NAME: Rob Geddes
COMPANY: Artifex Studios (@artifexstudios)
CAN YOU DESCRIBE YOUR COMPANY?
Artifex is a small to mid-sized independent VFX studio based in Vancouver, BC. We’ve built up a solid team over the years, with very low staff turnover. We try our best to be an artist-centric shop.
That probably means something different to everyone, but for me it means ensuring that people are being challenged creatively, supported as they grow their skills and encouraged to maintain a healthy work-life balance.
WHAT’S YOUR JOB TITLE?
VFX Supervisor
WHAT DOES THAT ENTAIL?
I guess the simplest explanation is that I have to interpret the needs and requests of our clients, and then provide the necessary context and guidance to our team of artists to bring those requests to life.
Travelers – “Ave Machina” episode
I have to balance the creative and technical challenges of the work, and work within the constraints of budget, schedule and our own studio resources.
WHAT WOULD SURPRISE PEOPLE THE MOST ABOUT WHAT FALLS UNDER THAT TITLE?
The seemingly infinite number of decisions and compromises that must be made each day, often with incomplete information.
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN WORKING IN VFX?
I started out back in 2000 as a 3D generalist. My first job was building out environments in 3ds Max for a children’s animated series. I spent some years providing 3D assets, animation and programming to various military and private sector training simulations. Eventually, I made the switch over to the 2D side of things and started building up my roto, paint and compositing skills. This led me to Vancouver, and then to Artifex.
HOW HAS THE VFX INDUSTRY CHANGED IN THE TIME YOU’VE BEEN WORKING?
The biggest change I have seen over the years is the growth in demand for content. All of the various content portals and streaming services have created this massive appetite for new stories. This has brought new opportunities for vendors and artists, but it’s not without challenges. The quality bar is always being raised, and the push to 4K for broadcast puts a lot of pressure on pipelines and infrastructure.
WHY DO YOU LIKE BEING ON SET FOR SHOTS? WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?
As the in-house VFX supervisor for Artifex, I don’t end up on set — though there have been projects for which we were brought in prior to shooting and could help drive the creative side of the VFX in support of the storytelling. There’s really no substitute for getting all of the context behind what was shot in order to help inform the finished product.
DID A PARTICULAR FILM INSPIRE YOU ALONG THIS PATH IN ENTERTAINMENT?
When I was younger, I always assumed I would end up in classical animation. I devoured all of the Disney classics (Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, etc.) Jurassic Park was a huge eye-opener though, and seeing The Matrix for the first time made it seem like anything was possible in VFX at that point.
DID YOU GO TO FILM SCHOOL?
Not film school specifically. Out of high school I still wasn’t certain of the path I wanted to take. I went to university first and ended up with a degree in math and computing science. By the time I left university I was convinced that animation and VFX were what I wanted. I worked through two diploma programs in 3D modeling, animation and film production.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE PART OF THE JOB?
The best part of the job for me is seeing the evolution of a shot, as a group of artists come together to solve all of the creative and technical challenges.
WHAT’S YOUR LEAST FAVORITE?
Realizing the limits of what can be accomplished on any given day and then choosing what has to be deferred.
IF YOU DIDN’T HAVE THIS JOB, WHAT WOULD YOU BE DOING INSTEAD?
That’s a tough one. When I wasn’t working in VFX, I was working toward it. I’m obsessed with video game development, and I like to write, so maybe in an alternate timeline I’d be doing something like that.
Zoo
CAN YOU NAME SOME RECENT PROJECTS YOU HAVE WORKED ON?
This past year has been a pretty busy one. We’ve been on Travelers and The Order for Netflix, The Son for AMC, Project Blue Book for A&E, Kim Possible for Disney, Weird City for YouTube, and a couple of indie features for good measure!
WHAT IS THE PROJECT/S THAT YOU ARE MOST PROUD OF?
I’m a big fan of our work on Project Blue Book. It was an interesting challenge to contribute to a project with historical significance and I think our team really rose to the occasion.
WHAT TOOLS DO YOU USE DAY TO DAY?
At Artifex we run our shows through ftrack for reviews and management, so I spend a lot of time in the browser keeping tabs on things. For daily communication we use Slack and email. I use Google Docs for organizational stuff. I pop into Foundry Nuke to test out some things or to work with an artist. I use Photoshop or Affinity Photo on the iPad to do draw-overs and give notes.
WHERE DO YOU FIND INSPIRATION NOW?
It’s such an incredible time to be a visual artist. I try to keep an eye on work getting posted from around the world on sites like ArtStation and Instagram. Current films, but also any other visual mediums like graphic novels, video games, photography, etc. Great ideas can come from anywhere.
WHAT DO YOU DO TO DE-STRESS FROM IT ALL?
I play a lot of video games, drink a lot of tea, and hang out with my daughter.
