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SHOWREEL
GET TO KNOW DANIEL
Can you describe the extent of any relevant work experience you might have?
I was a Junior Compositor on a short film called 'Odd Socks', supervised by Klaudija Cermak, where I completed multiple Roto/Prep shots and re-timed elements to remove puppeteers and rigs. I've also attended and worked at events for Escape, like London ACM SIGGRAPH '23 and the VFX Festival, where I met some amazing people, received feedback on my work and spoke to industry professionals about paths into the industry. I've also had the privilege of meeting some of these recruiters outside of these events in informal settings, learning about the internal workings of the studios, the industry, and what would be required of me upon entering the industry.
How would you describe your contribution to your group project?
For my project 'Socks to be you', I was 2D Lead. As the project leaned more towards a realistic style, I ensured that all the 2D work was to the same photorealistic standard, created templates for scripts for the artists, and discussed the requirements for 2D with the 3D Lead. As an artist in the project, I completed a difficult cleanup with reflections, incorporating multiple techniques and integrating the Sock and Iron with their reflections.
What do you specialise in and what made you choose that specialism?
I specialise in Roto/Prep as it feels the most challenging. Working on many projects made me realise the technical abilities of these artists and how much of their work is behind the scenes and unnoticed by the public, but is crucial to any creative project. As much of the work is done before compositing it has to be perfect to integrate their work seamlessly into the project.
What would your ideal first role in the industry be?
Junior Roto/Prep Artist
Which of your student projects are you most proud of, and why?
I'm most proud of my first project, 'Robot Repairs'. For my first project, I learnt and improved so much in such a short period of time. I did a bit of everything, from 2D to 3D, doing cleanups, matchmoving, and compositing. It was a huge undertaking for a 2nd year project, and the quality that we were able to produce in a short period was outstanding.
What’s a piece of media (film, game, animation) that changed the way you think about your discipline?
Interstellar. Its visual effects were stunning, but it wasn't the main reason I love the movie. Visual Effects is produced at its best when complementing practical, not replacing it and using it as a medium to tell a story and drive the storytelling. Film is art, and we are the artists. The way this film blends practical and visual effects to drive the storytelling, and not to just 'cheap out' and 'cut corners', is amazing, making it my favourite movie, but also a great example of filmmaking and craftsmanship.
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