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Eugénie von Tunzelmann - Brighton & Hove - 1986 - 1999
Visual Effects
I am a Visual Effects Technical Director which means I design and develop computer generated effects in the film industry. I've worked in this field for three years. During this time I've worked on Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Hippogriff feather development), Batman Begins (steam animation and monorail development), United 93 and World Trade Center (smoke animation) and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Death Eater, Patronus and Hall of Prophecy design and development).
My route into this career was via a degree in Engineering and Computing Science from Oxford University, but there is no requirement of a science-based background in our industry. Although we have many engineers, a great many of the lighting directors, animators and compositors come from artistic backgrounds. Photography, fine art and film studies are very common. A degree is not actually required at all, but if you do not have one you would be required to prove your artistic and/or technical abilities another way: for example, by showing a short film you have made yourself, or bringing along a portfolio of your artistic work.
I would be more than happy for those interested in visual effects (or other aspects of the film industry) to get in touch so I can answer any questions they may have.
If you are considering a career in visual effects, I would give you the following advice:
- Find out how effects are currently being achieved. The industry magazine, Cinefex, is very good for this. There are also some books about visual effects companies such as ILM (Industrial Light and Magic) and Digital Domain which are worth a read (some recommended books are listed below). 'Making of' featurettes on DVDs are variable in terms of quality but there are some very good ones on the extended Lord of the Rings DVDs, X-Men 2 and Fight Club, amongst others.
- Whenever you see visual effects used in film, try to analyse them, both technically and artistically. Do you think the effect worked or did it fail? Can you identify why? For instance, a computer generated animal might fail because of how it moves, or how it's lit, or how it interacts with other things in the shot. Can you work out what needs to be improved?
- Look at the ways in which other filmmaking skills (lighting, cinematography, production design etc.) are used in visual effects - particularly in fully computer generated films - and try to learn a little about these skills, whether in the context of visual effects or not. For example, can you see ways in which cinematic lighting has been used to create mood? Can you find examples of unusual or particularly effective shot compositions?
- Most people who work in visual effects are somewhere between the 'artistic' and 'technical' ends of the spectrum. If you're primarily artistic, have a go at some simple programming; if you're more scientific and mathematical, try doing some design or animation. If you are interviewed for a job, don't be afraid to show your potential employer your explorations into the 'other side', even if you think they're not very impressive: people who are keen to try both technical and artistic tasks are very desirable employees. Recommended reading:
Industrial Light and Magic: Into the Digital Realm - Mark Cotta Vaz, Patricia Rose Duignan and Steven Spielberg [fascinating and very detailed book about ILM's digital achievements] Digital Domain: The Leading Edge of Visual Effects - Piers Bizony [not quite as good as the ILM book, but some interesting parts concerning Titanic] Advanced Renderman - Anthony Apodaca and Larry Gritz [absolutely excellent Pixar book - the Bible of visual effects. Skip the parts about learning Renderman and read the superb chapter 'Storytelling Through Lighting' which sums up the more artistic aspects of the industry perfectly]
Anybody with any questions should contact me by email.
Eugénie von Tunzelmann
Technical Director
Double Negative VFX |