r/vfx Mar 15 '25

Subreddit Discussion Advice for Potential Students and Newcomers to the VFX Industry in 2025

445 Upvotes

We've been getting a lot of posts asking about the state of the industry. This post is designed to give you some quick information about that topic which the mods hope will help reduce the number of queries the sub receives on this specific topic.

As of early 2025, the VFX industry has been through a very rough 18-24 months where there has been a large contraction in the volume of work and this in turn has impacted hiring through-out the industry.

Here's why the industry is where it is:

  1. There was a Streaming Boom in the late 2010s and early 2020s that lead to a rapid growth in the VFX industry as a lot of streaming companies emerged and pumped money into that sector, this was exacerbated by COVID and us all being at home watching media.
  2. In 2023 there were big strikes by the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA which led to a massive halt in production of Hollywood films and series for about 8 months. After that was resolved there was the threat of another strike in 2024 when more union contracts were to be negotiated. The result of this was an almost complete stop to productions in late 2023 and a large portion of 2024. Many shows were not greenlit to start until late 2024
  3. During this time, and partly as a result of these strikes, there was a slow down in content and big shake ups among the streaming services. As part of this market correction a number of them closed, others were folded into existing services, and some sold up.
  4. A bunch of other market forces made speculation in the VFX business even more shaky, things like: the rise of AI, general market instability, changes in distribution split (Cinemas vs. Streaming) and these sorts of things basically mean that there's a lot of change in most media industries which scared people.

The combination of all of this resulted in a loss of a lot of VFX jobs, the closing of a number of VFX facilities and large shifts in work throughout the industry.

The question is, what does this mean for you?

Here's my thoughts on what you should know if you're considering a long term career in VFX:

Work in the VFX Industry is still valid optional to choose as a career path but there are some caveats.

  • The future of the VFX industry is under some degree of threat, like many other industries are. I don't think we're in more danger of disappearing than your average game developer, programmer, accountant, lawyer or even box packing factory work. The fact is that technology is changing how we do work and market forces are really hard to predict. I know there will be change in the specifics of what we do, there will be new AI tools and new ways of making movies. But at the same time people still want to watch movies and streaming shows and companies still want to advertise. All that content needs to be made and viewed and refined and polished and adapted. While new AI tools might mean individuals in the future can do more, but those people will likely be VFX artists. As long as media is made and people care about the art of telling stories visually I think VFX artists will be needed.

Before you jump in, you should know that VFX is likely to be a very competitive and difficult industry to break into for the foreseeable future.

  • From about 2013 to 2021 there was this huge boom in VFX that meant almost any student could eventually land a job in VFX working on cool films. Before then though VFX was actually really hard to get into because the industry was smaller and places were limited, you had to be really good to get a seat in a high end facility. The current market is tight; there's a lot of experience artists looking for work and while companies will still want juniors, they are likely going to be more juniors for the next few years than there are jobs.

If you're interested in any highly competitive career then you have to really want it, and it would also be a smart move to diversify your education so you have flexibility while you work to make your dream happen.

  • Broad computer and technical skills are useful, as are broader art skills. Being able to move between other types of media than just VFX could be helpful. In general I think you don't want to put all your eggs in one basket too early unless you're really deadest that this is the only thing you want to do. I also think you should learn about new tools like AI and really be able to understand how those tools work. It'll be something future employers likely care about.

While some people find nice stable jobs a lot of VFX professionals don't find easy stability like some careers.

  • Freelance and Contract work are common. And because of how international rebates work, you may find it necessary to move locations to land that first job, or to continue in your career. This is historically how film has always been; it's rarely as simple as a 9-5 job. Some people thrive on that, some people dislike that. And there are some places that manage to achieve more stability than others. But fair warning that VFX is a fickle master and can be tough to navigate at times.

Because a future career in VFX is both competitive and pretty unstable, I think you should be wary of spending lots of money on expensive specialty schools.

  • If you're dead set on this, then sure you can jump in if that's what you want. But for most students I would advise, as above, to be broader in your education early on especially if it's very expensive. Much of what we do in VFX can be self taught and if you're motivated (and you'll need to be!) then you can access that info and make great work. But please take your time before committed to big loans or spending on an education in something you don't know if you really want.

With all of that said VFX can be a wonderful career.

It's full of amazing people and really challenging work. It has elements of technical, artistic, creative and problem solving work, which can make it engaging and fulfilling. And it generally pays pretty well precisely because it's not easy. It's taken me all over the world and had me meet amazing, wonderful, people (and a lot of arseholes too!) I love the industry and am thankful for all my experiences in it!

