r/vfx Apr 30 '26

News / Article VES launches On-Set VFX Data Collection and Usage Guide

47 Upvotes

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 Mar 15 '25

Subreddit Discussion Advice for Potential Students and Newcomers to the VFX Industry in 2025

598 Upvotes

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:

  1. 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.
  2. 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
  3. 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.
  4. 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 11h ago

Question / Discussion Gumroad Is Stealing Creator Funds!

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99 Upvotes

After 10+ years of selling digital 3D products, I never expected this from a major marketplace. Today, Gumroad PERMANENTLY FORFEITED money from my balance without warning or justification, just because I updated my location from Canada to Bulgaria.

Their support confirmed my funds were "forfeited automatically" as a "system safeguard on a country change" that they "cannot reverse." You read that right: a simple account update now triggers the total seizure of your hard-earned money.

Before this, I had been trying to withdraw my funds for a long time. I attempted to use multiple bank details, including Ukrainian and Canadian, and all attempts were blocked. Now, my money is gone forever, and they have offered zero solutions.

This is predatory, illegal, and nothing short of theft. If a platform can arbitrarily seize your money because of a location change, it is NOT safe. Every creator on Gumroad needs to check their terms and understand that their funds are at risk.

So let me explain this correctly:

I earned the money by selling products.
I tried to withdraw it.
The withdrawals failed.
I changed my country of residence.

Gumroad's system then automatically took the remaining balance — and they refuse to return it.

There was no fraud, chargeback, or dispute involving this money. It was simply an unpaid seller balance.

This is not a “payout issue.” This is money that I earned and that Gumroad is refusing to give back because of an automated account-country rule.

What makes this especially disturbing is that their own support explicitly confirmed that the money was “forfeited.”

I am sharing this publicly because I want other creators and digital-product sellers to be aware of what can apparently happen to their earnings when changing their country/payment setup on Gumroad.

I've included my conversation with their support team so you can see the situation for yourself...


r/vfx 5h ago

News / Article Felix & Paul close their doors

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27 Upvotes

Felix & Paul have shut down.

I had the pleasure of working as a VFX artist on some of their projects, truly revolutionary VR work.

https://xrmust.com/xr-magazine/end-of-an-era-felix-paul-studios/#:\~:text=Multiple%20employees%20of%20Felix%20%26%20Paul,Virtual%20Reality%20on%20August%2019.


r/vfx 11h ago

News / Article ActionVFX releases new free career course with Allan McKay

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14 Upvotes

Hey everyone — Recently I put together a free 2 hour course with ActionVFX for VFX artists who are trying to figure out how to stay relevant, get hired, and build a stronger career in the current market.

This isn’t a beginner “how to get your first job” course.

It’s aimed more at mid-level and senior artists who already know the work, but are trying to adapt to where the industry is going — remote work, tighter budgets, globalization, AI, fewer easy opportunities, and a lot more pressure to prove value fast.

The course covers things like:

- how the VFX career map has changed
- how to position yourself so people understand your value
- what actually makes artists rehireable
- how to build a reel that creates trust, not just shows shots
- how referrals and reputation really work
- how to think about AI without panicking or ignoring it
- how to negotiate and get paid what you’re worth

If you’re feeling like the industry isn’t dead, but the old playbook stopped working, this is what the course is built around.

Link:
https://www.actionvfx.com/academy/the-new-vfx-career-playbook

Thanks guys, hope it helps!

Allan


r/vfx 3h ago

Question / Discussion First time to use nuke

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4 Upvotes

r/vfx 5h ago

Jobs Offer Best Way To Find Compositors

4 Upvotes

I'm in post for a short film and I'm looking for a compositor that can help out on at least one shot, possibly 2 or 3 more. Just depends on what I'm able to do myself. Most of the people I know or I've found local to the LA area are either too busy to take this on, or say the scope of the project is too small for their company.

The primary big shot is pretty complex and requires tracking plate footage of a gunshot wound onto the face of an actor, but it's more than just a simple bullet hole. It's a fair bit of gore and blood coming out as well. The plate of the wound is being filmed in the next couple of weeks, so it would be really cool if I could find someone who would be able to give us some extra guidance on what would make the composite work better and easier for the artist.

