A Gamer’s Story

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Vicki Lau’s Journey Through VFX World

Ep. 11

At the beginning of cinema, visual effects were kind of a walking cane for the imagination; they helped create fantastic things that didn't exist in the real world. The first visual effects techniques were miniatures, back projection, smoke and mirrors, and other techniques that today's audience would find, at minimum, unconvincing. Today, visual effects are so smooth that sometimes the audience doesn't even realize they are there. It feels like they don't help people imagine how it would be to see a giant gorilla climbing the Empire State Building; instead, a few bricks would fly in the audience's direction. 


Our guest today, Vicki Lau, will teach us everything we always wanted to know about visual effects. Vicki is a VFX and VR specialist, author, artist, technologist, entrepreneur, financial strategist, intense thinker, and bodybuilder. Vicki's first job was at The Walking Dead; she also worked in Guardians of the Galaxy, Ninja Turtles, and many other great movies and video games. 


In this episode, Vicki shares bits of her story, her first steps in the VFX industry, what projects she enjoyed the most, and which ones were the hardest to accomplish. We also talk about what she does outside of visual effects to look for inspiration, the difference between visual effects for movies and for video games, and what kind of skills every visual effect specialist should have. 


Tune in to Episode 11 of A Gamer's Story and know the details behind the magic of modern cinema.


Some Questions I Ask:

  • Can you tell us a bit about yourself as a VFX artist? (2:08)
  • How did you get started in VFX and design? (3:12)
  • How did you get your first major assignment? (5:19)
  • What was your most challenging visual effects design? (10:18)


In This Episode, You Will Learn:

  • The best way to stay updated as a VFX artist (6:22)
  • Vicki's favorite kind of visual effect. (8:56)
  • How are visual effects for movies and video games different but similar at the same time (14:31)
  • The skills every VFX artist should have (20:12)


Resources:


Connect with Vicki:


Let's Connect!

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