Global VP Solutions

Is it possible to subtweet on Linkedin? Let’s find out.. I wanted to write something after a recent post about ICVFX did the rounds. And I wanted to write about it because it’s an example of the thinking that seeks to create an ‘us and them’ mentality around any new technology or innovation. So let me try to break down why I’d love to see us look at this a different way.. ICVFX is a tool. And it is a tool that is increasingly useful in the hands of people who have the experience, the ability and the context to be able to employ it most effectively. In other words, it’s a tool that becomes more effective, the more it is aligned to the right situation, the right facilities and the right people practising it. As with any tool, you get the best results when a quality tool is used by an experienced person in the right situation. You don’t see carpenters on here posting about how they are inherently pro-saw or anti-drill. They have the knowledge, comfort and the ability to pick what tool works best for the situation, and to know all of the variables that will go into making a great finished product with that exact tool. Carpenters don’t go around saying certain tools are useless to them. They want great tools of all types to be readily available, because they know that each could help them create the best product on any given day. ICVFX is no different. ‘For or against’ discussions like this obscure the nuance in the margins, leading people to believe the decision is quite binary. Often, people leave conversations like that too intimidated to try something that might be perfect for their needs because of the blunt views shared. Or equally problematic, thinking something is perfect for them when it’s actually not. Through these broad strokes, they also miss out on the tapestry of smaller reasons why you might employ something like ICVFX. It’s about the atmosphere on set, it’s about the performances, the collaboration and the decisions you make because you can see what you’re getting right in front of you. It’s about the reflections and micro-details scattered throughout every frame that sell your vision as real life. It’s about the ideas that wouldn’t be possible any other way. And individual results do vary... ((Read on for the rest at the article link below, because I can't keep to a word limit..))

🚨 TL:DR - I’m excited to tackle a big new challenge - Global Director of Business Development at NantStudios - and I'll be moving to Los Angeles soon too! Read all about it below... (Full story at the link below) ...I can't wait to get stuck in... 🙌 *************** Ever since I started working in and around Virtual Production, I’ve approached it from the perspective of an independent consultant. And in terms of an introduction, you probably couldn’t ask for a better one. I’ve been fortunate enough to get to know people across the world that have lent their skills towards building volumes, creating real time content and bringing these two threads together on-set to deliver an exceptional outcome. I’ve loved meeting producers, directors and DoPs that see value in this approach, and studio execs that are keen to implement it into their vocabulary and planning. The film commissioners, keen to see this kind of work happening in their region, and the politicians that have found value in the skills it can build within the ranks of their constituents. Even the production traditionalists have been enjoyable to speak to about VP, because their caution and candour always comes from a place of deep passion for the medium. Being independent certainly allowed me to have a wide range of experiences within the industry. But there are also difficulties in doing it alone. Innovation is hard to do from the outside looking in. Major projects are hard to helm with a small footprint. But more than all that, it’s a lot more fun and a lot more rewarding working as part of a team. That’s why I am excited to reveal that I have just joined NantStudios, as their Global Director of Business Development! (...Read on at the link below to hear more about the move and my goals for the position...)

