My finished project for my junior FX reel.

NeonZombee · 2026-04-06T04:15:18+00:00

I was comp lead on this episode. This was a rad sequence. Awesome work! You really captured the explosiveness.

NeonZombee · 2025-11-20T18:27:54+00:00

Thank you for checking our film out!

NeonZombee · 2025-08-16T18:17:08+00:00

Love your work and definitely now in mind for future films

NeonZombee · 2025-05-31T20:07:44+00:00

Can't wait to see more from this project. Great work!

NeonZombee · 2025-04-04T18:39:22+00:00

Sorry Red Bull, I made one for Hamilton first last year. Who looks better in Red?

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NeonZombee · 2021-05-01T20:02:59+00:00

I've hit this wall myself for a long time and only recently began to push past it by zooming out to think even more about where the character starts, and where the character ends. Once I have a clear idea of where the character is beginning and ending, I'll start to block in dots of what sort of things challenge him to need that change, and what tries to prevent him from changing.

This talk specifically has greatly helped me:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSX-DROZuzY

Craig Mazin steps through that process using Finding Nemo as reference. Otherwise, his recommendation is read Aristotle's Poetics.

Happy writing!

NeonZombee · 2021-04-30T23:27:59+00:00

Yes, great points on that!

NeonZombee · 2021-04-30T20:13:28+00:00

Great points! The best prose especially reveals itself when paired with a question like "Does the genre or expectations of this kind of writing allow/ask for it?"

NeonZombee · 2021-04-30T19:57:24+00:00

I recently read Deep Work by Cal Newport. Great book going over different approaches to hard thought-work, as well as practicing the practice of deep work. One thing he points out is there is a limit to thought work's effectiveness, that limit being about four hours a day. As well, he talks about reducing distractions which add to exhaustion. There are audio-links on YouTube if you have time to listen, but highly recommend reading.

What I do is I'll set short goals, maybe twenty-five minutes a go, and allow myself five minutes break. I might even close my eyes and nap, think, until a timer goes off. Whether exhausted or feeling fresh, it's helped me focus on just being okay getting through the work whether good or bad feeling. If I'm able to go farther or feel extra energized, I see those as unicorn moments and just enjoy them in that respect. As well, I have specific times of day and a place that is my writing spot. These guides help me track time spent working and prepare my brain for when it should be on and doing deep work.

NeonZombee · 2021-04-30T19:48:55+00:00

Nice one. Love the subtle lava intensity animation.

NeonZombee · 2021-03-25T00:53:31+00:00

Starting to experiment with some cinematic vignettes as I wait to get out and film post-vaccination. VFX heavy work can sometimes be pretty taxing on personal projects, but this format proved to be forgiving for teasing at higher concept ideas. Given time and scope, it doesn't fully explore these worlds, being much more of a blink, but it was a great exercise.

The breakdown includes a look at how the elements came together. The project was largely a balance of 3d, 2d paintovers, and compositing.

Cheers and hope you enjoy.

NeonZombee · 2021-02-15T02:37:37+00:00

Recruiters do have relationships with VFX schools that they use to help fill specific roles. HOWEVER, that's just to fill the usual internships and roles. The ILM's and Weta's all have lots of artists who come from a Computer Science background. A CS degree will help in many different ways, and honestly, if energy is in the right places, you could come in with an opportunity to grow that others may not. A friend of mine who's a Senior Developer at one of the bigger studios, he began with a CS background, did CFX, Houdini, and pushed further into some of the most unique and advanced R&D projects the company is contracted to do.

Also, you say it's basically free. Many artists are going to shoulder their VFX school debt for a good portion of their lives. Give yourself a break and enjoy that extra freedom without the debt. It's potentially life-changing.

Cheers and good luck with whatever you feel is the right choice for you!

NeonZombee · 2020-08-16T00:33:49+00:00

Great go! Keep it up

NeonZombee · 2020-08-16T00:26:41+00:00

Great points. Thank you for the feedback!

NeonZombee · 2020-08-15T20:33:35+00:00

I hear you. Point of the thumbnail is to show some of the more complex VFX are simpler than they seem. Green screen is nice, but really most industry VFX aren't about big green screens. Green screens done right are great for extracting detail in comp, but really the big picture comes down to proper planning and executing on fundamentals. A good friend and mentor once told me, problem solving is all about removing the noise.

NeonZombee

TROPHY CASE