The CG Spectrum Podcast

In this episode, CG Spectrum's Chief Creative Officer Jeremy Chinn interviews Emmy-nominated VFX Supervisor and CG Spectrum alum Charlie Lehmer. Charlie shares his inspiring journey from aspiring filmmaker to a VFX career working on major projects like All the Light We Cannot See, Avengers: Endgame, and Deadpool & Wolverine.Discover how Charlie's unrelenting commitment set him apart—whether it was flying across the country to demonstrate his commitment to a gig, learning advanced tools like Nuke and Maya while working full-time, or simply making the best sandwiches to show his dedication to craft. He reflects on the challenges and rewards of his career, the critical role of mentorship, and his advice for aspiring VFX professionals looking to break into the industry. Charlie reflects on his early days, crediting CG Spectrum's flexible, mentor-led training in 3D Modeling and Nuke VFX for helping him bridge the gap between production and post-production, and allowing him to stand out in the industry. Through hard work, perseverance, and a deep love for the craft, Charlie rose from entry-level roles to becoming a lead VFX supervisor. With his success story, he wants to encourage more professionals to explore specialized learning as a tool for career growth.This episode is packed with practical tips and inspiration for aspiring VFX artists and film professionals looking to carve their path in a competitive field. Don't miss it! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Find Hubert: https://www.bonjam.ca/Learn 2D Animation: https://www.cgspectrum.com/career-pathways/2d-animatorMaxine speaks with Hubert Lapointe, Online Educator/Creative Director and Founder at Bon Jam Animation, about how to work as a freelance animator, including how to determine your rate, whether to charge hourly or daily, and marketing yourself on social media. Plus, Hubert gives some great tips on how to succeed in e-learning. This episode is chock-full of actionable tips and is not to be missed, especially for those who are considering starting to work as a freelancer!Hubert Lapointe is an online educator, Creative Director and Founder at Bon Jam Animation and mentor of 2D Animation at CG Spectrum. His experience ranges from Toonboom software instructor to animation supervisor, to director and finally studio founder at Bon Jam Animation. He has worked at studios like Oasis Animation, Bardel Entertainment, Shed, and Happy Camper Media and has credits on shows like Rick and Morty, The Ollie and Moon Show for Netflix, and primetime children TV series Jon Le Bon.

Find Azra: https://www.azralkan.com/Learn Real-time 3D: https://www.cgspectrum.com/career-pathways/virtual-productionMaxine speaks with Azra Alkan, Compositing Supervisor and Real-Time Look Development Artist, about how to determine your worth as an artist in film and games. Hear about Azra's career journey, from moving to the United States from Turkey to study computer programming, getting into compositing supervision and then real-time 3D virtual production. Azra breaks down why authentic networking is so valuable and how important it has been in her profession, including landing the highly competitive Epic Games Unreal Engine Fellowship in 2019. Plus, practical tips like how to research to create opportunities for yourself!Azra Alkan is an Unreal Engine Artist, Visual Effects Compositor, and Filmmaker. She has been predominantly using traditional tools such as Nuke, Maya, and Houdini to work in the film industry for over 10 years. After being selected for Epic Games' Unreal Engine Fellowship in 2019, Azra has been trying to unlock new ways that bring power to the traditional VFX pipeline with the addition of real-time tools.

Find Ian: www.ianspriggs.comLearn 3D Modeling: https://www.cgspectrum.com/career-pathways/3d-modelingDigital Portrait Artist Ian Spriggs catches up with Maxine to unpack the creative process behind his mind-blowing realistic 3D character portraitures. Learn how Ian approaches creating his digital portraits, including how he chooses subjects, tricks for lighting and workflow, and the importance of practicing your craft. Ian also discusses the difference between hyperrealism and photorealism, how digital portraiture compares to traditional painting, and finding inspiration in art history.Ian Spriggs is a digital portrait artist creating believable digital humans. He has also worked as a lead character 3D modeler with credits including Bloodshot, Mulan, The Mandolorian (Chapter 1), Spiderman: Far From Home, and John Wick 3. He's been creating digital art in the industry for over 16 years, working at studios such as OatsStudios, ImageEngine, ILM, Mr X, and is currently at Unity Labs.

