Visual effects (VFX)

Assistant technical director (TD)

Also known as: Junior pipeline TD

Entry level

The Assistant Technical Director is responsible for assisting the technical director in their role. Specific duties and tasks will be decided based on the abilities of the assistant and the needs of the show. What follows is a generalized list of responsibilities.Assistant TDs help to identify and fix problems and make sure everyone in a visual effects (VFX) production pipeline has the tools they need. They have a very good understanding of how VFX pipelines work and of different VFX job roles. Their expertise also includes understanding the software used by VFX artists and the needs and limitations of different departments.

I would have preferred to start my career as a Junior Assistant Technical Director, in large part because this position is responsible for the VFX production pipeline, including shot bids, handoffs, briefs, reviews, client reviews, deliveries and final deliveries; The breadth can make me familiar with the entire work process faster, and better understand the main work content of each department and the parts that need to be paid attention to in collaboration. On the other hand, I am happy to cooperate with others. It is a very valuable experience in my growth

Visual effects (VFX)

Effects technical director

(FX TD) (VFX)

Also known as: Technical producer

In my research for this career, I found that the VFX/Visual Effects Director is the most senior creative person working in visual effects. The VFX Director’s job is to manage the entire VFX process and all artists working in visual effects. They have the final say and ultimate responsibility for all VFX assets produced by the studio and must ensure that the end result meets the creative needs of the client.

As a visual effects director, different studios have different ways of working. A visual effects project for a feature film or sitcom can see a director working with hundreds of artists, sometimes across multiple locations and time zones, managing over 1,000 shots. A visual effects director for a boutique advertising studio, on the other hand, may work with a smaller team on a shorter project. Many visual effects directors do not work for a specific studio, but rather work on the client side, managing multiple visual effects studios that provide services on the client’s projects.

This is the long-term goal of my current career plan. Although I am still learning at the beginning, I can’t deny that it is very difficult but very rewarding to produce some smoke, fluid, etc. solutions; I will try to persevere and gain experience step by step, and when I am good enough, I may be able to produce valuable and creative works, although the learning process is very hard. But I believe my love can support me to become good enough.

Environment artist—entry level

Environment artists typically create 3D environments using modeling and sculpting software, working from briefs produced by concept artists in the form of 2D or sometimes 3D digital art. Or, they might use reference material, such as photographs or sketches, which can be scanned into 3D software.

I found that I have a great interest in procedural terrain generation, and recently I have put my main energy on learning procedural software, such as Houdini, and I am also trying to make some procedural terrain for easy adaptation In more cases, such as in vr or game projects, it is faster and more convenient to build terrain with great effects. What’s more, in the process of making the environment, I will make texture maps and lights along the way, which is also a good opportunity to broaden the scope of my knowledge