KYle Loftus Studios Behind the Scenes BLOG
Articles, posts, and information surrounding video production and what is going on behind the scenes at Kyle Loftus Studios and beyond.
How to Build a Successful VFX Artist Career in the Current Film Industry
URL: https://unsplash.com/photos/CPXS543H19Y
Alt-Text: A group of people in a room recording a video with a green screen background using a camera and videography equipment.
Caption: Coding bootcamps, online courses, and college programs are some educational routes that can prepare you for a career in VFX and animation.
The world of CGI and visual effects is making great strides in the current film industry and opening an array of career possibilities for aspiring VFX artists. If a career in 3D modeling, animation, technical directing, and concept art interests you, then visual effects is the field for you.
Today Marvel superheroes, Disney animation, and A24 horror films have heightened the demand for VFX artists. Mastering narrative video production, animation, and computer-generated imaging will help you enter this competitive movie and film industry. The pathways to building a successful VFX career should incorporate both education and experience.
Best Education Pathways to Become a VFX Artist
Getting a university degree isn’t a must to land a lucrative VFX artist position. The field allows for ample education qualification flexibility. VFX artists today enter the field via coding bootcamp certifications, online courses, or certificate programs. It is essential to choose a specific VFX training program to accelerate your career goals.
Find an Animation and 3D Modeling Bootcamp
Animation bootcamps will train you with in-demand VFX skills in a matter of a few weeks to a few months. They will equip you with texture art, animation, compositing, and 3D modeling skills essential for a VFX career. They also provide extensive career placement services and will prepare you to meet the film industry’s skill demands.
General Assembly is a popular VFX art bootcamp that is also among the top 40 online coding bootcamps. It offers a 3D Modeling and Animation program. Attending an online or in-person coding bootcamp is best suited for those looking to get job ready within a short time frame.
Enhance Your Foundational VFX Skills With Online Courses
For those of you who want shorter, flexible, and cheaper educational routes, massive open online course platforms are for you. Udemy, Coursera, and Edx.org offer short animation and VFX courses that will help you acquire foundational to intermediate skills. Opting for course certifications is also a great portfolio booster that can kickstart your freelance journey.
Enhance Your Candidacy With a College Degree
Although the world of video production and VFX art does not demand a university degree, having one will provide you with an advantage in the job pool. An associate or a bachelor’s program in visual effects and animation will prepare you for a career in narrative and commercial video production.
Get Job-Ready With Polished Visual Effects Skills
Learning visual effects art and technology is the first step to building a successful VFX career but mastering VFX art skills will help solidify your position in the film industry. VFX is a diverse field that branches into a wide range of graphics, video production, and animation fields. A VFX artist must master both technical and soft skills to succeed in this creative tech profession.
Practice Animation and Motion Graphics
Animation and motion graphics play a key role in the VFX production process. You need to practice storytelling, graphic design, and 3D animation. Doing projects with Blender, Adobe After Effects, Houdini, Cinema 4D, and other popular animation tools is a great way to boost your technical skills.
Acquire Expertise in CGI and Video Production
Video production, computer-generated imaging, and compositing form the crux of VFX art. You need to polish your budget and production management skills along with technical VFX skills to meet the industry’s requirements.
Computer-generated imaging is constantly evolving and keeping up with the latest CGI software is pertinent to becoming a successful VFX artist. Add Daz Studio, Autodesk Maya, and Bryce projects to your CGI portfolio.
In Summary
VFX and special effects is a growing field and is projected to grow by 16 percent between 2020 to 2030 by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics. The profession offers opportunities to work with the latest motion graphics and CGI tools and make strides in the current film sector. Forming a strong job profile by combining industry-relevant skills and educational qualifications is the pathway to becoming a VFX artist in the film industry.
Short Film is OUT! Moonlight Madness
The new short film “Moonlight Madness” 🌝 is out now.
Super proud of this one because we actually had talent cancel on us last second so rather than cancel the entire production I decided to alter the storyline, scratch the shot list and go improve and solo. I think we killed it but find out for yourself. Swipe left for a preview or click the link in my bio to watch the whole film.
