ENDA Episode 16→ The time when the Endless Apprentice learned about overcoming challenges in the VFX world (Part 1)

“It is not about if we can do it, but rather that we must”

There is no better way to summarise the VFX work than that. Ever since the beginning of visual effects, artists have dealt with demands or challenges that are always more complicated than the last one, because no one taught that they were possible.

No one thought possible that a robot could transform into a human, before Metropolis (1927).

No one thought possible that space could be represented so close to reality, before 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968).

No one thought possible that we would see photo-realistic dinosaurs in a film, before Jurassic Park (1993).

No one thought possible that CGI characters could be so expressive, before Avatar (2009)

And I could give more examples, but the core of the matter is that everyone thought at one point that those effects would be unachievable, but in the end, they were made possible by the VFX artists.

Now this does not mean that the process was easy, because it never is. I know what it feels to be in front of a shot and ask yourself: “How can I solve this? This is impossible” and you would think that is just you in that situation. However, the harsh reality is that is not just you, everyone in the industry faces that same question every day.

Even if you have years of experience, clients will always demand projects “that no one has ever done before” and those will bring their unique set of problems. The key will be in how you adapt to the situation and solve them.

After all, nothing new comes from always doing the same. It is the ability to overcome challenges and push our limits that drives us to create something new and better. As an artist, there is nothing more fulfilling than that.

So next time you find yourself in front of a difficult shot or task, just ask yourself the next question:

“If we as VFX artists cannot solve it, who is going to do it?”

A saying that would take me time to interiorize, but thanks to certain experiences I managed to put into practice little by little. How was my story with challenges?

Well, that would be for the next episode.