As everyone in the production world is aware, projects are still thin on the ground, budgets are tight, and there is more scrutiny on how every dollar is spent. So it’s not surprising to see some consolidation happening in specialty roles. In an ideal world, productions looking to use ICVFX for over, say, 40% of their schedule would have a VP HoD oversee the process. Anything under that would ideally have an advisor to provide oversight & a considered strategy. (The exception to this is if we’re just talking a minor amount of ‘non-hero’ sim travel, etc.) The reason I recommend this is because it becomes too big of an execution risk to leave it unassigned or sitting under someone without direct knowledge of the space. It leads to doing more VP than necessary, less than economically warranted, using the wrong approach, or having it go off the rails through bad vendor choices or management. In any case, the issues & rectifications cost many times more than that one wage ever would have. I’ve noticed Ops or VAD teams now commonly offering to provide this advice for free. This is undoubtedly valuable, as long as you also keep in mind that it will generally also be aligned to the best interests of the vendor - suggesting approaches that play into their strengths or within their technical limitations, showing off a capability that is strategically advantageous, or maximising their profit across the project. Sifting through this noise for nuggets of helpful advice is important. In the recent past, studios used to provide much of this support internally - ensuring a consistent playbook and safety net for all. However many (not all…) have pulled back on this, cutting teams and allowing productions to make their own calls. Creatively, that might sound good, and it’s certainly good for reducing overhead costs within the studio, a number closely scrutinised by investors. However it leads to role consolidation, a vacuum of advice and a reliance on operator/VAD advice I mentioned earlier. It also means lessons aren’t always shared, meaning they’re often repeated. Finally, if a production doesn’t feel like they can justify client-side VP support, it usually falls on the VFX supe. This can go very well or very badly, depending on their outlook, attitude & experience. But as a general rule, I’d say it’s fraught with danger in the form of misaligned incentives, as their budget is calibrated around providing support during prod and post, not pre. And many savings found when using VP effectively are not realised through the post budget, but rather in physical prod, construction or logistics. This means that a VFX supe needs to voluntarily take on costs & additional responsibilities outside of their direct comfort zone to save other depts money. A holistic approach to budgeting & management would mean better decisions for the production overall. But changing how productions are budgeted seems akin to fighting gravity, so we'll make do with a VP HoD.

Have a listen below! (From the start ideally, because some genius linked to it from the end...)

Good points from Simon Pulman below on the State of Unreal chat this morning. But another interesting thing popped out to me too.. One of the big, yet subtle focuses of the presentation was how well UE could handle quality linear content, played at real time. We had the Skydance Interactive team showing off the level of detail of their Marvel Entertainment 1943 game (coming in 2025). On stage they demonstrated live simulcam in engine to show how the closeups and performances hold up in a way that was never possible with game ready assets before. Then we saw Greig Fraser talking through how UE was instrumental in previs of Dune 2 - leading to a better result when filmed traditionally while also feeding into the game's development with Funcom. As he said, UE is bringing the threads together, so games and linear content are becoming one process, one platform, one skillset. Let's play that forward a little from there, though. What's to stop the Fortnite/UEFN platform slowly but surely becoming a streaming service for the next generation of media fans, that want to watch stories about their favourite IP in the same place they can play them as well. All the tools are there - and the audience is there. UEFN essentially gives instant audience/distribution to any creator that wants it. Right now that's being aimed at games - soon it might be linear storytellers, too. And that quickly leads us to UEFN becoming a service akin to YT on steroids, with both games and linear content, on top of a thriving marketplace and socialisation... or to put it another way, a democratised Netflix competitor with engagement, identity and an economy at it's heart. (As well as Disney..) Crazy to think how this could shift the current paradigm...

A bit of insight into how we work! >>

New name, new challenges!

About a year or so ago, I made an ICVFX flowchart that aimed to help producers begin to understand when to deploy it, and when not to. It was super well received - and I still meet people all over the world who found it useful and have it pinned up somewhere - which is amazing. Recently I was doing a panel, and Ahren Morris mentioned it might need an update as techniques have changed and improved. So today I set about giving it a little ol' 2024 freshen up. You can see V2 below - and if comparing - you might notice this one is a little less prescriptive. Mostly, that's because a lot more is possible in VP! Now, it's more about how you approach it, rather than a strict list of do's and don't's. This version also wraps in a few points about experience and attitude, which are critical to success, too. Have a read and save it somewhere if helpful. If you'd like a high res download, just head to the link below - and it would be great if you could give it a quick repost so others can find it, too. https://lnkd.in/gWkM5YEF

Another day, another post that somehow turned into an article. This one goes into the value of simplicity in VP, the increasing value of 2.5D workflows and why more productions should consider deploying VP. Also included is a repost of my old ICVFX flavour chart, and a subtle dig at the US healthcare system. Cheers!