r/vfx • u/SOFAFramework • 1h ago
News / Article Upcoming events in Simulation & Graphics
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r/vfx • u/ZiggyisStarman • Apr 30 '26
News / Article VES launches On-Set VFX Data Collection and Usage Guide
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Hey fellow Visual Effects community stoked to share what we have been working on for the past year over at he VES Technology Committee call it a playbook and usage guide to map key data from on-set capture to delivery.
FYI I am one of the co-authors of the Guide. If you have questions or feedback make sure to reach out.
You can find the guide here : https://ves-on-set-data.org/dashboard/?tab=Introduction
Here is the full information on the release :
The Visual Effects Society (VES), the industry’s global professional honorary society, today released its VES On-Set VFX Data Collection and Usage Guide. Developed over the past year by the VES Technology Committee, this practical on-set resource maps key data sets and capture workflows – giving productions, vendors, and technology teams a shared playbook for using and capturing on‑set data more effectively.
The Guide was designed to establish a common language between on‑set VFX, production, VFX facilities, and technology teams, ultimately enabling clearer communication, smoother handoffs, and better-aligned expectations across departments. This comprehensive Guide explains the major on‑set data sets, their capture methods, their practical applications, and their intended stakeholders, so that every participant across the production understands what information exists and how it can support their work.
In addition to defining data sets, the Guide documents both current and emerging on‑set data capture workflows. This aims to inform stakeholders about potential data sources and to highlight how these choices impact production pipelines, timelines, and budgets, while also laying the groundwork for future efforts around data hierarchies, database development, and workflow automation.
The Guide also underscores that this data has significant value for every department on a production. It supports collaboration, optimizes workflows, and enables better-informed creative and operational decisions. By advocating for open access and visibility for these data sets, the Guide encourages all teams to engage with and benefit from this shared knowledge, strengthening collective outcomes and overall production efficiency.
“Our intent with this Guide is to streamline the filmmaking process by enabling every department to be more well-informed,” said Sheena Duggal, the Guide’s lead author and member of the VES Technology Committee. “Multiple departments can utilize the same data – for instance, the VFX team’s LiDAR scans can be repurposed across departments to support set construction, stunt planning, and other production needs. It’s just a matter of educating and communicating clearly so that everyone can benefit.”
“In today’s hybrid of real-time virtual production, AI, and traditional pipelines, the VFX department is responsible for not just post, but on-set data capture, continuity, and asset integrity from pre-production through final delivery,” explained Jim Geduldick, contributing author to the Guide. “That framework was the key lens that we used in thinking through these workflows and how they relate to each department.”
The Guide was created for the VES Technology Committee by Sheena Duggal, with contributions from Sam Richards, Jim Geduldick, and Jake Morrison, and technical support from Jean-Francois Panisset. It is licensed under the Creative Commons CC‑BY 4.0 Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format, including for commercial purposes, provided appropriate credit is given to the creator.
To view the Guide, visit: https://ves-on-set-data.org/
Join the VES for a webinar on May 12 to explore the Guide with some of its creators: https://vesglobal.org/event/webinar-introduction-to-ves-on-set-vfx-data-collection-and-usage-guide-online/
r/vfx • u/axiomatic- • Mar 15 '25
Subreddit Discussion Advice for Potential Students and Newcomers to the VFX Industry in 2025
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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:
- 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.
- 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
- 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.
- 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 • u/MysteriousPaper3640 • 7h ago
Showreel / Critique Evil Beam Ultimate | Unity 6.5 | Particle System
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r/vfx • u/Any-Mathematician273 • 1d ago
Question / Discussion how would y’all balance a 200sq meter water tank and 600 vfx shots on a hurricane film?
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i just finished watching surviving hurricane otis and started reading up on the film, on the practical side, they equipped a 200 square meter at churubusco, boats, fans, gimbals, and a water recycling setup and on the digital side, it packed 600 vfx shots, 300+ people across mexico, spain, india, korea and canada, along with a storyboard which was animated in unreal first which is all pretty cool but got me thinking hard on how an aspiring vfx enthusiast would handle the same so my question to you guys is:
Has anyone worked here on water sims before at this scale? I’d really love to know whether a tank plus gimbal approach saves time in the end or just moves the pain to compositing
r/vfx • u/Cultural-Cry-5149 • 1d ago
Question / Discussion Can someone answer a VFX question?
