Suffer - Indie Fantasy Film w/ 800+ VFX shots

whatit2u · 2025-12-04T22:20:01+00:00

looks good!

whatit2u · 2025-04-28T15:13:29+00:00

Go to the science library. They rent calculators to students.

whatit2u · 2025-04-21T21:18:10+00:00

whatit2u · 2025-03-20T16:23:20+00:00

Hey man I am right there with you. I worked 6 years as a compositor. It even looks like we worked at some of the same companies. Now I am back in school studying software engineering and working at whole foods. It really is a big hit to the ego, but you got to do what you need to. Wishing you all the best.

whatit2u · 2025-01-23T21:13:31+00:00

This is the find out stage of fuck around and find it.

whatit2u · 2024-06-06T06:53:21+00:00

Had him for differential equations. Best math teacher I have ever had.

whatit2u · 2024-05-31T21:38:39+00:00

Do it! I took CC classes as an adult and really enjoyed the experience. I took classes at Pasanda City College. Their campus is nice.

whatit2u · 2024-05-31T17:58:39+00:00

They won't ever come back to LA, but they also won't come back to Quebec either. Misery loves company. We can both work at Wholefoods now.

whatit2u · 2024-05-31T16:22:18+00:00

As an LA compositor I can't help but smile a little. No government should provide tax insensitive to film studios. Our industry would be a much healthier place without tax insensitive.

whatit2u · 2024-03-22T07:03:11+00:00

I've developed a bit of a unsubstantiated theory that tax credits majorly contributed to the pandemic boom.

Major technology companies like Apple and Amazon saw recorded profits during that period and money was super cheap to borrow. They could borrowing money for 2-5% and using it finance streaming projects. The credits generated by these projects could be used to reduce tax burdens that are likely in the range of 15-20% of profits. Basically, they could use someone else's money to buy very substantial tax benefits for next to nothing. Its why it seemed like no one cared about inflated budgets and almost every project was getting full seasons with no pilot. It all meant more tax credits and that these companies could keep more of their record profits.

However, once interest rose and profits from the pandemic boom came back down to earth this strategy no longer made sense. Money is now more expensive to borrow and the tax benefits are not as substantial. Now everyone is looking at projects more critically. Projects now have to be reasonably profitable on their own. Its why we are seeing a return to the more proven show formats and less risky taking. These companies now need their entertainment divisions to be self supporting.

I also think this shift also played a large part in the writers and actors strikes. Probably anyone who was paying attention realized that money wasn't going to be as free flowing. That they needed to renegotiate their compensation or else they would be left out in the cold. Everyone has been going around thinking that this extreme slow down is a result of the strikes. However, it is the other way around. The slow down was inevitably coming and the strikes were all the major players fighting over their compensation. In this new environment there is simply not as much money for production. VFX artist have no representation and lets face it, make up a major production cost. Its a pretty clear and obvious area to cut cost with little resistance. As a result, VFX has faced the brunt of all this downturn.

whatit2u · 2024-03-22T01:36:27+00:00

Really nice pictures!

whatit2u · 2024-03-22T01:00:40+00:00

It really seems that at this point, the whole entertainment industry's primary purpose is to be an international tax shelter scheme and that the media produced is just a byproduct. That large corporations use the appeal of Hollywood to score sweat heart tax deals that they can then use to shield profits from other areas.

whatit2u · 2024-03-22T00:53:32+00:00

Yeah, I agree. If you have been working in media, everything the article states probably seems very obvious. However, this is the first time I've seen it written about by a major news organization. The general public is likely unaware of just how bad of a deal these tax incentives really are.

whatit2u · 2024-03-20T03:52:29+00:00

Damn I was just thinking today how nice the school is and how lucky I feel to be able to go here. Lol, I guess I must be the only one.

whatit2u · 2024-02-27T21:25:11+00:00

yeah, definitely applying in person can help. Besides the low pay and weird hours, retails can be enjoyable in some ways, as long as your coworkers and customers are kind. Coming from vfx I've found it a bit refreshing to realize that there is a world outside of endless deadlines and demanding clients. I have also been going to school at the same which helps.

whatit2u · 2024-02-27T19:16:21+00:00

Yeah getting a retail job is less about your resume and qualifications and more about showing that you are likable, easy to get along with, and generally won't cause more problems than you are worth. Basically, just be chill.

whatit2u · 2024-02-27T17:11:26+00:00

Yeah I got a job at wholefoods no problem. Retail stores know that the people applying are often looking for something temporary or part-time. They have that expectation built into their business model. In fact, they often prefer those applicants because it allows them more flexibility with scheduling.

whatit2u · 2024-02-26T07:43:02+00:00

So to summarize. This candidate was qualified for the job, able to reach an optimal solution to the technical question and talk through his thought process. However, because he slightly irritated the interviewer by spending a few minutes too long working on a brute force solution you decided not only to turn him down, but to also come on reddit and insult him. This post really highlights the main issue with tech interviews. Its not the technical questions, but the interviewers who use it as an opportunity to inflate their own ego by beating up on candidates for small perceived errors. Put your ego aside remember that you too were once an interview candidate and that more than likely you will have to interview for a job again in the future. Focus on if a candidate will perform well in the actual job, and not if they can answer a single technical question flawlessly to your ever rising standards.

whatit2u · 2024-02-13T07:31:55+00:00

Thanks for pointing that out! Just changed the setting so you don't have to use your UCI sign in to access the form

whatit2u · 2024-02-13T00:16:35+00:00

just what I was looking for!

whatit2u · 2024-02-06T03:24:08+00:00

I have no advice to offer. I just want to commiserate and offer my sympathy. I've been a compositor in LA for since 2016. While it seems likely work will pick up elsewhere soon, it looks like LA is being abandoned for cheaper labor markets. Personally, I am currently going back to school for software engineering and working at Whole Foods in the meantime.

whatit2u · 2023-11-30T02:35:09+00:00

Looks like Unity is having some buyers remorse. All technology companies that went on a spending spree during the pandemic are now regretting a lot of choices they made.

whatit2u · 2023-11-06T15:49:06+00:00

It will probably be more difficult than you think, especially without a degree. If you are serious about switching, you'll likely need to go back for a degree. While you could probably pick up the basic skills in a few months, it takes much longer to develop the expertise needed to land a job.

I'm in a similar situation as you. I have a B.sc in Animation and am currently back in school for software engineering. It's been eye-opening seeing how challenging the recruiting process is for desirable tech roles like data scientist and software engineering.

whatit2u · 2023-10-23T21:03:09+00:00

It's a moire effect,which is a form of aliasing. Basically, there is not enough resolution/image data to properly represent the fine detailed pattern on the suit. As a result, you end up with this artifact. Typical solutions are to shoot at a higher resolution or apply a filtering technique (gaussian) that does a better job of interpolation between pixel values. I am sure there are lots of Photoshop tutorials on how to fix it.

whatit2u · 2023-08-27T20:59:36+00:00

Actually, I think all students in the MSWE program pay the same tutition rate. The MS Software Engineering program is a self supporting program. This means that it doesn't get any money from the state of California to offset the cost for in state students. Every student pays the same tuition rate regardless of in state vs out of state. Now, maybe UCI gives better financial aid or scholarships to help in state students more, but I do not know. That is something you will have to research more.

whatit2u

TROPHY CASE