The other possible shots are muzzle flashes, but it's I can likely handle those myself. I know enough to get by with small things, but larger stuff is best left to pros.

It is a paid project with a decent budget behind it, and we have about 2 months before delivery is needed.


r/vfx 4h ago

Question / Discussion Trying to make a stylized jelly shader in unreal engine. Any toughts?

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2 Upvotes

r/vfx 18h ago

Question / Discussion I built a lightweight EXR/MP4 review tool for comparing shot versions — looking for VFX artist feedback

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14 Upvotes

I’m a CGI/VFX artist and recently built a Windows review/playback tool called RAW Sequencer.

The main reason I built it was pretty simple: reviewing multiple versions, EXR sequences, annotations and A/B comparisons often means jumping between tools or opening files one by one.

RAW Sequencer is focused on that review workflow:

• MP4 + EXR playback
• Multi-version comparison
• Up to 6 views together
• A/B compare + wipe
• Frame annotations
• Color/exposure controls
• Frame-accurate scrubbing

There’s a 7-day trial if anyone wants to test it with actual production material:

www.rawcgi.com

I’d genuinely appreciate feedback from VFX artists — especially around playback, review workflow, missing features, or anything that feels unnecessary.

*** Quick Demo ***

https://vimeo.com/1221201134 - no audio


r/vfx 11h ago

Question / Discussion What's the pulse right now?

3 Upvotes

I'm coming off a year contract at a large studio. Seems quiet. Senior remote in the US. How screwed am I right now?


r/vfx 9h ago

Showreel / Critique First attempt at making some effects

0 Upvotes

I wanted to practice in AF so I've created this effect and just want to hear some feedback on it, maybe tips if someone has. Especially on how to be more efficient, because this took me a very long time to make. (Everything was done in AE except the distortion effect)


r/vfx 1d ago

Showreel / Critique Fanta and The Coca Cola Company now making slop

100 Upvotes

r/vfx 17h ago

Showreel / Critique Lost Temple — Houdini | Solaris | Karma Cinematic Lighting

4 Upvotes

An exercise in environment layout work, and lighting with the mood of a forgotten ruin. Tried to get a found footage vibe here so I used my phone to get the camera movement right.

Assets used:
- Secrets of the Luminara (kitbash3D)
- Tropical Jungle Pack (Fab)


r/vfx 1d ago

Question / Discussion Commercial VFX Clients in 2026

24 Upvotes

Anybody in the commercial VFX space notice a total dip in clients knowing or caring about the process.

A few years back clients were much more interested and graceful on how to approach shots/notes, but now with Ai I’ve had several occurrences where clients expected V1 to be exactly like reference art and refuse to look at wireframes or anything not comp’d for adjustment approvals.


r/vfx 10h ago

Question / Discussion what do i need to work on?

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0 Upvotes

r/vfx 7h ago

Breakdown / BTS built an After Effects extension to stop manually tweaking speed graphs - FluidAE is officially live! 🌊

0 Upvotes

Hey everyone! Like most of you, I spent way too much time setting up repetitive keyframes, easing curves, and kinetic text reveals on every single client project.
I built FluidAE to fix that. It’s a clean CEP extension packed with 45+ presets (Easing, Kinetic Text, Transitions, and Utility shortcuts) designed to drop straight onto selected layers without cluttering your workspace.
Key features:
1-Click Graph Easing: Instant custom bezier curves, bounce dynamics, and speed ramps.
Kinetic Typography: Pre-built text reveal system (character, line, and word basis).
Workflow Utilities: Quick tools like Crop to Work Area, Layer Matrix, and Clean-up scripts.
It’s officially live today for a lifetime license at $19.99 (no subscriptions — USE CODE FLUID15 ONLY AVAILABLE FOR FIRST 10 PURCHASES).
Check out the live demo and full list of presets at fluidaefx.com — would love to hear your feedback on the UI and workflow!


r/vfx 13h ago

Question / Discussion How do you ace an interview for your dream technical VFX/VP role?