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I'm watching the making of The Mist. There's a few shots where a crew member is holding a puppet on a pole (the puppet was later replaced with CGI and the pole was removed digitally)
My question is what happens when the pole passes in front of an object in the frame, such as the "2" in the above image? Once the pole is removed, does the VFX team have to digitally recreate everything the pole was in front of in that scene, frame-by-frame?
r/vfx • u/Green_Card_215 • 13h ago
Question / Discussion Mac studio M5 max or Windows rtx 5080 + ryzen 9 for VFX and motion graphics
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r/vfx • u/ZealousidealAir4981 • 14h ago
Question / Discussion Where to buy mocap suit online
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Showreel / Critique Barad Dur - entrance bridge segment feedback
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Hi guys,
2 weeks ago I posted this segment for feedback here and got some really helpful insights, mostly about the darks and contrast.
I've since worked on lots of improvements including - color correction, 2 lightning sequences, lots of more volumetrics and other small tweaks.
I think I'm now close to calling this segment done and move on to the next part of the shot where the camera stars going up the tower.
Before I do, I would love to hear if you think there are more things to improve in post here.
r/vfx • u/Serious_Meaning5220 • 18h ago
Showreel / Critique Doctor Who - The Daleks' Master Plan | Coronas Of The Sun - Classic Version
youtu.be
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r/vfx • u/Clean_Juice • 1d ago
Question / Discussion BorisFX wtf?
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I have a couple of yearly subscriptions from them so I haven't dealt with their purchasing system for a couple of months. Now as all of you know working in our industry right now is no fucking cake walk, the deadlines and budgets are tight. So here I am working over the weekend on the project and I wanted to add a final touch and have a nicer audio in a WiP that I've got to send out today in a couple of hours. I wanted to buy a crumple pop plugin to go the extra mile and deliver something closer to finished product for client review. This is when BorisFX decided to show me a big fat middle finger. Not only I suddenly have to wait a day to get my license, I also can't contact support via chat window cause it's no longer there. Why do so many products go to shit? (this is a rhetoric question, answer is obviously money).
r/vfx • u/uzornayem • 1d ago
Question / Discussion What to specify for sensor size, etc, in SynthEyes for GH5?
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Hi,
The GH5 is a Micro Four Thirds camera with sensor size 17.3 mm × 13.0 mm. I have video file shot as 4K 25 fps. Here is EXIF below. For starters, what do we consider as focal length for these crop sensor cameras? Do I have to think about various factors or do I simply specify 12 mm as shown below? Or do I specify the 35mm equivalent shown as 26 mm?
What about the scale factor of 2.2? Does this factor in anywhere in SynthEyes?
Also when opening the first file in the video's image sequence, Synth Eyes is showing sensor size as 24.9 x 14.1 mm. Is that just some default or is it reading EXIF data and making an estimation?
Anyway, just want to make sure I give SynthEyes the most precise info possible...
thanks
Aperture : 8.0
Blue Balance : 1.978516
Image Size : 3840x2160
Megapixels : 8.3
Red Balance : 2.168945
Scale Factor To 35 mm Equivalent: 2.2
Shutter Speed : 1/50
Create Date : 2024:05:01 23:52:37.134+01:00
Date/Time Original : 2024:05:01 23:52:37.134+01:00
Modify Date : 2024:05:01 23:52:37.134+01:00
Lens Type : Lumix G X Vario 12-35mm F2.8 II Asph. Power OIS
Advanced Scene Mode : Unknown (0 10)
Avg Bitrate : 399 Mbps
Rotation : 0
Circle Of Confusion : 0.014 mm
Field Of View : 69.4 deg
Focal Length 35mm Equiv : 12.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 26.0 mm)
Hyperfocal Distance : 1.30 m
Lens ID : Lumix G X Vario 12-35mm F2.8 II Asph. Power OIS
r/vfx • u/Shazeus1337 • 22h ago
Unverified information I Made A Free And Fully Open Sourced Tracery 2 Alternative Plugin "Linear".
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Hey guys, about two weeks ago I saw a trailer for Tracery 2 on YouTube. I watched it and really liked it, but when I checked the price I was honestly shocked. $60 for a plugin that mainly does tracking, colors, boxes, lines and labels on videos felt crazy to me.
So I opened Claude and Codex and started working on a few prototypes. After 3–4 days it actually started looking pretty good, then I published it on GitHub with the full source code. Since then it’s gotten even better.
It works great for me in Premiere, but it’s still a bit unoptimized in After Effects. I’m working on that and still trying to make the plugin better overall.
I hope you guys like it. If there’s anything you want changed, if you find a bug or have an idea that could make it better just let me know. I’d love to hear your feedback and I’ll try my best to fix and improve everything.
