While still at university, Jake Newton caught the eye of one of the leading VFX studios in the UK. Since then, he’s taken his interest in film and games into his work as a CG generalist at Vine FX (http://vinefx.com) in Cambridge, UK, making his job feel more like a hobby. Here, he shares insight into his career path in the visual effects industry.
Hi Jake! How did your VFX journey start?
“I’ve always had a passion for the arts. When I was looking into studying at sixth form, there wasn’t anything arts-related, other than drama. I wanted to do something creative, but I’m no actor, so I started to look into colleges that did offer the subjects I wanted to study. When I finally moved to a new college, I studied Film & TV, Digital Design and Web Design. It was then that I started to experiment with 3D and game engines. I soon realized that by mixing both of my passions — film and games — I could work in visual effects.
“And that was it. I went on to study an integrated degree — an Honours and a Master’s degree together — at Escape Studios for four years. That’s where my relationship with Vine FX started. I’d just finished my BA and Michael Illingworth, founder of Vine FX, asked me if I was interested in a position. I decided to continue my studies for a while, but just a short year later, as I was about to graduate, Michael reached out and asked me again. It was an offer I couldn’t decline twice! I’ve now been a CG generalist at the company for over three years.”
For those who might not know what a CG generalist does, what can you share?
“As a CG generalist, I work on projects from the start all the way through to rendering. Most of the tasks include asset creation and clean-up, modeling, texturing, layout and lighting. It’s everything that happens before compositing. Being able to make things that don’t exist and create things from nothing is very satisfying. I’ve been lucky to not only join a company where everyone is incredibly helpful and forthcoming, but also do a job that doesn’t feel like a job and more like a hobby because I love what I do.
“Vine FX has also given me a lot of flexibility in the role. I’ve worked on incredible projects, and I get to do most of my job remotely. My first year at the company, I was in the office in Cambridge, and I think that was vital to my career since I was still learning. Then, I briefly moved to Brighton, and now I’ve been in Edinburgh for quite some time. I still go to Cambridge for a couple of days every month, but having the option to work from home isn’t something I take for granted.”
What’s the best part of being a generalist?
“I’ve gained useful and in-depth skills in a number of niches in VFX. Of course, there are certain tasks that I enjoy more than others, such as asset work and texturing, but generally I’ve been lucky to find beauty in all aspects of the job. It’s just that with texturing and asset work, I can really focus on what fulfills me — making assets from scratch that otherwise wouldn’t have existed, and having the chance to show my creativity with the assets.
“What’s rewarding is seeing something taking form, from start to finish. As a generalist, you work on so many different bits of a project, so when you finally see it all come together, it’s a very special feeling. I’m a bit of a nerd as well, so I like fixing technical problems. When someone doesn’t notice that a frame or segment has been manipulated, that is most rewarding. It means that I worked so well on it that it looks realistic to the human eye.”
Do you think AI will affect your job?
“Honestly, I might have been slightly worried a year or so ago, but I’m not now. I think AI isn’t yet able to replace what I do, but it can help me speed up the process. There was a lot of scaremongering around AI taking people’s jobs, however, it’s definitely a great tool to have and can help speed up a process. Within production, and even any type of creative project, having a human look into it and communicating with the wider team is a lot easier than having to specify a prompt into AI. I’ve also seen more regulations coming in, which will help the industry not be taken over by these new technologies. At the end of the day, I think we just have to learn to use it to our advantage, as it can never replace anyone, but more so be a benchmark or an assistant to your work.”
Where do you see yourself in the future?
“I don’t have a solid plan, but I do have a few changes and goals for the upcoming years. I still see myself working at a small VFX studio. I like the idea of a small team, where you can help each other out. In the end, that’s at the root of being a generalist. You work on many different aspects and solve problems wherever that’s needed.
“I’ve enjoyed leading on some sequences and shows recently and hope to do more of this in future. I remember when I was at university, and how I loved running our group projects and organizing every aspect of them. As a general wish, I would like to become a VFX supervisor. But I have to say, I wouldn’t mind being a generalist for a little bit longer.”