GFX & VFX Designations
Compositor:
Responsible for the final assembly of film and television elements. Includes pulling greenscreens and bluescreens, chromakeys, rotoscoping and rig removal, color correcting and grading of computer generated elements to fit a live action scene. If you do a portion of the listed, you may have a more specific role in the visual effects process.
Compositing Technical Director:
A Compositing Technical Director (Compositing TD) is responsible for the compositing pipeline and subsequent tools used by the compositors to finish their shots. They often work hand in hand with compositing supervisors and leads at the beginning of a show to create the tools necessary during production. They are a person of support for the compositing team during production. In smaller facilities, compositing TDs and compositors are one and the same. Occasionally, a compositing TD is the compositing lead or supervisor. Choose this profession only if comp pipeline and tool development is your primary occupation. If you often supervisor or lead other compositors, but also develop tools, you are not a Compositing TD.
Digital Optical Compositor:
Traditional opticals: fades, dissolves, flops, dupes, freeze frames, reverse action, rock&roll, titles over background, subtitles, wipes, main title assembly, main on end assembly, end credit assembly, traditional non-DI color correction “ VFX comps: speed changes, stabilizations, TV burn-ins, split screens, day for night, cosmetic fixes, prosthetic fixes, wire removal, scratch fixes, rotoscope, video-look, aged-film-look, muzzle flashes, deflicker“ 3D: tracking/stabilization in SynthEyes. “ Dustbust & film repair.
2D Animator:
A 2D animator specializes in inbetweening of cel sheets. Often they use software to automatically help color fill in the inbetweens.
2D Generalist:
A 2D Generalist is an artist who does a bit of everything in the 2D realm.
3D Animator:
Animators are responsible for the animation of characters or objects in a shot. This does not cover particle effects animation, which falls under the profession of FX artist. Animators may be required to animate objects as well as characters.
3D Generalist:
A 3D Generalist is an artist who does a bit of everything in the 3D realm. This can involve modeling, texturing and animating a character or object, to particle fx creation, dynamics simulation, rigging a character, and creating architectural environments for films, shows and games.
Art Director:
Supervises the look development of the characters, props and scenes. Communicates and preserves the designs and concepts of the production art department. Illustrates and designs scenes, props and characters as required.
Character Rigging Artist:
Someone who puts bones and makes sure the formation is suitable for the animator and the model is very flexible to animate.
Digital Paint Artist:
Responsible for cleaning up rigs and wires as well as specific paint requests from supervisors which may involve some reposition of painted frames over one another. This is a portion of the responsibilities that a compositor or a rotoscoper/paint artist might have. If you do more than just digital paint, please select the other occupation that fits the majority role of what you do.
Digital Production Manager:
The Digital Production Manager manages the day to day operations of the Digital compositing team under the supervision of the VFX Producer. Includes: daily shot review and progress reports, resource scheduling, shot notes from supervisors and director, managing transfer of works in progress and finaled shots to editorial, working with VFX editor on turning over shots to digital artists and shot database management.
Fur Technical Director:
Responsible for the grooming of hair/fur on characters and procedural modeling of environments. Also responsible for development of tools to support work flow and pipeline integration.
FX Artist:
An FX artist is responsible for the creation of dynamic particle or fluid effects. They can also be required to assemble rigid dynamics simulations for shows that require it. Often, an FX artist will use setups created by the FX TD. At smaller facilities, the FX artist and FX TD are the same. If you routinely use off the shelf software and/or rely on another technical artist to create a pipeline or tools for you to use, you are an FX artist.
Lead Animator:
Lead animators are responsible for the delegation and completion of a series of shots which require animation. They parse out animation shots to animators, assist in the technical accuracy of animation, and meet with the animation supervisor to establish timelines and completion goals for the animated characters and/of objects.
Lead Compositing Technical Director:
A lead compositing TD is responsible for the creation of tools and procedures and the supervision of compositing TDs. Lead comp TDs can be required to assist in the completion of tools. They are also instrumental in assisting the compositing supervisor at the beginning of production and may occasionally be called into production meetings to assist production in determining which tools will be used in the compositing department before show delivery.
