The VFX Process

TVP Podcast #34 | Jamie chats with Shane Spence about creating his Unreal Engine short cinematic, 'The View'—an emotional story of love, loss, and closure. Shane is a freelance CG artist specialising in product design, but he has recently started experimenting with Unreal Engine, not only to add another tool to his arsenal but to create something more cinematic. We delve into the process b...

TVP Podcast #33 | Jamie sits down with award-winning filmmaker Gökalp Gönen to chat about his unique animated filmmaking process and his vision for a transformative future. Based in Turkey, Gökalp Gönen has made a name for himself with acclaimed short films such as 'Golden Shot,' 'Avarya,' and 'Lal.' He takes us behind the scenes of his latest masterpiece, 'Lal,' u...

Jamie chats with Jack Hyde about how his unique stop-motion animations have carved a niche in skateboarding culture. Jack reveals that his career took off overnight after Thrasher Magazine picked up his first skateboarding stop-motion post. This recognition led to high demand from skateboarding brands such as DC Shoes, Vans, Volcom, Primitive, and many more. Jamie and Jack delve into the process o...

Jamie sits down with Arthur Baum as he candidly shares the highs and lows of transitioning to Unreal Engine from the perspective of a Director of Photography (DoP), highlighting how this shift has finally granted him the freedom to tell the stories he is passionate about. Arthur, a seasoned DoP, has ascended the ranks on film sets, embracing any role that came his way. We delve into Arthur's U...

Jamie chats with Jim Geduldick about how Virtual Production and AI technologies are transforming the VFX and Film industry. Jim is a visionary Virtual Production and VFX supervisor whose curiosity for technology has catapulted him from an action sports cinematographer to the forefront of cutting-edge cinema techniques. As a self-confessed tech nerd and even a consultant for AI software, Jim shares...

Jamie sits down with Sam Balcomb to discuss the virtual production process that breathed life into his remarkable short films, 'Evenveil' and 'Metroid: The Sky Calls.' 'Evenveil' is a fantasy short film that takes place in a vast world but was cleverly shot in a confined space on a small green screen, showcasing the true power of virtual production. 'Metroid: The Sky Ca...

Jamie speaks with Ewald Vorster , a talented video editor from South Africa now based in Portland, Oregon, who made a daring career change into the world of Unreal Engine ! Ewald's journey from Red Bull Motorsports video editor to CG Spectrum and ultimately to the creation of his thrilling short film, "Menace," is nothing short of inspirational. We delve into the creative process behin...

Jamie Bakewel l speaks with Rik Schutte , the visionary director behind Blender's latest open movie project, 'WING IT!' This short film, crafted entirely within Blender, introduces a captivating 2D animation style that showcases Blender's true versatility. Rik is no stranger to the world of animation, having started his feature film career in the Netherlands working on 'The Lit...

Jamie Bakewell speaks with Kayu Leung , a remarkable animator hailing from Hong Kong who ventured to Paris to study fine arts but was inspired to switch to animation after volunteering at Annecy Animation Festival. Not only did Kayu graduate with flying colors, but she also clinched the prestigious Student Oscar with her enchanting short film, " Loui's Shoes ."  In this insightful conv...

Jamie Bakewell speaks with Shad Bradbury , a seasoned animation professional who is currently working at Pixar. Shad has a vast list of credits that include titles such as Coco , Inside Out , The Good Dinosaur & Finding Dory . In this episode Shad dives deep into directing his first animated short ' Run Totti Run ' which was brought to life with the help of 300 volunteer artists from 5...

Jamie Bakewell speaks with Hjalti Hjálmarsson an Icelandic animator and filmmaker known for his work in the field of computer graphics and animation and is currently working at the Blender Animation Studio . Hjalti discusses how he was discovered by the creator of Blender 'Ton Roosendaal' and moved to Amsterdam to play crucial roles in the 'Blender Open Movies' that the community h...

Jamie Bakewell speaks with Marcos Sanchez a Chilean visual artist, animator, and filmmaker based in Santiago. He studied Fine Arts at Universidad Católica, in Santiago and Film at NYU’s MFA program in New York. Marcos’ captivating short films and animated music videos have been featured in prestigious film festivals worldwide. The VFX Process Getting Intimate With Your Industry! Accompanying media...

