility. With potentially a new location every day, filled with new people, your job becomes a way to network and meet other film professionals. 

It is important to have a strong portfolio to show potential clients. Using your projects from film school to show off your editing, videography, and camera work is a great place to start. Being your own boss means you get to say no to the projects that don’t appeal to you and only focus on the ones you want to work on.

Overall, there are so many different paths you can take after film school. When you leave film school, it is important to reflect on what you enjoyed the most and tailor your career path to help you achieve your dreams. Stay in touch with your classmates and teachers to continue connecting and collaborating throughout your career. Many of our students continue to work on films together and have made live-long friendships. Wherever you want end up, use the skills that you learned and the portfolio projects you made to help you on your professional path.

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Interested in set design? Keep reading to find out what job roles and departments are integral to art direction on set. 

By: Sophia Lin

Ever considered how the background in a movie comes together? Where do the props come from? Or what a setting says about a character? Chances are, like most viewers, you were probably been immersed in the story. Our eyes take such elements for granted within the world built by the film. The world that appears on our screens takes careful, methodical, and purposeful work — and huge teams of people with various specializations.

As you may have heard before, terms like production design and art direction often float around. But the process isn’t quite so simple. In fact, there are at least 7 departments and anywhere from dozens to hundreds of job positions relating to art direction — some of which are broken down even further into smaller sub-departments. These include the set designer, prop master, set decorator, and construction crew, to name a few. There’s often cross-department collaboration too, commonly with the costume or makeup departments, to create an overarching visual appearance of the film.

Without further ado, below are 7 of the key job roles and departments within art direction, involved in every step from fashioning storyboards to carpentering sets.

1. Production Designer

First and foremost, the production designer is the head of the art department. They lead the visual creation of the director’s vision. Though they work with other job roles, such as the director and the producer, they closely collaborate with the art director.

Often, production designers deliver sketches detailing atmosphere, colour, and texture. They then oversee the work of the construction and sets departments under them. Production designers come in at the early stages of pre-production to immerse themselves with the film, so as to best design visuals to serve the story.

2. Art Director

The art director is a highly multifaceted role. Though primarily responsible for overseeing the designers and artists behind the film’s visuals, they also analyze the script to determine the props and sets needed. Typically, this involves quick creative solutions, especially on the front of set construction.

A good deal of art direction calls for coordination with other sub-departments as well, most notably with the director of photography. In fact, some bigger studio films even prefer to employ multiple art directors, due to the breadth of the job. 

3. Set Designer & Set Decorator

A set designer, also called a draughtsman, creates technical drawings of sets. These sketches become instructions for the construction crew. These days, physical and computer models get the job done, needing key specifications like the precise measurements and construction materials needed.

On a slightly different note, set decorators decide the furniture and decorations that will be used on set. This requires a thorough knowledge of both the story and the characters’ internal and external motives. Anything from the colour of a picture frame to the style of a sofa is all there to elevate the plot.

4. Property Master

The property or prop master heads the prop department, a team of prop makers and prop runners. Props can either be custom-made, found, or altered, and the property master is in charge of making these decisions. Furthermore, the coordination and tracking of all prop-related details and maintenance fall into their hands too.

Detailed research can be another one of the daily duties of a property master. Along with the preparation of props, property masters ensure the authenticity of each and every prop, which is especially important in period films and biopics.

5. Concept, Storyboard, and Graphic Job Roles

Each of these artists plays a highly specialized role, and these all eventually come together in the overall art direction. To begin, concept artists focus on a highly specific set-piece. For example, the design of a creature or a spaceship, then creating computer-generated visuals to illustrate their vision.

The work of storyboard artists, however, is broader. They produce drawings of each individual shot as envisioned by the director. Storyboards include the proper camera angles, movements, and sequence of events within each scene. On the other hand, graphic artists create work made up of purely physical, graphic elements. They make any props requiring design or text, such as posters, newspapers, logos, and the like.

6. Carpenter & Construction Crew

This is one of the most crucial departments, responsible for the actual making and painting of the sets and props. In essence, the construction crew brings ideas and concepts to life. This includes not only what we know and see on-screen, but also off-screen support structures and platforms.

The head carpenter leads the crew, supervising carpenters, scenic artists, painters, plasterers, and sculptors. Though their focus is on woodwork, the construction crew can have technical and creative input when it comes to the details of the art direction.

Within the construction crew, the paint department would be responsible for wall painting, ageing, vinyl, graffiti and more visual details on set.

7. Production Buyer

On the more logistical side, production buyers coordinate the purchases or rentals of all set dressings and decorations. With the shooting schedule in mind, the production buyer ensures that these items, sometimes including props, are delivered and ready for each scene.

They take charge of any and all financial considerations related to set dressing, typically with several assistants working under them. This means that they have a close understanding of the production budget, making pivotal decisions to ensure that operations stay on budget.

Art direction is an integral part of filmmaking that we often do not see. From picking important details of a scene to building props with your own two hands or going on a hunt to find the most accurate prop, there is a job for everyone.  If you are creative, hardworking, and imaginative, the many job roles in art direction could be a great fit!

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