Find Alex: https://beddowsdesign.carrd.co/Learn Environment Art: https://www.cgspectrum.com/career-pathways/environment-artistJustin interviews Alex Beddows, a Senior Environment Artist at Respawn Entertainment, about how to get ahead in the industry and his pragmatic perspective on career advancement. Alex shares how personal projects like his podcast 'Game Dev Discussion' helped him to network and land jobs, and how his background in sports (rugby) has been a pivotal asset for building leadership in the studio. He shares practical tips about how to research for a position you want and determining the scope of a project, and answers listener questions about inspiration, mental bandwidth, and preferred software for environment art.Alex is an environment artist with nearly 10 years of experience in varying sectors of the game industry, from mobile to AAA, on titles including Returnal, Scavengers, and Godfall. He also worked at ArtStation as a consultant. Alex currently resides at Respawn Entertainment as a Senior Environment Artist. As well as being an artist, Alex hosts the ‘Game Dev Discussion' podcast dedicated to the games industry, where he speaks with people from all aspects of games with a strong focus on environment art.

Find Mark: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pullyblank/Learn 3D Animation: https://www.cgspectrum.com/career-pathways/3d-animatorMaxine interviews Mark Pullyblank, Department Head of 3D Animation at CG Spectrum, to talk about his midlife career switch into animation from an entirely different industry -- live music. Mark tells us how he went from starting a new career in animation in his mid-30s with two young kids and zero income to getting headhunted to work on Avatar. He and Maxine discuss why your attitude matters so much, how failures lead to success, and the importance of falling in love with the process. This episode is not to be missed!Mark Pullyblank spent much of the nineties working as a musician before beginning his animation career. He has been an Animation Supervisor at Rainmaker Digital and Frantic Films, a Senior Animator at Sony Pictures Imageworks, and worked in various departments at Wētā FX. His film credits include Avatar, The Adventures of Tintin, The Smurfs, Night at the Museum, and many others. Mark is currently the Department Head of 3D Animation at CG Spectrum, co-founder of Theia Interactive, Director of Non-Stop Motion Virtual Productions, a Lecturer at a Californian university, and undertakes freelance and consulting work at film and game studios.

Find J Hill: https://artofjhill.com/Learn Character Art: https://www.cgspectrum.com/career-pathways/character-artistIn this week's interview with J Hill, Lead Character Artist at Turtle Rock Studios, joins Maxine to chat about the success of his eponymous YouTube channel @J Hill , how he got started as a character artist, using YouTube as a creative outlet and a form of accountability, and why encouraging other people to pursue their passions is so important to him. Plus, J shares some practical wisdom about job interviews, what sets applicants apart, and what he looks for when he's in the hiring seat. J also answers your listener questions about time management, render engines, and more!J is a professional 3D character artist in the entertainment industry working as a Lead Character Artist at Turtle Rock Studios, known for popular games Back 4 Blood, Evolve, and Left 4 Dead. J also runs @J Hill where he helps artists pursue their interests in digital art, including 3D character art, ZBrush sculpting, 3D modeling, game art, and rendering.

Find Kate: https://www.katexagoraris.com/Learn Houdini FX: https://www.cgspectrum.com/courses/fx-simulationIn this week's interview, Kate Xagoraris, Midlevel Effects Artist at SPIN VFX & CG Spectrum Mentor of Houdini FX, joins Maxine to discuss her popular Houdini tutorials blog, her work on medical and science visualization tools, dealing with impostor syndrome, being pigeon-holed at work and how to break out of that pattern, as well as embracing the fear that comes with working in FX. As always, we dive into plenty of practical and actionable tips for advancing in your career. Kate Xagoraris is an FX artist currently working for SPIN VFX. She's worked on projects like Nightmare Alley, The Witcher, and Raised by Wolves, Vikings: Valhalla, and The Boys. She also runs a popular science and visual effects blog called More VFX Help, where she covers Houdini and much more, and has her own YouTube channel, @Kate .