Jamie Bakewell speaks with Sava Zivkovic , a Director based in Belgrade, Serbia. Sava possesses over 14 years of experience in CG animation. He developed a passion for moving images during his design studies at Belgrade University of Applied Arts. Sava directs for Axis Studios , Hydra Studios, and runs his own independent production. His impressive work includes award-winning short films like &#34...

Jamie Bakewell speaks with Joris Oprins , hailing from the Netherlands. Joris is a talented screenwriter, producer and one of the directors behind the multi-award winning Dutch animation studio, ‘Job, Joris & Marieke’ . With a passion for storytelling and a knack for bringing characters to life, Joris has left an unforgettable mark on the world of animation.# In this episode Joris reveals how...

Jamie Bakewell speaks with Saga Alayyoubi a highly skilled Senior 3D artist currently working at Epic Games, a prominent gaming studio located in London, UK. With his expertise in creating immersive digital environments, Saga employs a wide range of artistic techniques including sculpting, painting, rendering and more to bring his visions to life. Saga gives his advice for aspiring artists trying...

Jamie Bakewell speaks with Jae Solina (JSFilmz) about creating his Cyberpunk Unreal Engine short 'Zin' and building his YouTube empire. Jae is an incredibly talented content creator who has carved a niche for himself in the vast realm of YouTube tutorials. With a passion for filmmaking, Jae’s channel has become a go-to resource for aspiring filmmakers interested in harnessing the power of...

Jamie Bakewell speaks with Anthony Jegu . Based in the Netherlands, Anthony is an extremely talented visual artist proficient in diverse artistic realms such as sculpture, illustration, and photography. Additionally, Anthony is a senior videographer and graphic designer, with 15 years of experience in motion picture special effects and video production. The VFX Process Getting Intimate With Your I...

Jamie Bakewell speaks with Will Anderson, a BAFTA award-winning filmmaker and animator from Scotland. based in Edinburgh, Will specialises in creating character-driven and dialogue-centric animation for various mediums, including film, television, theatre and online. His stories are driven by process, spanning 2D to 3D design, and focus on existential themes with characters at the heart of it. The...

Jamie Bakewell speaks with Ellie Cooper, a Concept Artist who, due to her success became the CEO of her own company Athena Productions. Ellie uses Unreal Engine as the foundation of her Concept Designs, allowing her more freedom to make changes and experiment when creating work. Ellie talks about the Unreal Fellowship, starting her own company and the positives side of AI. The VFX Process Getting...

Jamie Bakewell speaks with Nick Alberelli and Youp Zondag, founders of Tiny Media, a Canadian Animation Company making high quality short form animated comedy with zero budget. Their hilarious web-series 'BLOWN APART!', made using Blender's Grease Pencil, follows the struggles of historical French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte. Accompanying media: For Tiny Media's videos  click here o...

Jamie Bakewell chats with Arturo Brena, the Emmy award winning, founder of KeexFrame, a company that merges outstanding design with the latest technology. From real-time motion graphics to 3D animation, and shadow sculpting. Join us as we dive into one of Arturo's Unreal Engine Fellowship-developed short films, "The Thief". Using Metahuman and motion capture, Arturo enhances storytelli...

Director and Animator Sara Gunnarsdóttir shares her experience of making the Academy Award-nominated animated short 'My Year Of D***s' with the writer of Moana, Pamela Ribon. Sara provides a behind-the-scenes look into the creative process of preparing for The Oscars and the challenges of rotoscoping. Discover the secrets of how this talented team achieved their Oscar nomination. Accompany...

Dave Macomber is a Hollywood Fight & Stunt Coordinator with an impressive list of Blockbusters under his belt. We take a look at his combination of action sequences and VFX in both his professional work and his personal projects. Accompanying media: For Dave's videos click here or For the video podcast  click here

Connor Buchanan is a Freelance Cinematic Artist, specialising in realistic facial/dialogue animation, environment composition and character animation in Unreal Engine 5. He is completely self taught and has already achieved an incredible amount in only 1 year. Accompanying media: For Connor's videos click here or For the video podcast  click here

Jamie chats with Senior 3D/VFX Generalist and punk rocker Andy Lefton about his short film 'World Suicide'. Andy shares some knowledge from his 20 years in the industry and explains what it was like to use Unreal Engine for the first time to create a short film. Accompanying media: 'World Suicide' or For the video podcast  click here