15. Everything is leadership

You have much more influence than you think. It doesn't matter if you are an official leader or just the intern. If you realize that almost everything you do affects the people around you, and the company culture as a whole, you also see that you actually have quite a lot of power to influence. So stop complaining about the company culture not being what it used to and start actually doing something about it!How are you affecting the people around you?

Showing your Work In Progress is often crucial to working effectively in a team or towards a client. But if you are anything like me it doesn’t feel good to show stuff you aren’t happy with. In this episode I explore how you can make this easier for yourself, develop quicker and make your supervisor happier in the process!Music by amazing Marcus Olsson of Kungen & Hertigen

Are you following an outdated dream? I did and it got pretty bad!In rough times like these it's even more important to be conscious of what drives and inspires you. In this episode I talk about what happened when I followed a 10 year old dream, and what you can do to figure out if you are on the right track or if your dream needs some updating.Music by amazing Marcus Olsson of Kungen & Hertigen

Why are so many VFX artists out of work at the moment? And why are VFX studios going bankrupt left and right? In this episode I go into the history of the industry to better illustrate the landscape and try to explain why we are where we are today.Music by amazing Marcus Olsson of Kungen & Hertigen

I know many of you are struggling at the moment. In this more personal, less scripted episode I'm sharing what I'm struggling with at the moment. My hope is that it can help you feel a bit less alone and maybe make it a little easier to reach out for support.Take care out there! You are not alone! 💓Music by amazing Marcus Olsson of Kungen & Hertigen

Cristian is a CG and VFX supervisor with 20 years of experience in film and commercials with titles like Star Trek Discovery, Cats, Noelle and X-men Dark Phoenix on his CV. He is also a trainer and mentor at PXL Mentor with a passion for helping artists make it in VFX.This interview is all about the state of the industry. We talk about what brought us here, what we might expect of the future, the rise of AI, what’s up with the crappy movies these days, and much more. And as always we try to keep it positive and actionable with advice for students getting into the industry, thoughts on how to leverage AI instead of letting it take your job, and maybe even spotting a slowing down of the NO CGI trend!Music by amazing Marcus Olsson of Kungen & Hertigen

Carlos is a VFX Supervisor at MPC in Montreal, most recently on Transformers - Rise of the Beast. He started out as a compositor in London 2010 and has since worked on movies like Captain America, Prometheus, Terminator Genisys, Fantastic Four, Maleficent, Ghostbusters Afterlife and so on. In this interview we dissect the supervisor role and go deep into leadership and communication. Carlos is a great storyteller and shares a lot of examples and hilarious anecdotes. We talk about leading remote teams, being specific in your feedback, how to create an environment of trust and a lot more. Music by Marcus Olsson of Kungen & Hertigen

How well you communicate can dictate how far you will get in your career in VFX and how quickly you get there. But most artist don't think about communication as part of their skill set and are therefore holding themselves back. The good thing is that it's not rocket science and that you can learn to communicate better! In this episode I give advice on how you can become a better artist by the way you communicate, I give examples of what good and bad communication might look like and if it's appropriate to show some emotions when your shot is omitted. Music by Marcus Olsson of Kungen & Hertigen

Paul Wilkes has been recruiting for top VFX studios for many years. He used to be the Global Head of Talent Management at MPC Advertising, had a similarly prominent title at Technicolor and is now a Talent Consultant with PXL Talent.In this episode Paul helps to demystify what goes on behind the scenes when you submit your showreel to a studio, he gives tons of advice on how to craft your application to maximize your chances of getting a job,  how to chose your career path, the state of the global talent market and much more.Find out more about Paul and if his team at PXL Talent can help you find your next job at www.pxltalent.co.Music by Marcus Olsson of Kungen & Hertigen

Debra Coleman is a real titan in VFX. She has worked in the industry for over 25 years, going from runner to compositor to artist manager to global head of compositing at Dneg. She is now an accredited career coach working with VFX companies and professionals through her company Open Frame Coaching.In this conversation we talk about career development and the challenges that can come with new roles and responsibilities, what kind of leader you want to be, how to manage your time, perfectionism and much more. Debra shares a lot of useful advice and relatable anecdotes that I think a lot of people can benefit from. I for sure had a blast talking to her! To learn more about Debra Coleman and her coaching business, visit https://www.openframecoaching.co.ukThe Bond film we talk about in the end is no other than Goldeneye.Music by Marcus Olsson of Kungen & Hertigen