Find Chun Chun: https://www.artstation.com/chunchunyang Learn 3D Modeling: https://www.cgspectrum.com/courses/3d-modelingThis week, Senior Texture Artist Chun Chun Yang sits down with Maxine to discuss how she got into 3D art, the rewards and challenges of switching careers from film to games, and the lessons she learned along the way. Maxine and Chun Chun also talk about pushing through discomfort to create new opportunities, challenging yourself to find joy in career growth, and much more!Along with her successful texturing tutorials on Gumroad, Chun Chun has worked as a 3D artist for film, contributing to titles like Ready Player One, Deadpool, Aladdin, and Beauty and the Beast. She's worked as a Texture Artist at Digital Domain and as a Senior Texture Artist at Industrial Light & Magic. After being scouted by an art director at Blizzard Entertainment, Chun Chun recently transitioned into games and is now working as a Character Material Artist on Blizzard's Diablo IV. She also has a successful YouTube channel, @Artruism Digital .

Find Pedro: https://www.https://www.complairvfx.com/Learn Compositing: https://www.cgspectrum.com/courses/vfx-compositingThis week, Maxine interviews Pedro Andrade, Head of Compositing as well as Founder of the Comp Lair podcast and The Next Level training program, a Compositing Supervisor training program he created. They talk about how Pedro started his podcast and The Next Level training program out of a desire to share knowledge, and exactly what tools, skills and perspectives helped Pedro jump from a compositor to supervisor position in only two years. Tune in to hear Pedro talk about embracing your unique perspective, the freedom of letting go of expectations, and the value in being prepared for opportunities that come your way.As a 2D Supervisor, Pedro has worked at companies such as DNEG, Cinesite, and Milk VFX. As former Head of Compositing at MPC, he managed 100+ people across London, Berlin, and Montreal, from junior artists to supervisors, on both episodic and film projects. Pedro's credits include House of the Dragon, Avengers: Endgame, The Boys (season 3), Doctor Who, and Guardians of the Galaxy.

Find Aaron: https://www.aaronsimscreative.com/Learn Virtual Production: https://www.cgspectrum.com/courses/virtual-productionThis week, Justin sits down with industry legend Aaron Sims, VFX Concept Artist and founder/CEO of Aaron Sims Creative, to talk about the industry's evolution from practical effects to visual effects, Aaron's latest venture into virtual production, and practical tips for succeeding in the industry. ASC is an award-winning Design, VFX, and Game Studio with over 30 years of experience working on some of the biggest titles in the business: Stranger Things, Wonder Woman, the Planet of the Apes trilogy, and more. Tune in to hear how Aaron transitioned from working as a practical makeup FX artist in the 80s, to working on iconic films like Gremlins 2, Batman Forever, Men In Black, and Artificial Intelligence: A.I. with industry greats like Steven Spielberg, Stan Winston, and Rick Baker, and now breaking boundaries by embracing Unreal Engine as the next great innovation in storytelling.

Find Sean: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amlaner/Learn VFX Compositing: https://www.cgspectrum.com/courses/vfx-compositingJustin catches up with Compositing Supervisor and CG Spectrum Head of Compositing, Sean Amlaner, about what a compositing artist really does, the burgeoning demand for compositors in the industry, and they go behind the scenes of CG Spectrum's newly-released Dune-inspired commercial, which Sean worked on as a Compositor and VFX Supervisor!Sean has worked as a Compositing Supervisor, Senior Compositor, and Senior Artist Trainer for studios such as Technicolor VFX, Sony Pictures Imageworks, Walt Disney Animation Studios, and Rhythm & Hues, among others. He has worked on over 100 feature and episodic television post-productions including Star Trek: Picard, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Black Panther, Frozen, Westworld, Thor: Ragnarok, and Avengers: Infinity War.

Find Marcella Brown at https://thevfxclub.com/ Learn VFX: https://www.cgspectrum.com/courses/visual-effectsMarcella Brown, Senior FX Artist at Wētā FX and founder of @THE VFX Club Podcast , joins Maxine in studio to talk about her VFX career, including working on Encanto at Disney, the power of networking and mentorship, dealing with failure and burnout, and how her own family background has been a motivator in her career. Marcella's credits include Encanto and Godzilla vs. Kong, and she is is currently working on the highly anticipated upcoming Avatar: The Way of the Water.The VFX Club Podcast is a space where artists from all backgrounds, creeds and colours can express through their own words what VFX means to them, with episodes focusing on what's current in the industry straight from the artists' point of view. More at: https://thevfxclub.com/podcast/The VFX Club's The Inception Project (t.i.p) recognizes the need for greater diversity and addressing representation, with a goal to reach the next generation of young artists that grow up in marginalized and hurting communities. Learn more at https://thevfxclub.com/the-inception-project/

