How can I find work in VFX and SFX?

An Oscar-winning SFX artist offers his guidance.

You want to work in visual and special effects, but how should you go about getting work experience, and are you better suited to VFX or SFX?

Watch the video to see Oscar-winning SFX supervisor Neil Corbould (Gravity, The Martian, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) offer advice, and take a look at some of the resources to find out what you need to do to enter a career in VFX and SFX.

If you’re interested in training courses (and are aged 16 to 19) then the BFI Film Academy Specialist residential programme focuses on the craft and workflow of different specialisms – including VFX – with leading industry professionals delivering masterclasses and practical skills training. Participants also receive bespoke careers advice.

Tim Field on VFX

VFX producer Tim Field talks about how he started his career in visual effects, where the money from a film’s VFX budget goes, and whether he believes that advances in technology have increased or restricted the opportunity for people working in the VFX industry to be creative.

Tim Field has worked on blockbusters since the start of his career, from being a camera operator on Supergirl (1984) and Labyrinth (1986) to producing VFX for Batman Begins (2005), Iron Man 2 (2010), Les Misérables (2012) and Under the Skin (2013).

Interviewer: Pelumi Akindude

Useful resources