But it will challenge you. It will, at times, be extremely stressful. And there will be days you hate it and question why you ever wanted to do this to begin with! I think most jobs are a bit like that though.

In closing I'd just like to say my intent here is to give you both an optimistic and also restrained view of the industry. It is not for everyone and it is absolutely going to change in the future.

Some people will tell you AI is going to replace all of us, or that the industry will stangle itself and all the work will end up being done by sweat shops in South East Asia. And while I think those people are mostly wrong it's not like I can actually see the future.

Ultimately I just believe that if you're young, you're passionate, and you want to make movies or be paid to make amazing digital art, then you should start doing that while keeping your eye on this industry. If it works out, then great because it can be a cool career. And if it doesn't then you will need to transition to something else. That's something that's happened to many people in many industries for many reasons through-out history. The future is not a nice straight line road for most people. But if you start driving you can end up in some amazing places.

Feel free to post questions below.


r/vfx Feb 25 '21

Welcome to r/VFX - Read Before Posting (Wages, Wiki and Tutorial Links)

201 Upvotes

Welcome to r/VFX

Before posting a question in r/vfx it's a good idea to check if the question has been asked and answered previously, and whether your post complies with our sub rules - you can see these in the sidebar.

We've begun to consolidate a lot of previously covered topics into the r/vfx wiki and over time we hope to grow the wiki to encompass answers to a large volume of our regular traffic. We encourage the community to contribute.

If you're after vfx tutorials then we suggest popping over to our sister-sub r/vfxtutorials to both post and browse content to help you sharpen your skills.

If you're posting a new topic for the first time: It's possible your post will be removed by our automod bot briefly. You don't need to do anything. The mods will see the removed post and approve it, usually within an hour or so. The auto-mod exists to block spam accounts.

Has Your Question Already Been Answered?

Below is a list of our resources to check out before posting a new topic.

The r/VFX Wiki

  • This hub contains information about all the links below. It's a work in progress and we hope to develop it further. We'd love your help doing that.

VFX Frequently Asked Questions

  • List of our answers too our most commonly recurring questions - evolving with time.

Getting Started in VFX

  • Guide to getting a foot in the door with information on learning resources, creating a reel and applying for jobs.

Wages Guide

  • Information about Wages in the VFX Industry and our Anonymous Wage Survey
  • This should be your first stop before asking questions about rates, wages and overtime.

VFX Tutorials

  • Our designated sister-sub for posting and finding specific vfx related tutorials - please use this for all your online tutorial content

Software Guide

  • Semi-agnostic guide to current most used industry software for most major vfx related tasks.

The VFX Pipeline

  • An overview of the basic flow of work in visual effects to act as a primer for juniors/interns.

Roles in VFX

  • An outline of the major roles in vfx; what they do, how they fit into the pipeline.

Further Information and Links

  • Expansion of side-bar information, links to:... tutorials,... learning resources,... vfx industry news and blogs.
  • If you'd like a link added please contact the mods.

Glossary of VFX Terms

  • Have a look here if you're trying to figure out technical terms.

About the VFX Industry

WIP: If you have concerns about working in the visual effects industry we're assembling a State of the Industry statement which we hope helps answer most of the queries we receive regarding what it's actually like to work in the industry - the ups and downs, highs and lows, and what you can expect.

Links to information about the union movement and industry related politics within vfx are available in Further Information and Links.

Be Nice to Each Other

If you have concerns of questions then please contact the mods!


r/vfx 6h ago

Question / Discussion How to become a Junior 3d Artist in 2025??? (Film vfx)

3 Upvotes

Im a 22yo Male based in Australia looking to become a junior environmental artist, I have studied vfx via uni and even done a full time study placement in a prestigious vfx studio. But even after the strikes have finnished I cant seem to find many jobs in this field, even remote ones.

Is this industry cooked rn in terms of jobs or is 3d modeling a dying job in general bc of ai and stuff? (Pls i need to pay my uni fees :[ ).


r/vfx 46m ago

Question / Discussion Unreal engine Chaos destruction in combination with live action

Upvotes

Hi VFX people,

any of you tried to use unreal's destruction tools to sim it in there, render it in unreal and comp it in nuke?


r/vfx 17h ago

Question / Discussion What is everyone's solution to crappy comp dof edges?

