We all know that actionvfx has unfortunately gone down the path of greed with their mobile game type pay to win crap with their new credit subscription system. What are some of the best alternatives in your opinion to actionvfx? What would you recommend that has similar stuff to actionvfx?

Hello VFX! I was wondering if anyone hearing new some good Australian VFX recruiters. I know of a couple but I can't think of anyone else. Surely there are more than two? Thank you!

This project was for a college short film. It's supposed to be human skin, snail skin and eczemas as seen through a microscope. This were two different parts but I combined them in one to share them here. I layered multiple images and videos on top of each other with various blending modes and masks. I created a 3d scene and the movements are done with the 3d camera. I found it difficult to make the camera movements feel like a human was manipulating the microscope lenses. I think they look too smooth. I also think the scene lacks depth https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfcmtRj8coY&ab_channel=JazminArianna

The title says it all (I'm a compositor)

Hi, I’m a high school student wanting to make a sci-fi short film with a small team of students from my school. For context, I am pretty experienced in Blender and rendering still images. My short film will feature extremely large structures superimposed on preexisting footage, as well as people in motion tracking suits replaced with 3D models. That being said, I had a few questions I thought would be best to ask here.

1. Would a Blender based workflow be the best option or should I opt over to a more professional software?

2. Would Unreal Engine 5 be a good alternative option to Blender?

3. What would you say is the cheapest and least time consuming way of removing the green light on my actors and practical sets from the green screen?

Some of these questions might be really dumb so I apologize in advance!

Thank you!

Edit: My team of VFX people including myself are pretty proficient in modeling, texturing, and rigging!

Hey guys, I decide to start a small (currently remote) studio for local TV works, in the future hope we can take some future films and maybe better platform series. I know organization is important for a post production company and piple is important for in terms of time saving. But obviously we don't have budget for devoloper team to start a pipeline tool from the scratch.

You can say you already small team you can organize your team with Google sheets, but tbh i worked on a lot of local studio and they are loose a lot of money and time because of non-organization working environment and i want to do it in proper way at the beginning.

So my question, I'm sure you guys already faced a lot of problems. What would be your advice for newbie studio?

What problems we have to avoid? What kind of tools and pipelines makes your life easier ?

It's not have to be tool, opened for any kind of advice.

Thank you

Hey everyone, i'm seeking some advice on how to approach projects as a CG generalist in a small creative agency.

My background is that i have no formal relevant education of any kind, i'm completely self taught and have little-to-no industry experience apart from freelancing as a video editor/cg generalist for a bunch of youtube channels. Basically, this is my first "proper" job or the most 'proper" that i've had yet.

The point is i understand that i might be totally wrong about this and i'm open to hearing it.

Having said that, i've been really frustrated working on our last several projects due to a seemigly complete lack of research or preparedness prior to filming something or going in production and trying to come up with/fix stuff in post.

To give an example, sometimes i'd get a shot that was filmed with the idea of having some sort of CGI in it without having discussed any of it prior to filming. I would just get it, get the idea of it conveyed to me by the director and whether it was properly shot or not is not his problem as far as he's concerned. I'm being given a bad shot and told go look for some references on how to achieve something.

If his initial idea for CGI doesn't work with the footage shot, we just start brainstorming new things to do with the footage, abandoing or heavily twisting the original idea for it.

Now, i understand that of couse what's shot is shot and the project still needs to get out the door so no point in arguing over this and my frustration doesn't come from this. I understand occasional mistakes during filming like blurry footage or something not being lit quite right and things like that.

My frustration comes from being told by the director and the art lead that is fine and is just the way things are done. The art lead also told me that a lot of the times a director would just come up to you, you being the "CGI guy", tell you "i want some CGI in this project" and you will be expected to just work with that. When i asked why are we looking for references for stuff after something has already been filmed instead of prior to that, i was told to "stop expecting perfection".

Like, we seemingly are just doing CGI and VFX for some kinda WOW factor of it, just to show off that we can do stuff in-house and this frustrates me.

Don't get me wrong, i love working on all kinds of different stuff, especially if it's new, but i hate having to polish a turd with graphics just cause the director couldn't be bothered to do any research or brainstorming before going to production, which is what i want and expect. For the research phase to be before the production phase, not after it or merged with production.

