NEXT-GEN Nescot Year 4 HND - Roles And responcibilities of the VFX and Motion Graphics Industries

For an upcoming Game Development project, we were tasked with researching the roles and responsibilities of the VFX and Motion Graphics industries for the development of a trailer relating to the game we have been tasked with developing.

The Roles and their Responsibilities in the VFX and Motion Grapics industry include:

·       Modellers / 3D Artists – they create 3D models for different parts of a VFX project or game, these can include environments, animals and characters. The modeller/3D Artist role most commonly works alongside Texture artists, animators and compositors.

·       VFX Artist – this role is responsible for creating CGI/digital effects such as water particles, explosions and the destruction of objects, walls and glass or other computer generated destruction.

·      Texture Artists – they create textures for models before they are added to the project scene, often, in the industry, these must be photo realistic, hwoever, depending on the project these textures may have a more stylised appearance. Texture Artists also must be able to UV map models and characters for the textures to work and often work alongside Modellers/3D Artists.

·       Animators – once a rigged character/model has been created, the Animator role uses it to create various animations for the character/model relating to the context of the scene and project's style. For this they often work with previs artists, so they can more effectively create the full animation using correct camera angles relating to created concept art.

·       Compositors – this role takes on multiple recponsibilities. They add digital composites of objects, people and backgrounds into scenes and they often put multiple layers of composited scenes on top of each other, including digitally animated items. Therefore, compositors are typically tasked with creating the final image of a frame, sequence or shot; this is often done through taking digital elements and adding them to a scene such as animations or backgrounds, while adding special effects (SFX) to better create a believable image/video.

·       Motion Graphics Artists – they use visual designs and video to communicate a concept or some form of story. This role normally has people who have higher digital skills and are proficient with interactive media software including 3D animation and graphical design. Most often, this role is also used in creating 2D animation and drawings to be added into videos, often trailers. This makes sense scince Motion grapics artists are also normally involved in creating posters, trailers/commercials and title sequences, alongside other roles like the animators and concept artists, for marketing purposes.

·       Matte Painters – these often create a plane or panel that is either digital or physical (most often digital since technology has largly improved since the Matte Painting technique was created) used to show landscape or set piece that is most commonly placed in the background, this can be a 2D render of a 3D model/area or a simple image or drawing. As for the technique itself, Matte Painting was one of the first VFX techniques used regularly in movie making, originally being used in photography. However, it has evolved overtime from painted glass panels shown over a camera lens into being 2D plains/panels of entire 3D digital environments.

·       Rigging TDs – they create skeletion Riggs for 3D modeled animals, characters and other animatable items. This is so that the skeletal structure will allow the different joints and parts of the created model(s) to be re-positioned, animated and moved using the character’s (or object's) rigged skeleton.

·       Lighting TDs – they create the lighting for the digital environments and scenes. Often, people with this role go to places and areas with similar lighting or the real life locations to better examine the lighting in the area and any added lighting that is used. This is to better merge the digital lighting with real existing lighting.

·       Roto Artists – they rotoscope objects and characters into different scenes (often these are filmed people or items in front of a greenscreen) so that they can be added into a scene without having the background of the original shot show. This is normally done with a filmed green screen background, however, it can also be done with a blue screen.

·       Pipeline TDs – create a pipeline of events and tasks for the different roles and processes they undertake. This role also ensures a smooth rendition of workflows and sometimes provides technical support to other roles in the industry.

·       VFX Supervisors – they are involved in the production of computer-generated imagery in either animation or VFX. They are practically always interlinked with the modelling, animation, rigging and texturing roles. Most VFX supervisors have specialised skills in certain areas, typically for their area of management.

·       VFX Producers – they manage all aspects of the project. This role typically involves planning and scheduling resources, monitoring work during the production processes and managing the VFX teams.

·       MatchMovers / Matchmove Artists – they integrate CGI/VFX into live action footage and normally is linked with the Roto TD and compositor roles. MatchMoving is often referred to as motion tracking and is mostly used in the film industry, using tracking suits and green screens.

·       Concept Artists – they create initial ideas and images of characters, environments, animals and camera angles for film and animation. They are also sometimes responsible for parts of story direction.

·       Layout TDs – they are responsible for determining the layout and position of the camera/virtual camera and the positions of items and charaters within the final scene. This role mostly works with the concept artists, animators and modellers.

·       Runners – they are effectively all-purpose helpers in a VFX studio, doing a variety of similar jobs to that of an intern or apprenticeship. Runners are responsible for delivering materials and messages between departments, as well as often organising meetings and schedules. A runner is typically a entry level position and is often considered to be a route into VFX artist roles, with opportunities to learn about those positions and different skills in the industry. In other studios, runners are seen as the entry point into production management. Some companies might assign runners a mentor and give them training tasks.

·       Previs Artists – this role is responsible for creating the previsualization of what the final product should look like. This is to enable the production team to realisticaly organise or visualise scenes in a more consistant manner. Most often this role works alongside Lighting TDs, Look Dev artists and animators.

·       Look Dev Artists – they are responsible for defining the appearance of computer-generated creatures or objects in order to ensure that all the digital art in the film, TV program or CGI project is consistent. For example, when a concept artist draws an alien, the Look Dev artist would work out how the alien's skin would look like in different conditions, such as when it's raining, or dark, or how it would look when the creature is angry. Look Dev artists typically work alongside lighting TDs and texture artists to better establish the different appearances and balance the process of texturing, lighting and rendering to match reference images and real footage.

·       Effects Technical Directors – they create effects for VFX artists to use in their sequences; such as billowing smoke, explosions and rushing water. They also write computer language scripts that generate the effects. FX TDs create test software tools for the VFX artists to use, making it significantly easier for VFX artists to create different effects for different areas of a project.

 

·       Prep Artists – these are responsible for cleaning up backgrounds of live action-footage so that they would be ready for the effects to later be layererd onto it by the Compositer. Also they are responsible for making sure no unwanted equipment is shown in the scene, for example: boom mics and other stage equipment. This role often mixes with Matte Painters as they have very similar functions.

 

·       Compositing Supervisors – they are in charge of the department responsible for putting together the different elements of the VFX shots. Managing compositers and checking their work's quality. They are responsible for ensuring the continuity of colour and placement between shots.

Overall, I believe this research will prove helpful because it could then be used to help me make my game trailer, by outlining the different processes and responsibilities I have and allowing me to find the easiest and quickest course of action for the creation of the trailer.