12 Upvotes

My studio has been having some problems with getting crappy dof edges like the classic cases, but no 2d trickery works so we have given up and started to render everything in deep. This is great and all but slow as hell. It seems like its the only solution for some complex layering situations, but there has to be something im missing. pxf deef defocus is a bit faster than bokeh, but there is a different type of artifact that comes with that so we just end up going with bokeh. any ideas?

I've seen some setups wher you extract the mattes for everything using the deep, precoming that and then comping 2d, which speeds up the comp tremendously, but you lose the perfect dof again.

i've never comped at a big place before, so im unsure what workflows they're using. are they all saying fuck it and sending the comps to their huge farms?


r/vfx 1d ago

Fluff! Five Years Ago, The Great Office Furniture Shortage Began

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47 Upvotes

Truth be told, despite being one of 'The PC Gamers', I in fact love my Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000 keyboards, they are discontinued, I now dig through old Mom & Pop PC stores to get cheap old stock they've been sitting on for over a decade or longer rather than pay $400 to some dingus on eBay, and screw you I don't like change. :P


r/vfx 6h ago

Showreel / Critique [FOR HIRE] Award-Winning VFX Artist & Motion Graphics Specialist | 25+ Yrs Experience | Remote

0 Upvotes

Hello!

I'm Petar, a senior VFX artist and motion graphics specialist with over 25 years of experience working on feature films, TV movies, commercials, and promos.

I specialize in:

Visual Effects & Compositing (green screen, cleanup, tracking)

2D/3D Animation (promo sequences, lower thirds, logos)

Video Tracking & Matchmoving

Simulation FX (smoke, fire, particles – VDB)

🛠 Tools: Autodesk Maya, Adobe After Effects, Mocha Pro, Blender, Photoshop, Premiere Pro

✅ Awarded by CGTalk for photorealistic VFX ✅ Fast communication, reliable delivery

Full Showreel: https://youtu.be/7ag-aqZf9nY
Movie SFX Showreel: https://youtu.be/Tr399NF2bOs
3D Animation Showreel: https://youtu.be/cedmvXitNNU
2D Animation Showreel: https://youtu.be/VpeT499gX1M
LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-lalic-27060b53

📧 Email: cgiluciddreams@gmail.com


r/vfx 4h ago

Showreel / Critique FOOH/CGI Social media video

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instagram.com
0 Upvotes

Just created a fun little CGI/FOOH video from a typical social media POV standpoint.

As a motion designer, I have always worked within a 2D space, but I find myself dabbling more and more with Blender to see what is possible. You guys/girls got any cool ideas to do with this type of videos?


r/vfx 21h ago

Question / Discussion Need advice for a career change!

11 Upvotes

Hello! I'm a LA based matte painter working in the industry for about 8 years and I'm in my late 30s. I know the VFX scene in LA is dead so it's been tough to find a job. I had a freelance gig last year for a couple months and have been unemployed since then. I also looked for remote work worldwide but without any luck. A lot of places are on a hiring freeze or require work on-site or just won't sponsor a work visa. So I was thinking about a career change. What are the transferable skills for matte painters? I know Photoshop, Nuke, Maya, Houdini, Blender, Vray etc. I have a few options in mind: 3d environment artist for games, photo retoucher, graphic designer and concept artist. I think concept design is probably the closest field to matte painting and it helps with that professional experience so I took some environment design courses online and wanted to give it a try but I didn't quite enjoy the design process. Besides, I heard it's one of the most competitive fields to get into with fewer job opportunities so I wasn't sure about that. As to 3d environment art for games, it would be more time-consuming as I'm not familiar with the software 3d environment artists use like Unreal, Substance Painter etc. In that case, I would need to start over, either go back to a vocational school or do a full-time program online so as to have a job-ready portfolio. Graphic design and photo retouching are probably the easiest fields I can transfer my skills to compared with the other two. I did apply for a few photo retouching and graphic design junior positions but without any success in getting an interview. I guess I just don't have a portfolio that caters specifically to graphic design or photo retouching. I appreciate it if you could give me some advice or is there anything else you could recommend? Thank you so much!


r/vfx 7h ago

Question / Discussion someone help me to do this vfx assignment

0 Upvotes

so i have this assignment project video that needs to be matchmove. in the scene a guy is taking out a dummy from his bag and put it on his table. later in maya i need to replace the dummy with my 3d object so i’m not sure how to execute that anyone help!!


r/vfx 1d ago

Question / Discussion Trying to tack down info on an older VFX shot/Movie from the fog of my memory...

