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Visual Effects Companies in NY and Elsewhere
Meghan Eckman asks: "I am wondering what Visual Effects companies there are which strive to bring filmmaking up to the cutting edge of technology. Particularly, I am interested in the visual effects similar to those used in 'The Matrix' (such as the virtual camera set-up). I am a fourth year University student with Linux, programming, and digital media experience, but with a strong desire to go into the filmmaking industry, particularly in New York. I'd like to combine my technical and media skills to create stunning visual effects for the next generation of filmmaking. Where should I look?"
Ahhh... I too want to be an effects animator. The primary Special Effects house that was called into service for The Matrix was Manex, formerly MVFX. The special effects team was headed by the mighty master John Gaeta.
In New York, which is where I believe you said you wanted to work you will find Click 3x, among a host of others. They are the fellows who worked on Breakfast of Champions.
The best resource on the internet to find out about Special Effects is www.VFXpro.com
There are job postings, articles on techniques and tools, locations of major houses, and interviews with famous artists.
Good Luck! It's a harsh and challenging world out there!
No really. I'm being honest here. Ad's are ever increasingly using computer graphics for one purpose or another, and begining to do really complex scenes with it. And ad agencies are all over New York.
From all I understand, getting into the big time movie houses requires a lot. Joining a smaller group, and doing well with something like tv ads, should allow you to advance into other genres a few years down the road. People watch tv everyday. Imagine walking into an interview and having your future boss say, "you did that? wow."
Maybe ad agency's don't do the work themselves, but sub contract. So find out who they subcontract too, and apply.
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Side Effects Software has ported Houdini to Linux. Houdini has been used to produce the special effects in The Matrix, Armageddon, X-Files etc.
Of course Houdini costs about $17,000. But this does mark the beginning of a graphics industry that's migrating towards a top quality and affordable OS.
There's an article about this in the October issue of Linux Journal.
It seems odd to me that the locations of a lot of the new up and coming Special Effects firms are in areas not traditionally noted for their technology. Look at the Matrix FX, done in Sydney (Australia) and Hercules & Xena's FX are done in New Zealand.
IMHO I think this is because the governments of these smaller coutries are realising how to get ahead in the ever changing world and are promtoing technology and so there are a lot of talented people coming through with new ideas - and these are being noticed by film companies.
In the late 70's and through much of the 80's, it was one of the premiere facilities in the world for computer graphics research, development, and production. At one time or another, we had Ed Catmull, Tom Duff, Alvy Ray Smith, (who went to Lucasfilm to found the computer division, and later became Pixar) Pat Hanrahan, Paul Heckbert, and Rebecca Allen (now leading professors) Lance WIlliams, me, and a whole bunch of other people now working in Visual FX, and Jim Clark (who needs no introduction).
We were located in the most serene environment you can imagine, an old mansion on acres of gardens, in the hills of Old Westbury, Long Island. We were all working our hearts out, but having a great time, exploring a field that didn't yet exist.
The Big Project that we had was something called The Works, a story written by Lance Williams. It was to be the first fully CG film. Sadly, while we knew quite a bit of computer graphics theory, we knew very little about the process and structure of moviemaking. When the story of the not-making of the works is written, it will be a tragedy of unrealized hope and expectations.
Anyway, the Lab finally foundered for a number of reasons, but the biggest one is that once the research had proved itself, people left to found companies to actually make money in the field. A former employee went by the facility many years ago; and saw the entire library of 2 inch videotapes we had made in the trash bin...
No help now, but it's interesting to know that NY was once the center of the field.
thad
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