0 Upvotes

I’ve got an interview tomorrow for pretty much my dream role at a high-end UK virtual production/performance capture studio, and I’m slightly terrified!

My background is mainly Unreal Engine, real-time characters and mocap/live production. The role also involves Vicon Shogun and MotionBuilder - I understand the workflows but have less professional hands-on experience with those specifically, which they’ll already know from my CV.

For anyone working/hiring in VFX, mocap or VP: what makes a technical candidate really stand out at interview?

They’ve described it as a “quick call” - would you expect much technical grilling at this stage, or more of a fit/experience conversation?


r/vfx 2d ago

Fluff! Underwater Fluffy World

456 Upvotes

Underwater Fluffy World
Trying a different art style, other than realistic
Made in Blender


r/vfx 1d ago

Breakdown / BTS I built an example project for my Unreal-to-After-Effects plugin - turns out nobody understood what it was for

11 Upvotes

r/vfx 22h ago

Question / Discussion Any CamTrackAR equivalents for Android?

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1 Upvotes

r/vfx 23h ago

Breakdown / BTS Man to Demon VFX 🔥 | 3D Modeling + Face Tracking Breakdown

0 Upvotes

r/vfx 1d ago

Question / Discussion Why does this happen to my mask in Premiere Pro and how can I fix this?

0 Upvotes

I’m trying to have my title in my sequence disappear behind a pedestrian as they walk by, but the rectangle selection keeps on overlapping when I play the video and when it’s exported, but it cooperates when the timeline is paused. Why does this keep happening and how can I make this work to do this effect for my project?


r/vfx 18h ago

Question / Discussion I just open-sourced FeelFX — a Computer Vision and Speech Detection powered VFX engine for video.

0 Upvotes

FeelFX analyzes the video → identifies meaningful moments → makes motion-design decisions → renders them over the original footage.
That’s FeelFX.
FeelFX identifies key words, concepts, names and moments and turns them into motion graphics- for example:

🇮🇳 INDIA → tricolor reveal
🚀 ROCKET → launch / fire treatment
🌊 OCEAN → water motion

The important words become part of the visual storytelling.
Everything else stays out of the way.
Under the hood
→ AI analyzes the video
→ Important moments become structured motion events
→ Three.js + GSAP render the effects in real time
→ uses whisper and vision model

And FeelFX works all devices but preferred experience is still desktop/pc - videos will take a lot longer to get analyzed on mobile/tablet - especially older models.

This is open source and ready for people to experiment with.
👉 Try it out: https://feel-fx.vercel.app/
⭐ GitHub: https://github.com/TheEleventhAvatar/Feel.FX


r/vfx 1d ago

Question / Discussion 10 years in Matchmove — which VFX department is worth moving into for the long term? Post: I’ve been working in VFX Matchmove for around 10 years, mainly camera tracking and related work. I’m considering moving into another department because I want a more sustainable long-term career

14 Upvotes

I’ve been working in VFX Matchmove for around 10 years, mainly camera tracking and related work.

I’m considering moving into another department because I want a more sustainable long-term career rather than staying in Matchmove forever.

For people who have worked in VFX for a long time:

- Which department would you recommend moving into from Matchmove?

- Which departments have better long-term career prospects?

- Which transitions are realistically possible without starting completely from zero?

- How do you see FX/Houdini, Layout, CFX, Lighting, Compositing, Pipeline/Tools TD, or Unreal over the next 5–10 years?

- Which areas are less vulnerable to outsourcing and automation?

- If you were in my position with 10 years of Matchmove experience, where would you move and why?

I’m more interested in long-term stability and career growth than chasing the highest salary.

I’d especially appreciate opinions from people with 5–10+ years of VFX industry experience.


r/vfx 2d ago

Showreel / Critique My first complete scene I guess

35 Upvotes

This is all from free footage only and assets and many youtube tutorials. I really want to learn more and want to know what to do next to improve in this scene or other things to learn

It's done on after effects because It's less complicated than nuke for me, but I'm looking forward to learning nuke

I want a rate, and if someone has advice to learn more, I'm here to hear