Lead Lighting Technical Director:
A Lead Lighting Technical Director is responsible for overseeing the Lighting TDs, delegating responsibilities and tasks for them. They are the technical support for Lighting TDs and on occasion will complete lighting tasks for them. They also parse out lighting shots, generate lighting look development, and coordinate with production to effectively schedule a time frame for the completion of lighting shots. While technically the majority of lighting shots is handed off to a compositor for completion, there are on occasion times when a lighting TD or lighter will finish a composite for a film. In this case, the artist is still a Lighting TD, as they spend the majority of their time in the 3D space, while compositors spend their time assembling layers and composite images in the majority of theirs.
Lead Matchmover:
A lead matchmover is responsible for the delegation of shots to matchmover and the supervision of said shots. Lead matchmover generally oversee a sequence of shots, and can be required to assist in the completion of shots should matchmovers fall behind. They are also instrumental in assisting the matchmovering supervisor delegate shots to artists, and may occasionally be called into production meetings to assist production in determining how long shots will be in the matchmover department before show delivery. They can also be referred as matchmovers, trackers, integration artists, 3d tracking, and similar worded occupations.
Lead Matte Painter:
A matte painting lead is responsible for the completion and final execution of matte painting tasks for the matte painting team. They may assist other matte painters in finishing shots. In general, they assist the production team in scheduling the completion of matte painting tasks.
Lead Modeling:
Modelers are responsible for the 3D modeling of objects, both humanoid and hard surface. They can also be classified as 3D sculptors.
Lead Rotoscope:
A rotoscoping lead is responsible for the completion and final execution of rotoscoping tasks for the rotoscoping team. They are the liaison between the compositors and the roto team, and on occasion, rotoscoping leads may assist rotoscopers in finishing shots. In general, they assist the production team in scheduling the completion of tasks.
Lighting Technical Director:
A Lighting Technical Director (Lighting TD) is responsible for the creation of completed rendered elements, and is often the second to last step in the post pipeline, the compositor being the last. Lighting TDs often assemble different parts of scene from different departments, and unify them as one output to the compositor. Because of the amount of crossover that meets at this position, Lighting TDs must know how the pipeline works and often communicates with other departments leading up to this one which include, but not limited to, animation, fx, and modelling. Many companies are starting to incorporate Lighting TDs and Compositors into the same position. Choose this profession if you predominately spend most of your time in a 3D package, not a 2D compositing package.
Matchmover:
Responsible for tracking, matchmoving, or 3D integration of a scene. This includes using onset telemetry data and photographs, lens information as well as informed guesses to create a synthetic 3D camera out of filmed 2D information. Also can be a part of a tracking and integration group.
Matte Painter:
Responsible for the creation of photo-real 2D environments or 2D sets which are often used in a composite by a compositor. Occasionally there will be several matte paintings that will be used in a single shot. This is a job that is all-encompassing, so if you do some compositing with your own mattepainting, you are a matte painter, not a compositor.
Matte Painting TD:
Develop tools and technical solutions for matte painters.
Modeler Modelers are responsible for the 3D modeling of objects, both humanoid and hard surface. They can also be classified as 3D sculptors.
Previz Artist:
Responsible for creating a moving visualization of a film or television show using the storyboards created by the storyboard artist. Most often this involves using rudimentary 3D geometry and simple greenscreen pulls and temporary effects to create a rough representation of what the scene and sequence will ultimately look like. The data used during previsualization is often used on-set to set up cameras.
Programmer:
A programmer may be responsible for writing plugins for packages that the artists use, writing pipeline tools the help the workflow or creating anything else that will enable the artists to do their jobs better.
Rotoscope Artist:
Responsible for the creation of mattes. Rotoscoping itself is part of a compositors toolset, but in larger facilities there is often a dedicated rotoscope department. Rotoscopers are responsible for the generation and creation of masks and mattes used by the compositor. Rotoscoping involves both creating animated mattes that follow a characters motion, or can also be used to follow geometric objects in motion.