Now, my question is, am i actually wrong? Am i being too uppity or difficult? Is it totally normal and fine to offload something to post? Like, i always assumed that "fixing it in post" is a sign of bad productions, but am i wrong and that's really just the way things are done in the industry?

Would really appreciate some input on this.

Thank you.

So.... How often do you work Overtime. And do you get paid for that extra hours, and how much is that. Thanks.

software developer here that's a generalist and i have been looking at a lot of jobs in vfx studios

very often, vfx artists/modelers would write on glassdoor about how a VFX studio's pipeline is bad.

what exactly do they mean by that? Is it like the equivalent of the SDLC process, but for VFX (requirements gathering from clients, definition, etc)?

Or is it mostly referring to the tools development team?

Hey. An indie filmmaker from India here. We are planning a feature film to be shot in mid December. I chewed more than I could swallow and put a scene in the script where a character is set ablaze. The shot goes on for 20 seconds. We're low on budget and every VFX company we have talked to have shut their doors on us citing budget issues.

We have some budget but apparently it's too low for our ambitions!

It is a passion project largely funded by a very small local company.

It would be great if anybody could guide us on how to achieve that?

If anybody here wants to be a part of it, please DM!

I want to sim a flip where i want the fluid to be active only when the collision object touches it, rest of the time it should be static..

I want to show mud on a slope of hill, but it just rushes down every time i sim.

What can be the solution? #vfx

Hey I have a fair bit to say but there's a tldr at the bottom if u cant be bothered :)

So I'm a recent graduate of a bachelor's in VFX, specialising in compositing. In my country the VFX industry (especially for comp) is pretty tight-knit. There are a couple big companies and also a few smaller ones, so honestly there arent many companies to work for.

Most of my classmates including me have been fortunate enough to land roles immediately out of graduating, which I feel very grateful for, especially with how tumultuous the industry has been recently.

The role I landed was for fresh graduates specifically, so they could learn and be incorporated into the industry. It was a limited contract, and at the end they reviewed my work and performance and decided they weren't ready to work with me (or I guess the opposite way around). It's disappointing because as far as I know, this hasn't happened before. When I was doing the interview process for the job, I was told I had a "99.99 percent chance" they'd keep me on because they always continue with graduates, because they always meet their skill quota. All my classmates who started working here earlier than me had offers to continue, apart from me.

The problem has honestly been my skill level. I'm honestly just not great at visual effects, not in a modest way or anything. I've been learning Nuke for 2ish years now and I'm still unable to do basic cleanups or even rotos without them taking 3-4x as long as they should, and when I submit them for review they're full of errors. It's a common occurence for me to have my work sent back for significant fixes I've missed 3-4 times. I know the theory around a fair few things like deep compositing, 3D, a bit of python, even a bit of stereo experience. I just can't manage to work fast enough or have a decent quality of work, even after months of working full-time and tips from my coworkers, on top of my VFX education.

On top of that I have been working SO hard. I've been practicing non-stop on weekends, note-taking like crazy, I've even spent a decent amount of time doing overtime on weekends and not logging my hours, just so I can get my shots done just the tiniest bit faster. I'll be working 12 hours a day (8 hours for my actual job) and I still feel behind. It's becoming very discouraging.

I have more opportunities available to me, other companies that I have connections at and potential jobs lined-up, and I don't plan on giving up on this career yet from just one failure.

I should also say that I'm quite young, and I recognize I have a good amount of life left. and i LOOOVE the actual work involved in the industry. If I hadn't been stressing about trying not to get fired, I would absolutely have loved the past couple months. But I also have other careers that I'm passionate in, probably an equal amount to compositing.

So my question essentially is: If I'm struggling skill-wise, when is the time to give up on VFX?

like in a very hypothetical situation, imagine if it were going to take me ten more years of working hard and practicing, working retail for bills, just to be ready for a junior role somewhere. I'm not sure the effort for that would be worth it! When is the point where I just say "You know what, I tried, but I don't think my brain is built for VFX."

