Who here has been in a movie/TV show?

I havent been in shit, my car was. But I’ve gotten to work on a LOT of cool costuming/animatronics stuff.

I worked on the original Toby McGuire spider man costume. And the man of steel costume. And the venom animatronic from the Toby sequel. Also worked on a massive project for Tim burton last year for his “lost Vegas” art exhibit.

Played a big role in building, body working, and painting this thing. My old roommate did the design and flew me out from Utah for a lead on the body/paint and fab side. It had to pass inspection by the city so it had to be able to withstand some ungodly amount of air wind pressure. The inner structure is all steel. Thing was a bitch to build and we had 2 FUCKING WEEKS from concept/design to delivery in Las Vegas.

 

Maybe my tastes/opinions aren’t popular but if Aeon Flux, either of them, are in your “bad” column... that’s a pretty cool gig...

So excuse my uninformed questions but you do CGI for effects and stunts for live actors only and or animation too like Pixar stuff or? Pretty neat gig where I’m sure tech changes keeping you from getting bored.

If only one or the other is this because animators and live actor CGI people don’t cross over or?

Genuinely interested...please advise.

 

Ditto. I've actually been asked if I can do it in an interview or six...still working on it.

 

I've managed to have worked on both live action stuff and fully animated features through dumb luck and convenience from the studio I'm at at the time. MOST of the work I've done is one live action stuff though. Typically someone only works on one type, those that work in the animated movie world tend to stay there, and same for the vfx artists. It's not the easiest to cross over. Animators in the animated film world tend to do big exaggerated movements, that don't look great for live action stuff, and live action animators tend to go too subtle and not cartoon-y enough for animated films. The really talented people can do both easily (wasn't easy for me) but that's why they get paid more.
There's also sometimes a bit of an ego involved when applying to studios that do different things. From my experience, if I have a bunch of shots on my demo reel from live action films, an animated film studio (ie. Disney, Pixar, Dreamworks, ect...) would look at my reel and not hire me, saying something along the lines that I can't animate in their "style." So breaking into an animation studio can be difficult from a live action background (or into vfx from animated BG)

 

Wow, I didn’t realize it was a desired skill or talent that actors would have on display for prospective employers. Now that I think of it they all had a look or image as she called mine. Like a dude in mild western outfit, chick in flapper type attire, fedora guy, 80s Madonna garb...

So you’re trying to get acting gigs? And they want to know that you can create and images and or character types and hold them during normal circumstances... makes sense I guess to practice the trade.

I’ve done a bunch of talk shows and they are all similar on their niche too... from local stations to national syndication all similar characteristics.

 

That is interesting, thank you! Still think if you have to stare at an actress like her all day they should at least bring her into your workplace to make sure you’re getting it right... haha

Did you study graphic arts or whatever your official industry title is in college? Go to art school? Seek out movies?

Had a buddy in HS that was a gore guy and made it to Hollywood as they type of artist but did whatever it took to be part of the industry first, he did years as an audio boom guy, until he could get a break with his gore art... he used to scare the hell out of everyone with his locker pranks in school.

 

YES! more of the actors/actresses should come in to the vfx studio, for several reasons, but I have multiple thoughts on that and don't want to get into too much of a rant about it!

for school, I went to an art collage to get a BFA in animation. (I ended up dropping out after getting a job offer, but that's the basic degree program people go for) But that was before stuff exploded on the internet. These days there's a bunch of programs you can take at home online that are just as good (if not better) than the art schools out there. At least for animation specifically (there's other departments within vfx that don't get talked about as often. Layout, compositing, simulation, and others)

your buddy's gore stuff sounds amazing! and he had the right of it. getting a foot in the door in the industry is such a huge step. Once you're in, you start to meet a LOT of other people in different departments and what not, and you build connections. As long as you show some humility and willingness to learn, you should be able to jump around to different departments well enough, to get to where you want to go.

 

That's awesome! Can I bribe you for spoilers?!

 

HA! they better be some pretty good bribes, cause I'm sure I'd lose my job. you might think, "who would look on a motorcycle forum for star wars spoilers?" but you don't want to mess with the Disney lawyers. hahaha
otherwise I can mostly only talk about what's already been released in press statements and the like.

 

I played a ton of saxophone (and other winds) for about 20 years. I agree that the really, really deep grooves, the ones so deep you can’t see out, are super rare.

I also think they produce a similar response as the best mc racing moments. It’s an endorphin hit that I find myself chasing eternally.

 

I’m sure meeting actors would be a double edge sword too, good and bad, but some better than others


That’s cool that once you had the skills the paper wasn’t crucial. I’m educated as a mechanical engineer but found racing the summer of my final year and quit my engineering job before I ever sat at the desk... made a go of racing and then turned it into other ventures when time to retire from the riding part.