Much love <3
shz
The main features right now are:
- RGB, HSV and Lab color detection, plus motion detection or a combination of both
- Basic, Adaptive, Cinematic and Predictive tracking/smoothing modes
- Rectangle, corner bracket and ellipse tracking boxes with nine different marker styles
- Six network modes with straight, curved, stepped and PCB-style connections, dashed lines and arrowheads
- Simple and Cartesian measurement grids with axes, values and node projections
- Custom labels with track IDs, dimensions, confidence, custom text, Windows fonts, panels, shadows and leader lines
- Solid, hatch, crosshatch, invert, X-Ray and duotone region fills
- Orbit and contour paths with repeatable rings, boxes, arrows and ticks
- Fully independent colors, opacity, thickness and sizing for every visual element
- Full, half and quarter-resolution analysis while keeping the final output at full resolution
It’s completely open source, built in native C++ and currently available for Premiere Pro and After Effects on Windows. You can find the source code and the latest release here: github.com/shazeus/linear
Breakdown / BTS "Notes from the Underground" - VFX Breakdown - Blender, AE, Resolve (no AI)
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A VFX breakdown from my music video "The River, the Shore".
2+ years in the making, the music video combines real footage with Blender composited in After Effects and Resolve - with many scenes being fully CG!
Full music video in the link below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrrZCnXuPCs&lc=UgxA5OVrazcW0YI43B54AaABAg
Let me know what you think :)
No generative AI was used for this work.
r/vfx • u/No_Relative_4273 • 1d ago
Question / Discussion Which Degree Is More Useful for an FX Artist: BSc Animation, Design, BCA or BTech? Especially for Working Abroad
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Hi everyone,
I'm planning my long-term career as a Houdini FX Artist and would like advice from people working in the VFX industry, especially those working abroad.
I'm confused about which degree would be the most useful alongside developing strong Houdini skills and building a professional showreel.
I'm considering these options:
- BSc Animation or a related design degree
- BCA (Computer Applications)
- BTech in Computer Science or a related technical field
My questions are:
For an FX Artist career: Do studios care about which degree you have, or are your showreel, technical skills, and production experience more important?
For becoming an FX TD: Would a BCA or BTech provide a meaningful advantage because of programming, mathematics, and computer science fundamentals?
Working abroad: If I eventually want to work in countries like Canada, the UK, Australia, or other major VFX hubs, which degree would be more useful for employment opportunities and work visa eligibility?
Career flexibility: If I later want to transition from VFX into software development, pipeline TD work, or another technical role, would a computer science degree make that transition easier?
Real-world experience: For those already working internationally, has your degree significantly affected your hiring opportunities or career progression?
I'm trying to choose a degree that supports my FX career while also keeping future technical career options open.
I'd appreciate honest advice based on your actual studio experience, especially from people who have studied these degrees or moved abroad for work.
Thanks!
r/vfx • u/PresentIntelligent17 • 16h ago
Question / Discussion Isn't AI VFX way better than bad VFX these days?
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Don't know if this is going to get me crucified here or if it's the right place to ask, but everyone is talking about AI slop when VFX slop has been a thing for as long as VFX has existed. Especially annoying is the VFX slop where you feel that the VFX wouldn't even be needed. Like sometimes when doing a slow-mo of a coffee cup that falls and breaks, etc.
I'm just very curious about what you experts think? As I understand it, there are problems controlling AI video generation, and the outcome might be other than the director's exact ambitions.
The reason I'm asking this is after I saw the tiger scene in Gentlemen season 2, and it looked so bad. It feels like when you watch a movie and the acting is so bad that it breaks the illusion.Animals just seem to be the hardest to do well with VFX.
And also I do understand that most of VFX slop wasn't supposed to be that bad, but they had time/money constraints.
r/vfx • u/MatthewBCdirector • 1d ago
Jobs Offer VFX Artist needed for rotoscoping/compositing (Revshare and/or skill swap)
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Hi there. I’m a writer/director trying to get a microbudget indie horror film finished. Great cast/ performances and the footage shoots well beyond the paltry budget I had for it. The problem is that I was too ambitious and opted for several scenes that needed VFX instead of doing everything in-camera.
I have a 3D artist working on the film but I’m looking to bring another artist(s) on to help rotoscoping and prep footage, potentially working on compositing and clean-up also. I’m ideally looking for someone to come on for backend % or skill swap (do you have an idea you want someone to write for you, for example, or need someone to direct or produce something you’re working on?)