TLDR; having a hard time with improving at compositing and am falling behind peers, my quality of work is just lower and I'm working very hard but still falling behind, unable to hold a job. Is there any sign that VFX might not be for you/to try a different career?

I’m 33, and after over a decade in VFX, I’m feeling completely burnt out. My original goal was to bridge the gap between live action and VFX, ideally as a creative or director-level collaborator. Instead, I ended up diving deep into technical roles across motion graphics, virtual production, and experimental effects.

I’ve worked on massive projects, from feature films to high-profile campaigns for global brands, and have mastered tools like Cinema 4D, Houdini, and Unreal Engine. I’ve also delved into AI-assisted workflows, photogrammetry, and virtual production pipelines. On paper, I’ve built a robust generalist portfolio, but in reality, I feel like I’ve hit a wall.

The VFX industry feels toxic—endless overtime, underpayment, and companies run by people who seem indifferent to their teams. And despite my experience, I feel stuck as a generalist, where pivoting into a permanent or specialized role might mean starting from scratch as a junior.

Even projects that sound prestigious often boil down to repetitive, uninspiring tasks, like endlessly refining commercial assets for luxury brands or sportswear campaigns. I’ve tried networking with creative directors to transition into a more ideation-focused or hands-off role, but that, too, feels like a grind with little payoff.

I don’t know where to take my skills. I’ve got a deep understanding of technical pipelines and creative storytelling, but I’m struggling to translate that into a role with purpose or growth. The burnout isn’t just about the work; it’s the environment, the pressure, and the lack of meaning in what I do.

For those who’ve been here—how did you break out of this cycle? Did you pivot into a different area of VFX, move into another industry, or find a way to rediscover passion within the work?

Would love to hear thoughts, advice, or stories from anyone who’s faced this.

In recent years, Quebec’s once-thriving visual effects (VFX) industry has faced an unsettling decline. This downfall isn’t just the result of shifting market dynamics—it’s the culmination of alleged systemic abuse of Quebec’s generous tax credit system by major VFX players, including DNEG and Technicolor. While these studios reaped millions in subsidies, their questionable practices not only led to the erosion of trust in the industry but also triggered a chain reaction that has left thousands of artists in financial and professional turmoil.

The Tax Credit Trap

Quebec’s tax credits for the film and VFX industry were designed to foster local talent and bring high-profile projects to the province. Studios like DNEG and Technicolor leveraged these credits to build extensive pipelines, claiming subsidies for projects ostensibly produced in Montreal. However, industry insiders allege a far grimmer reality: these companies were simultaneously outsourcing significant portions of work to artists in India, all while falsely attributing the labor to their Quebec-based operations.

This façade came to light when the government began auditing tax credit claims. Discrepancies between reported expenditures and actual local labor contributions raised red flags. Rather than face accountability, these companies reportedly opted to wind down their operations in Quebec, leaving a wake of economic and professional devastation in their path.

The Fallout: Artists Left Behind

For the thousands of VFX artists who made Quebec their home, the aftermath has been catastrophic. These individuals—who devoted their careers to building a burgeoning industry—now face the harsh reality of unemployment or the untenable choice of uprooting their lives to chase opportunities elsewhere. Many are unable to afford such a move, trapped by mortgages and family commitments in a province that once promised them security and growth.

The collapse has led to financial ruin for many. With studios pulling out en masse, projects have dried up, and the ripple effects extend beyond the artists themselves, affecting local businesses and ancillary services tied to the VFX ecosystem.

A Broken System

Despite the scale of the damage, there has been little public discourse about the practices that led to this collapse. DNEG and Technicolor, rather than being held accountable, have largely escaped scrutiny, quietly relocating their operations to other regions where they can continue exploiting similar incentives. This pattern of leveraging government subsidies without truly investing in local talent raises serious questions about the accountability mechanisms within these programs.

What Needs to Change

The Quebec government must implement stricter oversight of tax credit systems, ensuring funds are genuinely used to bolster local industry and talent. This includes more robust auditing mechanisms and severe penalties for companies that falsify claims. Furthermore, the VFX community must unite to demand accountability, transparency, and industry-wide reform to prevent further exploitation.