Don’t miss out on the film or all the fun and insight in the cinematic lighting tutorial I just released where I break down how we made this short film using the @godoxlighting M600D
Also, new drinking game. You have to drink every time my character Tyler says “f*ck” haha didn’t realize until post-production that my method of acting tends to bring out a sailor's mouth 🤣
Shouts to my crew for always keeping things on point.
Director/DP/Lead actor/Writer: @kalvisuals
Camera operator: @herbmaximo Boom and Gaffer: @dp_ot
BTS: @elimintss
This was a partnership project with @godoxlighting and I can’t wait to share my in-depth tutorial on how I used their new M600D to light this short film!
Tutorial out now!
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Clouds of a Different Color Music Video BTS Video
What if you could wake up every day with $86,400 in your bank account but whether you spent it or wasted it would be fine by the end of the night.
I bet you would spend each and every penny if you could. Well, we have exactly 86,400 second in each and every day. Why are you wasting precious time? All we have is now.
Don’t waste your time away. Use every day and opportunity to learn and grow. Try approaching challenging situations and days from a “learners” perspective rather than a “judger”. Seek to gain clarity and understanding and constantly ask questions.
Each day is a new opportunity to grow internally and externally.
With that being said, make sure to spend your time wisely and doing what you love most. The most you do of what you love, the better you’ll be at it-ultametley tunring your passion into your career!
Ladies & gent, I’d like to intrduce the below video of a sample of our hard work with Clouds of a Different Color Music Video BTS Video.
New hybrid music video-documentary film made with @danemyers covering the sugar cane industry in Florida and how the burning of the crops ever year causes severe damage and respiratory problems for the local communities. Honored to be a part of such an important and authentic story for positive change. Go head over to Dane’s page to learn more about how you can help protect our future generation.
Watch the video & share your thoughts and comments!
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Clouds of a Different Color Social Media Teaser..
And just like that! Another video is completed, thanks to the hard work & effort of the KAL VISUALS team! I couldn’t do it without you all.
In the video below, we were shooting some performance footage for Clouds of a Different Color. Onset, you will see in the video that we shot a bunch of footage of them burning the sugar crops and of scenes around the area but also filled the video with some actual performance shots to blend like documentary filmmaking with music.
I encourage you to check out these sick behind the scenes & stay tuned for the FULL video coming REAL soon!
Cheers,
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Purpose and desire...
Purpose and desire can seem similar but they are actually drastically different.
Purpose is important in many ways, it is the reason why you push as hard as you do. It is the reason why you impact others, and it’s the reason why you are who you are.
Purpose allows you feel connected to the universe through the contribution of your gift(s). Purpose gives you a reason to wake up every morning, producing a goal to work towards. Purpose gives you a sense of identity.
Desire is what you want while purpose is the flowering of who you are. Desire is a strong feeling of wanting something. It is that yearning that comes from deep inside of you. It is not that grasping external needy feeling. But that place within yourself that calls you deeper and to something greater.
Desire is personal, narrow-minded, self-gratifying, self-preserving whole purpose is wider reaching, it’s a long-term vision encompassing the benefit of others. Purpose has a way of taking life’s most unavoidable sufferings and making the meaningful.
Don’t seek out your desire, seek to fulfill your purpose.
Period.
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🚨🚨Alert new music video 4 Life with @lxthewriter is out now!
🚨🚨Alert new music video 4 Life with @lxthewriter is out now, swipe through for some of my favorite frames and a 1-minute preview of the music video.
Link to my channel to watch the full video and a cinematography breakdown available now.
Shouts to my crew and the incredible talent for helping bring this one to life!
Artist: @lxthewriter
Crew:
Director/DP: @kalvisuals
Assitant Director: @herbmaximo
AC: @dp_ot
BTS Photo/Video: @enmanuelzabcala18
VFX: @senjisol
Talent:
- Female Lead: @bluettemusic
- Male Lead: @watsonalexander
- LX as artists
- Extras:
- Doctor: Tony Riha
- Nurse 1: Cara Noel
- Nurse 2: @davidthevoice