VFX Careers in the UK Film Industry

Delivered by

intofilm.org

Funded by

creativeskillset.org

Yen YauTalent Development Manager

Into Film

The Bigger Picture

Key Findings•The UK’s creative economy had 2.6 million jobs in 2013, consisting of 1.7 million jobs in the creative industries.

•The UK’s high–tech economy had 3.2 million jobs in 2013, 2.4 million of which were jobs in high–tech industries (825,000 in STEM occupations)

•Employment in the creative economy grew on average over three times faster than the workforce as a whole (4.3 per cent per annum (p.a.) vs 1.2 per cent p.a.) between 2011 and 2013.

•Employment in the high–tech economy also grew faster than the workforce over this period (2.1 per cent p.a. vs 1.2 per cent p.a.).

Skills needed by the film industry

• In-demand roles• Production Manager• 1st, 2nd & 3rd Ads

(assistant directors)• Costume Supervisors• Steadicam• DITs• Digital asset

management• Studio management• Script supervisors• 3D Rigging

• Priority skills• Make-up in HD• Wig application• Period hair• Prosthetics• Sound recording• Editing 3D• Pre-visualisation

What we associate with feature films

What we probably don’t imagine

Examples of technology impacting on film-making

• Cloud and collaborative workflows

• Drone cameras• Cinematic VR• Go Pros• 3D printing

Source of image: CosProp http://www.cosprop.com/

Stages of making a film

Careers in Film Primary

Did you know that there are several stages to making a film?

Connecting to the Curriculum• Production accountants to make sure films come

in on budget (maths)

• Production designers (art, design, architecture) to define and create every visual aspect of a film

• Producers (law, business studies, maths) to develop projects, find the finance and pull the different players together

• Script supervisors (English) to ensure that there is continuity in the script

• Riggers and carpenters (construction) to build sets

• DIT or digital imaging technicians (ICT, computer science, physics/STEM), to back up the camera and sound files, checking for technical errors

• Compositors (STEM, art, computer science), to put together all the various layers of computer generated images in visual effects

Good time to be working in the sector

•Universal Pictures ©

•Walt Disney © •20th Century Fox ©

•Marvel Studios ©

design accounted for £131 million of services exported in 201110.

International Reputation/Award Winning

Elysium, thanks to TriStar Pictures, a contributor to the Skills Investment Fund

• Scientific • Technical• Engineering• Artistic• Maths

= Stunning scenes and effects

VFX is STEAM Driven

VFX is spreading

Film TelevisionGames VR/AREventsArchitectureScience/Medicine

Image courtesy of Double Negative VFX, © Property of Warner Bros

Routes In

Historically most of those entering the industry come in as university or private institute graduates but, as it's a young industry compared to the others in the creative industries, new entry routes are emerging.

Creative Skillset Tick that shows that degree courses are industry accredited. Runners don't tend to need any specific qualifications, but basic maths and English skills are recommended, along with a showreel or portfolio of work.

86% are educated to degree level41% hold a creative media related degree37% a post graduate degree

Highly Qualified Workforce

Disney's "MALEFICENT". Maleficent (Angelina Jolie). Photo Credit: Film Frame. ©Disney 2014

Unfilled jobs asVFX Designers

Technical Artists Technical Directors

Software Developers

61% of VFX employers report skill shortages including Maths, Physics,

Art & Design

Where is the science?

http://nofilmschool.com/2016/04/pixar-director-of-photography-danielle-feinberg

http://www.iop.org/publications/iop/2015/page_65434.html

•Walt Disney ©

Interstellar - the science behind the film

Visualizing Interstellar’s Wormhole – American Journal of Physics

Earlier this year saw the publication of Visualizing Interstellar’s Wormhole, co-authored by Professor Kip Thorne and Dneg’s Oliver James, Eugénie von Tunzelmann and Paul Franklin, in the prestigious American Journal of Physics (AJP).

“This is a wonderful article that provides some of the background and detailed calculations that went into creating the beautiful images seen in the movie.”

David P. Jackson, Editor – American Journal of Physics

Ideal Candidates

• Enthusiasm• Teamwork • Communication• Problem Solving • Flexibility • Time Management• Determination & Resilience

Develop Yourself

The Foundry – VFX SoftwarePixologic Sculptris – VFX Software

Blender – 3D AnimationGimp – Design Software

Autodesk – 3D tools, Maya, AutoCAD, 3DS MaxLightworks – Editing Software

Film Clubs Competitions

Live BriefsMedia Projects

Share StuffGet Involved….

Stages of making a film

VFX Careers Doc-2.jpg

VFX Film Resources

•The Core Skills of VFX http://www.skillset.org/animation/qualifications/article_8377_1.asp

•Breakdown showreelshttp://www.artofvfx.com/?p=6591

http://www.moving-picture.com/showreels/vfx-breakdowns/

•Individual Career Profiles and Case studieshttp://www.dneg.com/career_profiles/

Useful Websites

• BAFTA Guru• Double Negative• BBC Academy• Future Learn• Creative Skillset• BFI Academy

October 24, 2016

www.principia.org.uk@spacegovuk

Careers in space

Film and Science

Robotics, NASA and Film

Possible careersEngineers - mechanical and electrical, and technicians, to design and build spacecraft and instruments.

IT and software designers, mathematicians – developing software to control and monitor spacecraft, using space data to model complex systems for applications such as weather, navigation and communications

Scientists, researchers and technical specialists - in physics, geology, climatology, biology and many more subjects, designing experiments and using space data to learn more about the Earth, ourselves and the Universe.

In companies using space - from agriculture to resource exploration, disaster monitoring and risk evaluation, environmental protection to telecommunications, using physical sciences, maths and engineering

.

What skills are important?

• Being good at solving problems

• Being able to work well with other

people, in teams

• Being able to communicate your

ideas to other people

• Being proficient with numbers

• Being able to communicate well

and with people from other

cultures

• Languages

• Managing money and budgets

Credit: ISIC