How do you become a Professional Compositor?

[MadGuy44]

Hey

I am currently a young adult and taking my GCSE in the UK and my dream is to go in to VFX composition.

I would like to be able to do this : -

I have self trained my self in the current software:

After Effects (CS4, CS5) - 2 years experience

Photoshop (CS5) - 1 year of experience

Maya (2011) - Half a year, still learning

Cheetah 3D - 1 and a half years of experience


As you can see I have already got a wide range of knowledge in softwares used in the industry and can use varouse operating systems with ease ( I prefer mac though )

What qualifications do I need and what do I need to do now , I would prefer not to start at the bottom of a film company as a runner but to have a professional qualification which is recognized and respected as well as a Video Reel.

Thank you

[Andreas.Jablonka]

-> read "ask the ..." threads

[faridzadeh]

Hey


What qualifications do I need and what do I need to do now , I would prefer not to start at the bottom of a film company as a runner but to have a professional qualification which is recognized and respected as well as a Video Reel.

Thank you

Simply stating you've been using a program for few years doesn't equal how much real world experience you have, or even how deep you know the program. HR will want to feel confident that you have the skillsets to do the job based on your knowledge of something. Length of time is simply a number. I've seen people with 30 years of driving experience, but that doesn't mean they know how to drive a car properly.

You're not going to like this, but if you have no real world experience then you probably WILL start at the bottom of the food chain. And that could include being a runner. It's called paying your dues. Most of us have done it, and is simply part of the process.

I started off as an onset commercial PA. I've know people who started off taking out the trash. But from that we make friends, and through friends you make connections, and through connections you get your foot in the door of a real VFX house, once again at the bottom, doing roto or paint. It's all up hill from there.

It won't happen overnight. Good luck.

[quety101]

Its great if you know what you want to do already. Do not waste your time being a runner. Most runners I ask what they actually want to do and they still have no idea. You will have to probably work in a paint and roto department for a while unless you are very lucky

Try and find some independent films to work on, you can then get some "real world" experience as well as something for the reel that is unique. Are you planning to go to university? or straight to work?

[boomji]

Hey There,
Welcome.

What qualifications do I need and what do I need to do now

What qualifications do I need:
Outside of a CS or Commercial art degree...
1.You need to be Roto-jitter,bubble,pop free.qualified
2.Paint consistent qualified
3.matchmove Slip-free qualified
4.Willing to accept Feedback qualified
6.be personable qualified

what do I need to do now
1.Ask the school /program you plan to learn from help you hit those notes above.
2.Or take a job at a studio...^at the bottom^.
They'll help you get those qualifications pretty fast (and cheap)
3.If you don't feel like starting at the bottom that's ok just aim for doing more of this stuff till you apply.
http://www.vfxtalk.com/forum/miguel-...l+santana+reel


Hang around here some and research Nuke.

b

[Tagger]

if you don't want to start as a runner, you can also start working for a smaller company. The projects that you work on may not be as exciting, but you will learn a lot none the less (depending on the company offcourse )

[radders]

I've posted this link here before but I've dedicated a section on my website to the main steps that my career has taked to get where I am today. It's in reverse order so start at the bottom: http://conradolson.com/category/career

I am still writing the entry about my multimedia degree at Nottingham Trent but if you know that you want to be a compositor then you would be better off going to Bournmouth. The Trent couse is much wider spread. Degrees aren't esential though, it's experience that counts. Having said that, I'm going to Canada later this year and I think a degree is a esential for the work permit.