VFX Supervisor
A VFX supervisor is responsible for achieving the creative aims of the director or producers through the use of visual effects in the context of film and television production. It is up to them to make sure the technical and artistic quality of the finished shots is of the standard agreed on with the Director and other production staff.
A VFX Supervisor is brought into a film or TV project at its earliest stages. They will work directly with the director and producer. They will usually be present on location whilst the scenes are filmed to ensure that sufficient and suitable material is captured in a way that can be used by a VFX Artist and that it meets quality standards
In post-production, the VFX Supervisor will oversee the addition of effects to every shot of the film, based on any last minute changes that the Director wishes to make. Once the Director is happy with the final product, the VFX team will begin the final renders. Following this, the VFX Supervisor will maintain communications between the Director and the production team.
For most of VFX Supervisors, they may begin their career with being a runner or other jobs in VFX industry. After years of experience, they may become a VFX Supervisor.
Here is a video and interview introducing the role of a VFX Supervisor and how the job is.
What’s the role of a VFX Supervisor? – YouTube
7 Questions With VFX Supervisor Daniel Kramer – YouTube
Data Capture Technician
A Data capture techinician is responsible for capturing and organising all data from a movie shoot. This data will be used significantly by teams in the VFX studio to add the visual effects afterwards. They take photographs of the set and the way the cameras are positioned. On top of that, the information of cameras they need to collect may include the type of lens type being used, its focal length, filters, focus and color temperature. Here is a reference which introduces the responsibilities a data capture technician may take.
Specifically, a data capture technician needs to know how to use a total station. Here are videos introducing the total stations.
Intro to Total Stations – YouTube
Compositor
Compositors integrate real-life footage with CGI to make the final film look as realistic as possible. They put all the characters, objects, footages and any other 3D elements in a scene to appear as one cohesive image and shot. Their responsibilities may include achieving simple to complex compositing tasks at all stages of the production process including pre-comps, temp composites, 2D tracking, 2D effects, extractions, selection and integration of elements, and color grading.
Here is an example photo of how a compositor works. After all the elements are created, they are sent to the compositor, then the compositors use their sticks and skills to make the scene looks real. So, it is good for compositors to watch and study the reality, for instance, how the light interacts and how the camera films.
The purpose of compositing is to visually depict things outside the reality of an image. Compositing is often best suited for building worlds that would otherwise be impossible to create in a practical fashion.
In the following video, it explains how the team used compositing to build an otherworldly feel in Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
Compositing Live Action with CG Rendered Footage | Charmaine, Senior Compositor, ILM – YouTube
“We want to put people in a world that doesn’t exist and make it relatable for them.” – Charmaine, Senior Compositor at ILM.
An example of showreels by a compositor:
CGI & VFX Showreels: “Digital Compositing Breakdown Reel” – by Balázs Sántha – YouTube
Compositing supervisor
Compositing supervisors oversee the VFX team’s compositing work and provide technical and artistic leadership for the team. They supervise each step of the department to ensure that it meets the concepts, the style, the quality of the production required for VFX projects and to constraints of other departments.
Compositing supervisors work with the compositors in their teams. They may also work with VFX Supervisors, CG supervisors and other producers to establish the production priorities and methods of work.
To become a compositing supervisor, previous experience in a leadership role is really important. You need to have excellent communication skills and deep understanding of film VFX processes and pipeline. Moreover, you need to work well under pressure and have proven artist management and leadership skills. Some companies may also require people to have extensive experience with VFX compositing, tracking, grading , roto work, prep, cleanup, standards, technical and software expertise, image formats, film and photographic principles. Therefore, it is really hard to be a compositing supervisor and to done the job well.
Examples of works in film and artist reel:
2012 | Compositing Supervisor – YouTube
Flame Artist reel, Compositing Vfx Supervisor | Reel 2016 – YouTube