Find Sarah Spiers at https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahspiers/Learn Game Development: https://www.cgspectrum.com/game-developmentMaxine chats with Forbes 30 Under 30 in Games, Sarah Spiers, the Interim Executive Director of the IGDA Foundation, and Development Director at EA Games. Sarah details her strategy for breaking into the games industry, including how to create a great portfolio, networking, and the value of mentors. Plus, she and Maxine share crucial practical tips for crafting your resume (including one common mistake that could be costing you interviews!), the only three stories you need to prepare for a job interview, and how job recruiting *really* works.Sarah currently works as the Development Director for EA Maxis, and serves as the Interim Executive Director of the IGDA Foundation. Her most recent producer role was overseeing feature development for Krafton's PU: Battlegrounds. She has helped clients such as Apple, Scholastic, NBC/Universal, and PBS bring their IP to games.

Find Eric Wilkerson at https://ericwilkersonart.com/Find Ovidio Cartagena at https://www.ovidiocartagena.com/Learn Digital Illustration: https://www.cgspectrum.com/digital-paintingAward-winning Illustrator Eric Wilkerson and Wizards of the Coast Art Director Ovidio Cartagena chat with Justin about their work together on card illustrations for Magic: The Gathering, how an art director chooses artists for the job, and how Eric got his “golden ticket” into card illustration. They also share a ton of practical career tips on preparing and presenting your portfolio, including why it's important to diversify.

Find Daniel Pinch at https://www.danielpinch.com/ Learn Game Design: https://www.cgspectrum.com/courses/game-design-courseJustin checks in with his former student, Daniel Pinch, a Senior Game Designer at Airship Syndicate and Game Design Mentor at CG Spectrum. They talk about what qualities made Daniel stand out and succeed as a student, how to create an impressive game design portfolio, the skills Daniel looks for when hiring people, and finding a work-life balance.

DNEG Lead Hard Surface Modeler David Cunningham joins Maxine to chat about how he got into 3D modeling, taking bold steps to advance his career, how a coaching session altered his path dramatically and shares career tips from his own work as a leadership coach. Plus, why he's known as “the train guy.” Learn about our 3D Modeling courses at https://www.cgspectrum.com/3d-modelingConnect on:

This week, AAA game programmer Firas Hosn (Farcry 3, 4, 5 and Assassin's Creed 3) chats with Maxine about finding his niche in AI in games, moving into leadership roles and developing confidence, and dealing with burnout and focus in your career. Learn more about our Game Programming courses: https://www.cgspectrum.com/game-developmentConnect on:

Real-time artist and CG Spectrum Mentor of Real-time William Faucher meets with Justin to discuss. Beyond his successful career in the entertainment industry over the past decade, which includes work as a 3D Modeler in the games industry and VFX/CGI shot credits in Marvel's Black Panther and HBO's Watchmen, William also has his own successful YouTube channel where he shares Real-time tutorials.In this episode, William and host Justin Mohlman discuss maintaining motivation when you're largely self-taught, building the life you want (and moving to Norway!), pivoting from games to film and now to YouTube, as well as how his personal hobby - photography - has been a great asset for helping to develop his technical skills. Find William on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/c/williamfaucher) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/williamfaucher.vfx/) and on the CG Spectrum website (https://www.cgspectrum.com/mentors/william-faucher). Learn more about our Real-time 3D and Virtual Production courses at www.cgspectrum.com/courses/realtime-3d-virtual-production-course. Connect on:

This week, Maxine meets with freelance 2D animation filmmaker, Sykosan. He reflects on his unique career switch from architecture to 2D animation, the portfolio strategies he used to assist in that transition, and recognizes how many skills from his previous career were transferable to the creative industries. We follow Sykosan's career — working his way up from assisting animators to creating and directing a Katy Perry music video — and his plans to move more towards directing. Plus, go behind the scenes of Katy Perry's Cry About it Later music video and hear the cute backstory behind one of Sykosan's animated characters, and his alternative ending to the video clip!While Sykosan continues to move towards directing, his expertise covers all stages of the animation process including writing and editing, film directing, character design, background, asset design, 2D effects, and compositing! His distinctive style is a modern blend of western and Japanese influences, but he also demonstrates a strong ability to match a large variety of animation styles. Throughout his career, Sykosan's work has been used across all kinds of media — advertising, feature films, video games, and music videos — for a diverse range of clients, including Katy Perry, the BBC, Netflix, Adobe MTV, Samsung, Sony, Adidas, Gucci, and Megan Thee Stallion. He is also a mentor of 2D Animation at CG Spectrum.To see more of his work, check out his website or follow him on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and ArtStation.Sykosan

Carl Shedd is the Co-Founder & World Director at Ruckus Games and is also a mentor of virtual production at CG Spectrum. Justin and Carl chat about how important your reputation is when working at a studio and the strong bond you gain with your colleagues, the shift from working at AAA game studios to co-founding his own game studio and developing his own games, how to build community while working and starting a studio remotely, and tips for navigating the challenges of starting your own studio. Carl has worked in the industry professionally for over 17 years. He started his career at Gearbox Software in 2004 as a Level Designer for the Brothers In Arms franchise. In 2008, Carl was part of a small team that was integral to evolving the Borderlands art style into what it has become today. After a small hiatus at id Software working on Rage, Carl rejoined Gearbox Software to create and lead their Level Art and eventually their Lighting Art Departments. Carl recently moved on from his position as World Building Director at Gearbox Software to start up Ruckus Games; an independent game developer with a mission to inspire the next generation of game makers. His credits include Brothers In Arms, the Borderlands franchise and Rage. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Maxine chats with VFX Artist Brittany Piacente about what it's like to work remotely as a Compositor during a pandemic, the value of good mentorship, visual effects on the Marvel series Loki, and why treating everything as a learning experience will help you to stand out in your job in the film and games industry.Brittany has worked in leadership positions across major studios, including Method Studios, Mr. X (now Technicolor), Deluxe and now Wētā FX. She's contributed to more than 60 films and TV shows, including Loki (season 1), Peacemaker (Season 1), Black Panther, Blade Runner 2049, Vikings (season 6), Mad Max: Fury Road, and the Star Wars franchise. Watch the video episode and see Brittany's compositing work. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Introducing The CG Spectrum podcast, featuring career-focused conversations with senior-level creatives and emerging talent in the film and game industry. The CG Spectrum Podcast is hosted by Justin Mohlman (Game Development Learning Producer at Epic Games, Learning and Community Manager at Artstation, and CG Spectrum Mentor of Foundations) and Maxine Schnepf, CG Spectrum's Career Development Manager. Learn about different jobs, what it's like to work at some of the biggest studios, go behind the scenes on your favorite films and games, and get career advice from the experts! We'll be dropping new episodes every other Wednesday. Subscribe now, wherever you listen to podcasts, to get new episodes delivered straight to you. Justin Mohlman has 18+ years of experience in the video gaming industry, and has helped bring dozens of game titles to life while at studios like Disney Interactive, Epic Games, Robomondo, Midway Games, and Phosphor Studios. You can find his work in legacy franchises such as Tony Hawk, Kingdom Hearts and Mortal Kombat as well as other AAA titles like Singularity and Stranglehold. As the acting Creative Director for The Rookies, the industry standard for animation, visual effects and the gaming industries, Justin brings his extensive knowledge of games as well as 12+ years of experience as an instructor in higher education. When he's not teaching at CG Spectrum, he keeps busy as the Game Development Producer and Author at Epic Games, the video game and software developer responsible for such products as Unreal Engine, Gears of War and Fortnite.Maxine Schnepf is CG Spectrum's Career Development Manager, helping students increase their hiring potential and get ready for life beyond school in their chosen discipline. Maxine is highly experienced and well-connected in the VFX industry, having worked in all aspects of the post-production process as a VFX Producer, Department Manager, Production Coordinator, and everything in between. She's worked at worldwide studios such as Mr X, Deluxe Animation, and Technicolor VFX, and helped deliver over 40 films and series during her career, including blockbusters like Blade Runner 2049, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2, and Ready Player One. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.