His stuff was amazing alright... amazingly gross and disgusting! This time of year there were severed head and body parts everywhere and he’d recruit drama and AV club guys and girls into acting his so incredibly realistic atrocities into nightmares for many of us... he had lots of fans of his work and would target them so as to not traumatize others, like me and the sissy girls that didn’t like it... (I was 240lb 6’2” football tackle, never liked scary movies)

This story comes with a lesson, he worked hard and achieved his dreams, he videod and produced my race short and promo videos for years, did Red Bull features of me for them, paid. Then got his break and still made time for his friends. He got MS and was able to work from a desk for awhile then his wheelchair but now can’t anymore as his hands won’t work. So there is never time like the present, go out and get your dreams and appreciate every moment as none of us know when the last will be or it will all change over night.

 

I completely agree! My hypothesis is that like when I’m really connected and riding to the full potential of the bike I’m on, meaning getting absolutely everything out of my package, extracting it as well as anyone in the world could it feels anyway but certainly as absolutely to the best of my ability. In that moment I’m connected to a special place, call it the aether or special frequency or what have you but it is absolutely a connection to your environment that is special and rare.

I believe this connection of timing and the atmosphere or your environment and or your bandmates and on rare occasion my friends and adversaries on the track allows us to bring forth and enlighten those around us to that connection that comes out in beautiful music between musicians and even motor sports battles by athletes in a ballet of raw speed and fire breathing perfection. I think many talents and disciplines of worldly endeavors are able to make special connections, music and motor sports are the only places I’ve achieved this connection but it is absolutely rewarding and endorphin producing pushing us to strive for that connection of excellence. When others enjoy it that’s all the better...

Thanks for that, not many people I’ve ever met shred this knowledge. You’ve made me hopeful for more like minded goodness in humanity.

 

1. You’re welcome. When I’ve bright it up before it gets weird looks. I think there is some point in both endeavors where the mind loses all fear, and the ‘soul’ (which is probably muscle memory, sympathetic nervous system, and the subconscious) is now completely free to deal in potentiality.

2. I’m going to go with “shred” not being a typo. It’s better that way.

 

1. When I “bright it up” like you just did with my music buddies it’s acknowledged and a rare but believed and known pathway for greatness that on some nights was achieved by only two of us and or three and finally ball four in those very rare occasions. In these moments we’re able to write new music without speaking or thinking or listening... only feeling our connection to the special realm and one another. Some of the most special times in my life. The hours of the music we made then, in one take, with even my lyrics coming out as new riffs and beats played for the very first time... I never thought I’d be talking about it his time anyone but the others, let alone on a public forum, thank you so very much for this...

2 that absolutely fuckin’ A’ was a subliminal shred that I’m ecstatic to have shared with you as you bright up this topic... I’ve shared more in this thread than my last 2o years on the Bbs... thanks for this Maxx what a welcome share...


Bright shreds ahead. my newfound friend. I can’t wait to share this conversation with others as soon as it can be brought up again.

Bright Shreds Ahead!

 

I swear I proofread that this time, poorly it seems... late on this side of the continent. Thanks again Knotcher, enjoy your evening.

 

I’d like to thank those involved in the last few pages for your awesome posts - I’ve been having a great time following along.

Much appreciated, guys.

 

Didn't Andy Serkis get so embroiled in the technology involved in playing Gollum that he became a bit of an expert in it and worked in that field on a couple of films?

 

Free Guy was just released. During filming, they were looking for a vintage Ducati to use. Somebody contacted Walter Zawaki (USCRA #57z) and the rest is history.

 

ooOOOoooo Andy Serkis, that's one that'll get me ranting! He is one of those actors I'd like to give a good shaking to (I think on this forum I'm supposed to mention some sort of use with a screwdriver as well? ). Screw that guy. He basically took a big ol' dump on ALL the vfx artists that helped make ALL of his performances work. He made claims that everything you see on screen is pretty much 100% him, and all the artists did was the equivalent to "digital makeup." Which I know is total BS! A lot of the time, people took a majority of the data from his mocap sessions and just deleted it and animated from scratch. He refuses to give credit to all the talented people that helped get him to where he is..(was?) and that's a big complaint I have about a lot of actors. Yes they're on screen selling their face, but there's a massive amount of people helping them look good that deserve credit for their aid in the process.
a bit of me DOES kind of understand why he said what he said though. (but I still think it was incredibly wrong) He was trying to get an oscar for best actor for some of his characters, like Cesar from Planet of the Apes. If he admits that there was a massive team behind his performance helping him look good, he couldn't claim it as his own. So he says the whole thing is all him so he could qualify for an oscar. and most of the voting body of the oscars have no idea how any vfx work, so why would they question it. But I still see him as a giant pile of douche.

 

Well that cleared that up then.