The Voices of the Forgotten

The silence surrounding this issue is deafening. Thousands of skilled artists, once the backbone of Quebec’s VFX industry, are now invisible casualties of corporate greed and systemic neglect. Their stories need to be told—not just to acknowledge their plight, but to ensure that history does not repeat itself.

Quebec has the potential to rebuild its VFX industry, but only if these injustices are addressed head-on. Until then, the actions of DNEG and Technicolor serve as a sobering reminder of what happens when profit is prioritized over people and the community.

Hello!

I'm currently hired as a compositor on a contract in Canada. I was checking incorporated income brackets and, for ontario, the tax payed on income is of 11.5% on the first 500k.

Currently, my salary is at 65k/year and I pay a marginal tax rate of 29.7% on it.

My question is, if I incorporate and become a service provider to the company I work at, can they still benefit from their tax incentives? Also, could they write off what they pay me as a business expenditure?

Given the situation with the strikes, I've been sitting on the same salary for quite a while (still grateful for not getting laid off, though) and I'm looking into ways to retain more of my money.

Thanks, all

Hello everyone, I'm not too sure if this is allowed like this on this subreddit but I'm in search of an industry professional in VFX editing. I am a second year student in audiovisual media, It's for one of my classes, where you have to do research into the market of whatever interests you or what you want to become later. It would be my dream to become a VFX editor, although I must say currently I have zero experience when it comes to VFX lol, most I've done is use overlays from YouTube. Anyways, they want me to interview someone in the work field so I could ask some questions about the market and the work itself. So I thought I'd try my luck here, if any industry professional has the time this month (probably) for me to ask you some questions, that'd be awesome! Just shoot me a DM and we can talk a bit! Most preferably I'd conduct the interview through a quick phone call, but I would understand if that's too much a hassle, especially if we're not in the same continent, if so through chat is fine as well. I really hope someone is interested and thanks to anyone who can help me in advance!

This tutorial is the only one that I've found that addresses this issue - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUj1cgX6fyk&t=373s

But the way he goes about it doesn't create the result I would be satisfied with. The issue I have the most is the back leg casting shadow on the floor. I was maybe thinking about creating depth map into mesh to cast shadows but it seems to me it would create same issue of back leg not touching floor.

Hi there, I'm running a social media marketing agency and I'm looking for an experienced editor who is capable of creating high level face swaps for instagram reels. Essentially, using one of my clients face on a different body for advertising (completely legit, I have consent from both parties.)

The softwares I've used before are very glitchy and are extremely low quality, you can see the face glitching etc.

I'd be in need of roughly 21 videos per week, each video being a maximum of 10 seconds.

Please DM me if this is something you have experience in and are looking for work!

Hi, I m not a specialist of silhouette

I m just trying to render some precomp masks for my team, do you guys have an idea please ?

-It's not the first try that I have that result

------> If I used a matte assist ML in backwards (I mean I paint the last frame and would like to process backward the matte assist)

= I got some weird lines who doesn t match at all the shape I would like to track.

cf. image

https://preview.redd.it/ofjd78ry2n4e1.png?width=1417&format=png&auto=webp&s=2c37b05bb94d4308fab8b08344005614f839c984

Hi everyone,

I’m working on an architecture project in Unreal Engine 5.5 and encountered a problem while trying to package my scene. Here's the situation:

I initially used FBX and GLTF files from Blender, but the reimport function seems to be broken with Blender geometry. As a workaround, I switched to USD, activated the USD Plugin, and imported my scene into the USD Stager. Everything worked perfectly, including reimporting, until I tried to package the project.

The USD data is missing in the packaged project.

I attempted to create a Level Blueprint that opens the USD Stage from an external file at runtime, but this also doesn’t seem to work when packaged.

Has anyone successfully integrated USD data into a packaged Unreal project? Are there additional steps or settings I might be missing?

Thanks in advance for any advice or solutions!

Is anyone using OpenAssetIO lately? I would love to hear your opinion on it.

So i'm working on a music video that has a close up on the artist smile where i need to replace their teeth with a golden grillz, any ideas on how to do it?

I want to create a realistic animal.

Do I have to create muscles on houdini or I can sculpt the muscle in zbrush and then transfer it to Houdini ?

Sorry if it's a dumb question I just a complete beginner.