Visual effects artist Max Alexander is the definition of self-made. With no traditional education in VFX, Alexander’s hunger for knowledge helped him get to where he is today – head of 2D at Vine FX (http://vinefx.com) in Cambridge, UK. After starting as a runner, he moved into rotoscoping before eventually landing his first few compositing gigs at Nvizible and Union. With credits that include work on Boat Story,
The Witcher and
The Lazarus Project, Alexander recently shared some insight into his career path.
Hi Max! How did you get into compositing?
“I’ve always loved film and TV, and seeing my two brothers working in the industry pushed me to try and get involved. We all shared similar interests, so I decided to try my hand at visual effects.”
Where did you learn the core skills to become a compositor?
“Rotoscoping with DVD tutorials was an easy way to learn more about it, and for clean-up prep work I mainly used Stop Motion. I would try to squeeze in some time to learn new techniques and skills outside of work.
“There was also a lot of on-the-job learning, too. First, as a runner at BlueBolt in London, then as a junior rotoscoping prep artist at Nvizible. After that, I started a digital restoration job at JCA.tv – a very meticulous role that turned out to be super important for my career growth. Being in charge of keeping the original essence of the footage while restoring it to make it look new was a different task that I was happy to take on. Now I’m 2D supervisor at Vine FX, but when I first joined a couple of years back I was a Nuke compositor.”
What is it about compositing that you enjoy?
“As compositors, we get to combine different elements to make a final image that never existed before, which is what really appeals to me. This job can mix the technical and creative aspects of the VFX industry. On the one hand, you have all the specifics that have to be implemented in any compositing job, such as roto, matting and grain-matching. On the other hand, you need to make sure that all the elements flow well together, and that takes a certain level of creativity and eye. Thankfully, even though I am more creative than technical, I do enjoy both parts.”
Many compositors kick off their careers in rotoscoping. How did you eventually move to a full compositing role?
“After learning more and more in my spare time, I decided that it was time to bite the bullet and move to compositing, so I decided to submit some of my showreels to Union and they offered me a junior compositor position. I already knew how to use Nuke, so the jump from rotoscoping to compositing was pretty smooth.”
Technology is at the heart of what compositors do day to day. Do you think the evolution of AI is going to change things?
“It’s undeniable that AI has had its impact in VFX. We’ve seen Foundry introducing AI tools in Nuke, and other software developers are doing the same thing. AI will definitely continue to affect our industry, and it’s already playing a big role in it. It will most likely help with automation, taking out the laborious bits of the job.
“Just thinking about my career, I can’t help but think about my first job in rotoscoping and how AI will drastically transform it through automation. It could also help with creative inputs, but I’m pretty sure that AI won’t completely wipe away compositors’ jobs. AI doesn’t offer the creativity necessary to generate completely original ideas. Human input will always be needed to an extent, and that’s where I see AI being integrated into the VFX industry – a nice blending of human and artificial intelligence to achieve the best results possible.”
What are some of the projects you’ve enjoyed working on the most?
“Since joining Vine FX I would say The Serpent and the second season of The Lazarus Project. I actually got to go on-set for The Serpent, which is a little unusual. It’s not something we do often in this job because compositing can be done from a computer pretty much anywhere. But in this case, we were also taking care of the matte painting, and the TV series was being filmed in Thailand. It’s great sometimes going on-set because it gives you a better understanding of the DP’s and director’s point of view, and where they want to take the production. It helps you steer in the right direction and achieve more outstanding results.
“I also enjoyed working on Luther: The Fallen Sun while I was at One of Us. There was a fire scene where Luther’s breaking out of prison – some of the fire was present on-set, but for safety reasons, most of it was added post-filming through compositing.”
What’s next for you?
“I’d love to take on more supervision, maybe on the set of a show. Overseeing all aspects of a VFX project would push me into an area that I haven’t explored yet and that I would love to know more about.
“Apart from that, I would say making my own short film. I’ve had one specific idea in mind for a few years, but I just need to find the right moment to dedicate myself to it. Soon, hopefully!”