Storyboard Artist:
Responsible for the layout and creation of storyboard elements. This position is wholly 2D, using drawings and 2D graphics and motion to create a series of pictures used throughout the production schedule. This is NOT a previz artist.
Supervisor Compositing:
A compositing supervisor is responsible for the compositing team as a whole. They rarely do individual shots, and they often work with the compositing TD at the beginning of a show. They are integral in the production process, attending meetings with clients, helping to bid on shots, and is the technical approval for shots as they are completed in comp. They often create tools and can be called upon to help look development for certain sequences. Because different studios have different responsibilities for their compositing supervisor, choose this profession only if you have intimate contact with the production team, help bid on shots, and are the final technical approval for anything coming out of the compositing department. A Compositing Sequence Supervisor may also fall under this category.
Supervisor Digital Effects:
A Digital Effects Supervisor (DFX) oversees the creation and often technical accuracy of digital effects. This title varies from company to company. This supervisor usually answers to the VFX supervisor, and provides feedback on digital effects, mostly on the 2D side; compositing and matte painting. However often a DFX supervisor will take the role of a CG supervisor.. The DFX supervisor also attends bid meetings. If you predominantly supervise digital 2D effects and their photographic accuracy within the film, you are a DFX supervisor.
Supervisor Lighting:
A Lighting Supervisor is responsible for the lighting team as a whole. Their focus is on overseeing the entire lighting process, including building and maintaining the pipeline, establishing technology usage for a show, providing support and training for leads and artists and often working with the art director and visual effects supervisor to establish the aesthetic for lighting. They are integral in the production process, attending meetings with clients, helping to bid on shots, and are sometimes the technical approval for shots as they are completed in comp. They often create tools and can be called upon to help look development for the entire show. Some companies lump their lighting supervisor(s) under the banner of CG supervisor.
Supervisor Visual Effects:
There are two types of visual effects supervisors, a client-side supervisor, and a studio-side supervisor. A studio side supervisor works for the visual effects studio and rarely works outside of that company. They can often be called on set to assist with the client side vfx supervisor, who oversees all visual effects for the entire production. Studio side vfx supervisors work directly with their own studio and seldom work on the entire visual effects of a show. They are responsible for sequence bidding, attending client meetings, and are the final creative approval, and often final technical approval of a shot and sequence. They rarely sit at a computer and create shots, but if times get tight, they may do just that. This job title covers only studio-side supervisors that work completely for a visual effects studio. While studio-side vfx supervisors are often salary, client-side vfx supervisors (those that work directly with the director and film studio, overseeing all visual effects production) may get reimbursed on a show by show basis. If you are a client-side visual effect supervisor, you are in the wrong category. If you work for a visual effects studio, but may often be the only vfx supervisor on set, you are still a studio-side vfx supervisor.
Texture Artist:
A texture artist is an individual who develops textures for digital media, usually for video games, movies, web sites and television shows. These textures can be in the form of 2d or (rarely) 3d art that may be overlaid onto a polygon mesh to create a realistic 3D model.
VFX Coordinator:
As VFX Coordinator, your job will run the gamut of the vfx production process, including: Coordinating and attending client meetings, taking detailed notes. Working with supervisors to create schedules and keep projects on track. Tracking all shots in the pipeline, maintaining accurate and up to date databases. Ensuring artists have the information and materials required to complete their work efficiently. Facilitating communication between CG, Comp & Matte Painting departments. Working with the CG Supervisor and artists to manage render priorities. Organizing internal dailies and client shot review sessions. Managing I/O, scheduling sessions, ensuring correct naming conventions, handles, cross-checking footage with count sheets and latest cuts to ensure accurate frame counts, etc. Assisting with a thousand other miscellaneous office tasks.
VFX Producer:
The Visual Effects Producer is at the heart of a production. They are required to manage all aspects of a show, typically involving: the initial visual effects breakdown and bid, planning and scheduling of facility resources, managing the visual effects team and monitoring their work during the post-production process. They will liaise with the client and manage this relationship.
