finally a little something from 47 Ronin

A few character based posters have been released for 47 Ronin starting Keanu Reeves - out later this year. I got a chance to work on this film last year whilst at Mill Film (now Milk). Only got a little taste of it, but the work i did get to do was very cool stuff... this poster 'may' ..... have something to do with that..... cant say any more!

Return to Framestore

So i thought i would write a quick article about what my first week back at Framestore has been like... since a few people expressed an interest in this on twitter (incidentally you can follow me @intelligentape). but before i delve in, a few things to clear up first.

 - I can not go into detail about the project I'm working on, or the nature of the work I'm doing, any reference to any work at, will be painted with the broadest of strokes - e.g I'm working on a creature, or a prop - that is about as detailed as its gonna get!

- secondly, a small bit of back history as to how I got here. I did indeed start my vfx film career at Framestore about 7 years ago (before then i was doing games and kids tv), since i left, I've been to passion pictures, Cinesite, MPC, mill film, the mill and The House of Curves - in short I've been around, and this is the first ever time I've returned to a company I've previously worked at. Don't intemperate that as a bad thing, its just a first for me, I certainly don't have objections to going back to a former employer, its just (for various reasons) never happened before. So this article is not just about a fresh start, but also about returning somewhere familiar, so its a bit of a contrast in that respect.

So - my first week at Framestore.. its been great! Starting with a new company can be daunting, even when you've worked for as many places as i have, and i still get jitters the night before, whats its going to be like, what will be the people be like? how much work will i be given? can i manage? i get these thoughts even now, and although some of these concerns have on occasion come to fruition, its rarely the case, the people are almost always very welcoming, and the workload is normally fresh and manageable  but in this case, its excelled my image of what my first few days would be like. Lots of faces both old and new, have been very welcoming - a few other guys are new starters too, which helps, but more than that people seem pleased to see me and that i'm starting, and that's always a great way to enter into a role, the fear is that you'll be taking someone's place or moving in on someone's territory, but not only is that not the case, its also not the impression anyone has instilled in this environment  Everyone i'm working with is charming and talented, and its one of these environments where your encouraged by others talents, rather than knocked down - I've already got plans for two new personal projects based on the inspiration of work I've seen from my new colleges!

next up - tech! now... this might strike you as boring, ...and well it is, but truth is, its a big issue. Have i been given the gear to do the job? when i started here seven years ago i was advised to get a good machine and keep it! make sure it gets transferred where ever i go, and don't let it out of might sight! well I'm pleased to report that on day 1, i was issued a new second monitor, and a graphics card upgrade, i have two machine, 2 monitors, both with dual set ups so i can have 2 screens for both my Linux and my windows box - in short, in happy! I've worked at certain other places near here (not naming any names, but most of you might be able to guess) , that would not even listen to my request for a second monitor or more RAM, no matter how much i needed it, so its refreshing to start at a company where i get what i need as i arrive. that being said, i am missing a Wacom pen!.... but I've borrowed someone else's! ha.

the other thing that i'm reminded about Framestore is how good the benefits are - they provide optional dental care, medical, pension, bike hire scheme, gym membership, eye care. it definitely makes you feel like a valued employee, i'm taking them up on their childcare vouchers, what a saving! i'm also pleased with the hours here: 9 - 6, some places work 9.30 - 6.30 ... i don't know why, but that 30 minute longer day makes a difference for me... id rather arrive a bit earlier and get home earlier, when its started getting darker earlier, its going to make a difference.

lastly the work... in short, its cool, perhaps not quite what i pictured, but when it is ever? Its a challenge, but it should also be rewarding creatively, and i suppose that's the balance you want to strike, of course i may feel differently in 6 months, but who knows. The one thing that is highlighted to me about working in film production again, is how to work resourcefully - and by that i mean not wasting time, and getting the most out of your companies vast and varied history - its something i think i'm going to talk more about, I have a webinar booked in with escapes studios in Feb  perhaps this should be the topic? working on your own vs working with a company... i say "with", rather than "for", as its very much a case of working with other people, and whilst the work is ultimately produced for the company whilst  im here, its very much feels like mine, and theirs! that's how i feel anyway.

and there we have it, my first few thoughts on returning to the place i kicked it all off, its exciting and its now, but also very familiar somehow! any questions feel free to post them below, hope you enjoyed it.

Adam

WWZ VFX breakdown

So WWZ is out and its doing pretty well, getting pretty decent reviews, so im very happy! Have just come across an article by digital arts online, interviewing Cinsite VFX sup Matt Johnson. This is a great insight into the work we did for WWZ, and you can see pretty good breakdowns of how extensive some of our work was! enjoy the read!

LINK

lots of footage from WWZ

some great footage from the Philadelphia sequence, that we worked on at Cinesite, has just been posted on-line by paramount. look out for the cg helicopters, garbage truck and general set extensions that we created for this sequence, it was actually all shot in Glasgow, our primary task being to make it look like Philadelphia - i think we pulled it off! anyway, check it out:

new world war z trailer

The build to this film has been a long road, but its finally drawing near to its release date. Just released today a new trailer for World War Z. I worked as the Hard Surface lead on this film whilst at cinesite, and its shaping up to be a great film, very excited about this one.

I must admit though its funny working at a new vfx house, who also worked on this film, and not being involved from this side.. feels odd, a bit detached.. oh well, enjoy the trailer!

Break time?

In the 8 years I've been working in the industry, its often the little differences between companies that surprises me...for example, break time.

Now I'm not suggesting that big post production houses don't encourage break time, far from it, they actively do, what I'm interested in, is what they provide in the kitchens.

water - yes...sure

tea - yes, also a basic essential, and therefore also milk

beyond that, its anyones game, and the differences are staggering, I once worked at a company that spared no expense on their coffee machines, i mean the big big ones.. really good quality coffee, and not just one of these machines, but one on every floor, so you never had to go far for a decent coffee, trouble was... a) i don't drink coffee, and b) often i wanted to get out of the office.

Breakfast is an odd one too, most places provide basic bread and cereal, but not everyone... some only do bread, a toaster and some jams, others only do the cereal, one place (I'm not mentioning names, sorry) went really overboard having muffins, crumpets, 3 types of bread, juice, milk, cereal and fresh fruit each and every day, it was awesome... of course the side effect of this was that i was often snacking on stuff throughout the day, as it was always there...

there are ups and downs, more food available means, the more i will consume, hey its free!  and a designated kitchen area means i have somewhere to go, have a chat, a cup of tea, and basically 'take 5', but these lovely commodities aren't always available, and what happens without them? well I'm sure no workplace wants to make the worker unhappy but often the niceties are the first thing to go when purse strings are tightened, and its a shame because i feel you need a place and a reason to kick back and collect your thoughts for 5 minutes a day.

Id rather be productive and happy, than hungry and stressed with no where to go by my own desk...

now, don't read too much into this, I'm not making any specific type of statement about anywhere in particular or any resentment, just a sort of observation really, one of the first places i look at when starting at a new company is the kitchen! i think it reveals a lot about how the company treats its staf.

anyway, something to think about.

Adam

New year, new start!

so January 2013 is upon us, and for me, this year, that means a new start...with a new company.

Happy to report I've joined the ranks of MPC, very excited to be a part of this company as they really do some fantastic work and get some super films to work on. as usual can't say what i'm working on, but was very excited when i found out.

Will hopefully be making some new posts as soon as possible with insights into life at MPC and any project news I can share.

stay posted!