If you feel we could help each other out, reach out and let’s talk.
r/vfx • u/Mountain_Exchange790 • 1d ago
Question / Discussion Looking to Pivot into VFX, is this a good desicion?
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Hi everyone! For context I am a 2D animator who is looking to pivot into real time VFX (Game VFX) and was wondering what would be a good starting point to learn. I'm looking to purchase at least a month of vfxapprenticeship and I've also seen CGHOW on youtube. Besides that I've just been looking at Artstation and finding whatever tutorials online.
I wonder if there are any VFX communities besides reddit online where I can show some of my beginner work to get some feedback, I'm also looking for like a study buddy or like a couple of people who are down to just learn VFX together!
Does anyone know any other resources to look out for besides that?
And does anyone personally do mentoring for VFX like a tutor!
Thank you for the help!
EDIT: Thank you all for the responses and your input! I know its currently a tough time but I genuinely do appreciate all the help!
r/vfx • u/CCIR_601 • 1d ago
News / Article Another entrant into the compositing software space. JOS Compositor
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r/vfx • u/Bitter-Pomelo-2345 • 2d ago
Question / Discussion The Hulk grows from 9ft to 12ft tall sequence What was the scene like to be animated?
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Here is a shot I found in Cinefex Magazine #94 (July 2003) of the shot where the Hulk grows from 9ft tall to 12ft fall and the screenshot from the Hulk 2003 video game movie short Hulk Movie F/X this shot was a pre viz raw render The top reads BH18----HULK----BH18 and the bottom reads CGHK-06166-27-November-02-PM you can see some tissue overlay of BH18 or (Banner Hulk) transformation concept by Robert MacKenzie dated 11/06/2002. You can see the underwear at the leg part ripping a bit as he grows.
r/vfx • u/bymathis • 2d ago
Question / Discussion Any ideas how Boiling Point by TAVO Studio was made? That depth to gradient look is insane
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My first guess was a depth map driving a color gradient, but the quality is way beyond what I usually get from estimated depth: super clean hair strands, crisp edges around lips and fingers, and the gradient seems to follow form and light rather than pure distance
r/vfx • u/uzornayem • 2d ago
Question / Discussion Where to find someone to do some basic animation compositing?
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Hi,
I have camera footage that I edited into a short film. At end I want to add some animation to be composited into the footage. Nothing crazy - no running, fighting, dancing.
There are two characters. I have the models already, and they are set to work in typical animation workflows. One is a 2 legged character, other is 4 legged. 4 legged character is metallic, so it doesn't need super detailed joint movement.
They will walk together, making basic gestures, like looking at each other, nodding, leaning over, putting arm on the other. The 4 legged character at one point will be shaking its head, opening its mouth like growling/shrieking. 2 legged character will sometimes laugh. At one point they will hop over a stream. I already have detailed description of exactly what they need to do when/where. There is one part that will involve some masking behind the footage, but for most part the characters will fully appear, no masking needed.
Total time that these animations will take place is about 40 seconds, good deal of it just the basic walking.
I am looking for actual animation, not some AI result. I need the animations to conform to the geometry of the scenes via camera solving. Lighting is outdoor, overcast, not much need for shadow catching as far as I can tell. Some scenes involve shaky camera, and I don't believe Adobe AE will work well. For camera solving I tend to get better results with dedicated program like Synth Eyes.
I am in Moscow, maybe someone knows how to seek out such work here, though of course I can work with anyone online.
Wanted to write about this sooner, to maybe get something by Halloween but I will understand if that already is not doable.
thanks
r/vfx • u/Failed_Actor • 3d ago
Breakdown / BTS Game Changer - Corridor Key 2.0
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Straight out of the box keying via the standalone app 🤯
I’m blown away by its possibility in postvis and indie vfx! 🤩
r/vfx • u/OldOneHadMyNameInIt • 2d ago
Showreel / Critique Please critique my Houdini FX reel. Confused if I should keep or remove the 2 personal project shots at the end
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I'm looking for job again and since Houdini FX is my strongest skill, I wanted to ask you guys could look at my reel and lmk what you think. Im especially worried that maybe having those 2 shots at 1min 21sec and 1min 31sec is a bad idea. Thank you!
P.S.
I've worked 3 years as a Houdini FX artist in the industry on projects like Halo, Home Alone 6, Rubble Trouble, etc in studios like Mr.X, MPC, Jam Filled (no etc).
For the past year I've been away from the VFX industry and been working as an editor, 3D artist, and instructor at a tech-ed startup (where I also play around a lot with gen AI).