After 18years in doing VFX for Films (KingKong,Tron,Warcraft...)&TV, should i switch to...?

Development Cinematics & Media
1

Hi everyone

There is something i wanted to ask you, please share your experience and opinion.

Im a french artist , with a well rounded profil of a DMP & Concept Art artist / Senior Lighter Generalist…Senior VFX Artist with over 18 years of experience in the most respected studios Weta Digital, ILM, MPC, Digital Domain, BUF, Rising Sun Pictures, Animal Logic The Mill…) In these previous years, i occupied different positions, from being a VFX Generalist like now or Senior Lighter to 2d/3d Matte Painting , Creative art director & Visual Concept Development. I use to work in big or more humble studio, lead small team and project or just being part of the adventure. You could find example of my work in my old reel, sorry missing most of my concept work and latest productions but it will give you a good overview i think,

My video reel: (Video breakdown is at the end of my email)

https://vimeo.com/100371227
Password is : vincent

http://fr.linkedin.com/in/vincentthomas
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0859628/

Im looking for new horizons right now for a change and being able also to work remotely
As i have a great natural passion myself for Design, Photography and Rendering, Architecture and the new coming technology VR/AR, i was thinking to focus my effort on offering service for:

  • High quality CGI Architecture & Design visualization
  • Being able to translating the above content to Unreal engine to its finest level
  • Last but not least being a Creative Unreal Env Artist from a given concept or something i will propose myself.

How does it sound to you? Has any of you did the switch? How long it should take me to become really sharp in Unreal?
Is the job market wider and the condition of work a little less intense than in feature film and commercials?
Is serious scripting/coding usually a requirement ?
Is it easy to find option to do remote work?

Finally, How do you see the evolution of this profession in the next years?
VFX for films and so was great before but now condition, salary has been seriously degraded…

Thanks you ,

vincent*

DEMO REEL Break Down ( 2 year old)

------------------------------ ---------------
Film credit
------------------------------ ---------------
** Tron Legacy / Digital Domain / Directed by Joseph Kosinski. ( DigiMatte)
** Prometeus / Fuel VFX / Directed by Ridley Scott (LookDev / Lighting)
** The Hunger Games / Rising Sun Pictures / Directed by Gary Ross ( Art    Direction / Matte Painting/ Lookdev)
** Sherlock Holmes II / MPC / Directed by Guy Ritchie (Digimatte / 3d Lighting)
** Fast and Furious IV / MPC / Directed by Justin Lin (Digimatte)
** The Cell / Buf Paris / Directed by Tarsem 3D Matte painting and All around CG work (Mentalray & Custom tools)
** King Kong / Weta Digital (New Zealand) / Directed by Peter Jackson Lighting TD (Maya & Renderman & Custom tools )
** Doctor Parnassus / Peerless Camera (London) / Directed by terry Gilliam / Sequence Lead
Forest Design, Layout, Modeling, Lighting / Softimage XSI, Mentalray
** The Brother Grimm / Peerless Camera (London) / Directed by terry Gilliam
Sequence Lead/ All around work including Layout, Model, texture, Light and render... Softimage XSI, Mentalray
** Happy Feet / Animal Logic (Sydney) / Directed by George Miller Lighting And Compositing
Maya / Renderman / Fusion
** White Bear Foetus / Glassworks (London) / Ford I was responsible of the white bear creature, Full 3d Model, Texture & Lighting/ Softimage XSI , Mentalray
** Guitar Hero Cinematic / Passion Pictures / Directed by Peter Candelland / Sequence Lead & Lookdev
** TalkTalk / Glassworks / Directed by Daniel Kleinman / Lighting Sup & Lookdev
** Dolce Vita Commercial / La Maison / Directed by Bruno Aveillan / CG Lighting Supervision
** Nintendo Symphony Commercial / La Maison / Directed by Bruno Aveillan / CG Lighting Supervision & Modelling / Lookdev
** Peugeot 406 / La Maison / CG Lighting Supervision & Lookdev
** Cartier Ads, Odyssey , Bruno Aveillan:
Sequence Supervisor, mainly for art/design direction and doing the 3dLighting (Maxwell Render)
Then there are a couple of environement work, matte paintings too
*Edouard Salier short film: Digi MattePaint
2

Yes, I think your skills would work well for doing VR, if you can learn VR with Unreal and then find a workflow for producing the best graphical quality then you would have lots of opportunities

3

Thanks you for your feedback. What i like refreshing is it to see your work going alive, the immediate result, how important is to think with your eyes and brain first because of the technical contraints of realtime to trick the audience sensation …

Now that’s has been said, a lot’s of gaming studio, , usually ask for a one or 2 AAA games experience to your CV to just give you your chance, even after my experience… It’s a little silly i think…

For a complement of my work (excepted Architect Design work) , please see my published post on linkedin… Yes one day i should go for Behance i guess :slight_smile: —> like this project i was co-supervising the Art Direction & Lighting last year,

4

I think if you can create some portfolio examples of work in the game engine then that combined with the vast amount of VFX that you’ve done would be fine.

5

Thanks Mate.

I remember the old time when epic released its first game… Sweet souvenirs! :slight_smile:

6

I am switching from being a lawyer to being a game developer

Good idea ?

Ask me in a few years

But we only live once and is better to do something that keeps you motivated and happy.

7

If you dont need to earn money, good idea. Otherwise bad idea :wink:

8

Of course I need to earn money , money is good , money is sweet. But I also love coding , graphics and music.

But then I am not dreaming making money with my first game which is going to suck big time being first.

Took me 8 years to become lawyer anyway.

9

I would have changed for being a tap dancer in a Broadway show :slight_smile: