Something is obviously going on with the visual effects industry, as duly noted on the Oscars this year. But does that truly mean we are in some sort of flux, or are we merely shifting? This year has been full of predictions and shifts, from Walt Disney and Paramount Pictures making $50 million dollars worth of expansions, to Spielberg and Lucas making the ominous prediction of a coming end of age for Blockbusters. One must wonder, what does this mean for the filmmaker? Not just the indie filmmakers, even the studio directors, are all involved this time. Are parts of the way film is done, dying out? Are they becoming obsolete, excess that can be done efficiently and properly?
This question remains to be answered, but it is most likely a yes, in my humble opinion. As an 18-year old filmmaker, I have obviously never touched true film cameras in my life, but has forever been a dream of mine, especially when I realized it was dying out. Now, the mere idea of film is unappealing to some, but to others its just a way of life. A usual process. Like other parts of the industry, the capture method is changing every day, with the focus now on 4k imagery and the like. Cameras are more affordable and more diverse than ever. It's obvious now, that film is dead, and only the true elite filmmakers have access to the last remaining precious film stocks on earth. So, that's one form of the industry that is died. Goodbye celluloid.
Not only has the capture method of film changed, but so has the ingestion and mastering of it. Some predict that in the next six years, the place of the Colorist may become obsolete as more productions take to the On-Set DIT and tools like Light Iron Digital's Lilypad. Why go to the Post House for coloring if they've got the image they want right on set? Personally, I truly don't know what to think. Post has been on the move to joining production for at least two years now.
I believe that these jobs such as the Colorist will not disappear, but be refocused, such as the colorist joining the on-set crew, as they still need his expertise. For now, the post production industry is in good hands and doing fine.
The last industry I want to cover, is probably the most underrated one of all, the VFX industry. Since I started out learning animation, I hold it the closest to my heart. There would be no memorable shark or t-rex, transformer or vampire without this industry bending over for everyone else. They toil countless hours to achieve near impossible action and visuals. Some fear that the outsourcing of vfx work is what is killing the industry, but the actual killer is the fact that there is near an overabundance of studios and not nearly enough work. Too many mini studios that make it difficult to manage and distribute work to properly. This industry is one of the best, and the only way to keep it alive, besides more films, is to become more streamlined, not so spread out and sparse. We make films shine, achieve impossible scenes, and inspire millions of dreams.
Of course, I have only covered the technical side of the industry in this article, but we cannot forget Walt Disney's mantra "Story is King". As the industry as a whole shifts and changes, we must remind ourselves of that goal and idea. No matter what happens to the gear or studios we use, we must always strive to make the most compelling stories as we possibly can. That is the real measure of success or failure for a film.
I'd like to leave you with this amazing video, detailing the sheer amount of vfx work done on the engrossing film The Great Gatsby. Enjoy:)
This question remains to be answered, but it is most likely a yes, in my humble opinion. As an 18-year old filmmaker, I have obviously never touched true film cameras in my life, but has forever been a dream of mine, especially when I realized it was dying out. Now, the mere idea of film is unappealing to some, but to others its just a way of life. A usual process. Like other parts of the industry, the capture method is changing every day, with the focus now on 4k imagery and the like. Cameras are more affordable and more diverse than ever. It's obvious now, that film is dead, and only the true elite filmmakers have access to the last remaining precious film stocks on earth. So, that's one form of the industry that is died. Goodbye celluloid.
Not only has the capture method of film changed, but so has the ingestion and mastering of it. Some predict that in the next six years, the place of the Colorist may become obsolete as more productions take to the On-Set DIT and tools like Light Iron Digital's Lilypad. Why go to the Post House for coloring if they've got the image they want right on set? Personally, I truly don't know what to think. Post has been on the move to joining production for at least two years now.
I believe that these jobs such as the Colorist will not disappear, but be refocused, such as the colorist joining the on-set crew, as they still need his expertise. For now, the post production industry is in good hands and doing fine.
The last industry I want to cover, is probably the most underrated one of all, the VFX industry. Since I started out learning animation, I hold it the closest to my heart. There would be no memorable shark or t-rex, transformer or vampire without this industry bending over for everyone else. They toil countless hours to achieve near impossible action and visuals. Some fear that the outsourcing of vfx work is what is killing the industry, but the actual killer is the fact that there is near an overabundance of studios and not nearly enough work. Too many mini studios that make it difficult to manage and distribute work to properly. This industry is one of the best, and the only way to keep it alive, besides more films, is to become more streamlined, not so spread out and sparse. We make films shine, achieve impossible scenes, and inspire millions of dreams.
Of course, I have only covered the technical side of the industry in this article, but we cannot forget Walt Disney's mantra "Story is King". As the industry as a whole shifts and changes, we must remind ourselves of that goal and idea. No matter what happens to the gear or studios we use, we must always strive to make the most compelling stories as we possibly can. That is the real measure of success or failure for a film.
I'd like to leave you with this amazing video, detailing the sheer amount of vfx work done on the engrossing film The Great Gatsby. Enjoy:)
The Great Gatsby VFX from Chris Godfrey on Vimeo.
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