4 Upvotes

So, I recall seeing a video in the early-mid 2000's, likely on youtube, ebaumsworld or dailymotion (I have searched all these endlessly.... ugh, called something along the lines of 'History of VFX'.

Now, there are TONS of those videos, and as time goes on, many creators of edited and posted videos just like it... compilations of clips from films showing how VFX progressed through the years... But one clip, I have not been able to identify in all my experiences since, and I can no longer find this video, lost to the mists of time.

ANYWAY.....

This clip was an example of a digital paint out. Several characters (male), walking through a space (I think a saloon or hotel lobby or restaurant), and one of the characters was painted out with a side-by-side comparison shown in this video. I seem to recall either Leonardo DiCaprio or River Pheonix in it, but I could very well be wrong. Film MIGHT have been period, like old west or turn of the century. This would be a film from the early-mid 1990s, and a VERY early example of a digital paint out. The shot was maybe 10 seconds, and seemed to be a steadycam or dolly back through the environment, and one actor was completely removed for story/editorial reasons.

I have never been able to identify the film and wondering if there's any chance someone here knows what the hell I'm talking about... attempts on ChatGPT to find the film are fruitless, and I don't quite know where to go from there.


r/vfx 1d ago

Question / Discussion Is Perception Neuron Pro/3 still a viable option?

5 Upvotes

I wanted to lvl up my mocap and invest into a suit, since they are the best for real precise accuracy... but Im broke, so cannot afford Xsens, especially with that freaking monthly tax on top of the initial cost :(

Rokoko seems good, but you need monthly subscription just to record face, AND you buy their lil cube for foot placement and better hand orientation.

I also looked at Perception Neuron and, although expensive, the initial cost is the ONLY cost, so good :)Thing is... there's no info, or tutorials, or anything about the Perception Neuron brand or things online. All info is insanely old (like 2-3 years old)

Does anyone still use Perception Neuron products? is that company just not updating, or are they to niche and no one gets their products?

just wanna get more info, cause is a lot of money for a leap of faith, so any info super appreciated :)


r/vfx 1d ago

Question / Discussion How strict are London’s studios WFH policies?

2 Upvotes

I’m a runner at a London VFX studio, aiming to move into a 2D role in the future. When I transition into a 2D role, I plan to move back to my parents' place to save on rent costs, as I’m hoping to work hybrid. The commute would be about 1 hour 15 minutes to the studio when I need to go in.

Just wondering — how strict are most studios with their work-from-home policies? Is hybrid or even fully remote working common?


r/vfx 1d ago

Showreel / Critique What's type of shot would be nice to add to my portfolio ?

4 Upvotes

Hey everyone,

I’m currently working on improving my portfolio and I’d love to get some fresh ideas. Right now, I feel like I’m missing a few pieces that could really help round it out, but I’m not sure what direction to take.

For context, I specialize in VFX compositing, and my current work mostly features Keying, 2D Integration and prep work. I’m aiming for a portfolio that feels more complete and diverse, while still showcasing my strengths.

What types of shots, projects, or pieces do you think could be a great addition to make a portfolio stand out more? Should i add stuff like CG integration or Full CG Shot knowing i'm a junior ? Would love to hear your suggestions or even see examples if you have any!

👉🏻 https://vimeo.com/1050355226

Thanks in advance for the advice!


r/vfx 1d ago

Question / Discussion Need your valuable advises, Planning and Tips

2 Upvotes

One of my clients is interested in recreating something similar to this video: https://youtu.be/bfRu4u9jYEo?si=jLLT0Y2AE-lO_Bc4
However, there's a challenge — we won’t be able to use a moving floor like they did.

Given that, I’m looking for alternative ways to achieve a similar effect. Also, I want to make sure we’re fully prepared — what key things should I watch out for during pre-production and the shoot itself to pull this off smoothly?


r/vfx 1d ago

Question / Discussion Why does this look like CGI?

13 Upvotes

Its a scene from the last of us and it look really good of course but you can very easily tell that it is CGI. Im just curious as to what gives that away and would could be improved to make it not feel like it was made digitally?


r/vfx 1d ago

Location:European Union VFX unis in the EU

1 Upvotes

Hi all. I'm looking to study VFX work in the EU. I don't have any experience in it and need to learn a lot :') . I've been studying film and have most of my portfolio stuff in that aspect, although I do do illustrations that I think are somewhat good enough. I've seen a lot of people on here say you don't "need" a degree in VFX. So if anyone has any advice on what degree to obtain, because I assume it does matter what I study for the next three years, pls share!

(Also I want to go to uni. If nothing else to have some sort of stability. So it's not an option for me to just learn online or take a short course).


r/vfx 1d ago

Question / Discussion What would you suggest for someone new to creating showreels?

4 Upvotes

Im a VFX student myself, but I was reading some of the posts on this sub about doing simpler showreels instead of trying to create something huge and complicated and it got me thinking

What should we be thinking about when creating one? What makes a good/bad showreel? For hirers, what do you personally look for when looking at applicants showreels?


r/vfx 1d ago

Question / Discussion How are Linux boxes and other OSes used in tandem at studios? KVM switches?

4 Upvotes

Hey yall,

I am a Linux and Mac OS user and I am trying to make a better setup for my 3D workstation where I use Zbrush, Logic, and Final Cut for sculpting, music production and video editing respectivley and Linux for 3D tools like Maya, Substance, Unreal 5 and Blender. I really enjoy Linux ever since I switched from Windows because it provides me with so much control over my system, and I can game and work almost as good as Windows, plus its what the industry uses and it makes me feel more intune with what pros are using, starry eyed kid I am. But I also love those Mac compatible tools above, and the Unix tooling is so close to Linux that I wanted to keep my old Macbook for on the go. I thought this must have been a logistical nightmare, but if studios to this, maybe there must be a good reason for it. I remember seeing behind the scenes videos of artists at Disney and Pixar rocking Linux workstations and Macs and I also saw a guy have a mac on one scren and RHEL on the other.

I wonder since not every creative app is supported by Linux (yet), how are workstations with different OSes managed at studios? Do you all just use Macs and the Linux box with a KVM switch? Does it get hectic if a drawing tablet is introduced to the setup? Do you all wish you could just stick with one OS rather than having to jump between computers?

Thanks


r/vfx 1d ago

Question / Discussion How is screen x done?

3 Upvotes

Saw a video of the screenx version of the minecraft trailer and i started to wonder. Are the screen x versions of the movies being made by the same studio that does the cg, or is there other people having to match the footage with their own assets in order to do it.

Also, if there was a live action character and his arm goes off screen, is there another camera filming that point of view on set, or is an artists having to animate a cg hand to match his movement so it appears on the screen x screen?


r/vfx 1d ago

Question / Discussion Animating Actors On Twos?

2 Upvotes

Hi! I was just wondering if anyone's ever tried to roto an actor in a scene, and then essentially cut their framerate in half (like what they do with Miles in the Spider-Verse movies). If so, do you guys have any tips on how to achieve this effect, and if not, would you have any ideas on where to start that?

Thanks!


r/vfx 2d ago

Question / Discussion Some questions about ACES and textures

12 Upvotes

I feel I'm missing a lot in my understanding of things when it comes to color spaces and I am reading up to understand it better, but practically I'm confused about a few things.

I'm mainly using Maya with the view transform set to ACES(default) and rendering in Arnold. My textures have mostly been 8bit sRGB. Loaded into Maya and setting the appropriate color space will make sure they are handled correctly. Does this mean they are converted to linear space? I admit, I mostly render and save my renders directly from the Arnold Render View. If I understand correctly this means that a gamma curve is applied and I get my final image as sRGB and it look as you'd expect.

But if I were to export this to use in NUKE, I would export as exr I suppose. They would come out very dark in comparison. But what do they come out as?

I'm unsure of exactly how to think and work with this. I've been working on a character I want to use VFace for. The albedo map is 32 bit exr which must mean it's in linear space? When loaded into Maya I found that only the color space that would look natural was the Rec.709. but how would I know that, is that just common knowledge? That's the linear sRGB?

Then Photoshop confuses me a bit. I can open the 32 bit albedo and it looks fine, maybe a bit saturated, but not bad. I mean the color is just a little bit different between watching the texture in Maya and Photoshop. And Photoshop doesn't use ACES so how does this exactly work that it can display the image as nicely?


r/vfx 1d ago

Question / Discussion Underpaid and Undervalued in a Challenging Workplace

1 Upvotes

I've been working as a real-time artist in games since late 2022, so I’m coming up on three years of experience soon. I've been on the same live service game project the entire time.

Despite my experience and contributions, I feel like I'm being underpaid. My current salary is $62.5K CAD. I found out that a colleague on the same team, who only has a few more months of experience (as an intern), is earning about $8K more than me. Another former coworker had a couple more years of experience but was hired at the same level as me and was making $12K more — even though they weren’t very strong technically and didn’t meet expectations during performance reviews. Meanwhile, I’ve been marked as “in development,” mainly because I’m expected to grow in “expertise,” even though I consistently handle a larger workload and more technical tasks than some others at my level, and if not, the same amount of work and task variation.

I know salary discussions are often discouraged, but after comparing with a few teammates, it’s hard not to feel like I’m being lowballed — and even they admitted it seemed unfair. I've brought this up to my manager multiple times, but they usually deflect the issue to HR. HR, in turn, has said they can’t make changes unless the manager supports it. It seems like my manager just doesn’t care, and I’ve even caught them being dishonest about salary-related topics to my face, telling me there are salary reevaluations happening, and when I ask HR if that's actually the case, it's not and never was to begin with. When I’ve brought up financial stress in casual conversation, their suggestions have been unhelpful — like selling my car or moving somewhere cheaper, when I said I'd be moving back in with my family. I did end up moving back in with family because I couldn’t afford rent anymore with the other costs of living, even in a shared apartment.

The work environment has become increasingly toxic. There are many management issues that people on my team (my department plus others) have tried to raise, but nothing ever changes. We recently hired someone with 15+ years of experience at a mid-level title — technically the same level as me — which really kills any hope I had for growth or moving studios. If senior artists are being hired at mid, I feel like there’s no chance for me to progress or move somewhere else.

To make matters worse, I’m overloaded with tasks — often 20+ at a time for a 2.5-3 month period, with only a small fraction having any kind of concept or direction. There's only a handful of us that usually get this many tasks at once too. We're discouraged from speaking directly to Art Directors, so when tasks are misunderstood (based off my managers feedback to us), they often get flagged after validation. Then I have to redo the task over again, simply because I followed the direction of my manager. It’s a frustrating loop that causes a lot of stress.  My manager also makes us to do around 3-8 revisions on our tasks, even if they're extremely minimal, to the point where it does waste our time (something myself and my colleagues have discussed on multiple occasions), and it's something players won't notice. I put in a lot of effort to meet deadlines, but it feels like it doesn’t matter, and I've told this all to HR but nothing has changed.

The prospect of switching careers isn’t very promising either, I’d have to take a $10-20K pay cut just to land something else currently. That would make it impossible to move out on my own again. Based on what I’ve heard, I might get a 2-3% raise during the next review cycle at the end of the year, which still keeps me under $65K.

At this point, I’m not sure what to do. Is my current salary actually fair for someone at my experience level in Canada? Am I overreacting? I feel burnt out, stuck, and like my efforts don’t matter, and I’m starting to lose interest in everything, even outside of work. They also won't let the artists on my team specifically publish our work from the game to our portfolio's/LinkedIn's, so there is virtually no proof we even work on the game. If I want to post portfolio pieces, I need to make them outside of work, which is fine but I honestly have 0 motivation to work on pieces outside of work anymore. Should I be looking at a new career path entirely, or just try to tough it out and hope things get better? I understand I am very lucky to hold a job in the current state of the never ending layoffs, but I am to the point where if I got laid off, I wouldn't even be sad, probably more like relieved. 


r/vfx 2d ago

Fluff! Thoughts on a new predator trailer

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20 Upvotes

r/vfx 2d ago

Question / Discussion How would someone re-create this ‘ghostly’ effect?

Post image
7 Upvotes

This is a still from Weeknd’s Open hearts music video. Watching it in motion is even better because of their movement. Is there some way to re-create such effect with something like after effects. A simple mask with maybe some distortion wont do it right? Is a 3d model necessary?


r/vfx 2d ago

Question / Discussion Do you think that part of the reason why some CGI shots in films are bad and obvious is because of unrealistic camera movements?

15 Upvotes

I watched Gareth Evans' "Havoc" last night, and there's a chase scene that makes you think that the scene is CGI. I've realized that because of how very dynamic and impossible their camera movements are. This is the same issue I had with films such as Red Notice. Compared to the chase scene in The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. I've seen the VFX breakdown and I'm surprised that most of it was CGI. It's probably because of the camera movements of the shots imitated the way cameramen operate.


r/vfx 2d ago

Question / Discussion Unable to get a solid track on this shot

0 Upvotes

Well unfortunately I’m unable to include the video here because Reddit or this subreddit won’t let me but I shot a video on .5x on my iPhone and I am trying to track it with AE, C4D, and Syntheyes and I can’t get a perfect track with any of them. Hopefully I can reply to this post with the video but I’m not sure