Freelance
visual effects.

The work

Guide the visual and technical approach to effects, from the first breakdown through the final shot. Work with the director, production and post teams to plan what needs to be captured, set expectations for the work and keep reviews focused on the intended result.

What to share

• Finished sequences with your supervisory responsibilities and the size of the VFX team.
• A breakdown showing how on-set planning informed the effects work.
• An example of a creative or technical problem you resolved across departments.

The work

Plan the budget, artist resources and schedule for VFX, keeping the client and production team informed as shots move through review and delivery. Work with supervisors to define the shot scope, track the effect of changes and organise the people needed for each stage.

What to share

• VFX projects with the shot scope, team size and your production responsibilities explained.
• Experience with estimates, artist scheduling, client reviews and managing changes to the work.
• An example of coordinating a complex sequence or meeting delivery requirements across several disciplines.

The work

Identify VFX artists whose experience fits a project's disciplines and schedule. Read reels and credits in the context of the brief, coordinate availability and expectations, and keep the production team informed as the required mix of artists changes.

What to share

• The VFX disciplines, project types and levels of experience you have recruited for.
• Your role in reviewing relevant work, coordinating availability and supporting the hiring process.
• Your approach to clear candidate communication and handling information without sharing private applicant records.

The work

Build and maintain tools that help artists move work reliably between departments. Understand the studio's existing workflow, identify repetitive tasks or fragile handoffs, and develop practical solutions for publishing, validation, versioning or rendering.

What to share

• Tools or workflow examples, with the problem and your contribution explained.
• The software, scripting languages and pipeline environments you have worked with.
• An example of testing, documenting and supporting a tool used by other artists.

The work

Coordinate the VFX work within the wider editorial and finishing schedule. Plan turnovers, track changing cuts and review dates, and make sure approved shots reach the right people with the correct versions and delivery requirements.

What to share

• Projects where you coordinated VFX with editorial, sound, colour or finishing teams.
• Your role in managing turnovers, review rounds and changing delivery dates.
• A redacted workflow or schedule showing how you tracked dependencies and approvals.

The work

Build effects and shot elements that help a scene read as intended. Depending on your specialism, that may involve creating assets, solving movement, developing effects or combining elements, with clean handoffs to the next artist in the process.

What to share

• A reel or selected shots with a clear breakdown of your contribution.
• The disciplines and software you are strongest in, including areas you handle independently.
• One example showing the source material, your work in progress and the finished shot.

The work

Turn scripts, boards and early ideas into sequences that establish staging, camera movement and timing. Use simple assets and clear visual choices to help the director and production team assess how a scene could be shot before committing to detailed work.

What to share

• Previsualisation sequences showing camera language, blocking and editing choices.
• The brief or boards you started from, with your role in developing the sequence.
• An example of revising a sequence around creative feedback or production constraints.

The work

Build 3D assets with the form, scale and detail needed for their intended use. Prepare geometry and UVs for the next stages of production, keeping topology and asset organisation appropriate for texturing, rigging, animation or close-up rendering.

What to share

• Finished models alongside wireframes, UV layouts and reference material.
• Your contribution to each asset and whether it was used in animation or a still image.
• Examples showing the level of detail and topology you choose for different uses.

The work

Develop character models with convincing proportions, readable forms and a clear sense of the design. Work from concepts or references, then prepare geometry that supports the expression and movement required by the rigging and animation teams.

What to share

• Character turntables with the source design and your modelling contribution.
• Wireframes or deformation examples showing how the model supports animation.
• A range of characters that reflects the styles and levels of detail you work in.

The work

Model vehicles with attention to proportion, construction and the way their parts fit together. Use reference material to build clean surfaces and organised components, with enough detail for the planned camera distance, movement and rendering approach.

What to share

• Vehicle models with reference images, turntables and wireframe views.
• Close-ups showing surface quality, component detail and any interior work.
• Your role in preparing the asset for texturing, animation or final rendering.

The work

Build digital settings that support the composition and story of a scene. Develop layouts, terrain, architecture or set dressing, and work with lighting and effects artists to make the environment hold together across the required camera views.

What to share

• Environment shots with layout, asset or set-dressing breakdowns.
• Your contribution to modelling, textures, scene assembly and any shared assets.
• An example showing how reference material informed scale, composition and detail.

The work

Create texture maps that describe a surface's colour, material, finish and wear. Work from references and the asset's intended use, checking how the textures behave in the look-development setup and how they hold up at the required shot distance.

What to share

• Texture work shown on the asset, with relevant map or UV examples.
• Reference material and close-ups explaining the surface qualities you developed.
• Your role in painting, scanning, procedural work or adapting existing texture sources.

The work

Develop the materials and shading that establish how an asset responds to light. Test surfaces under useful lighting conditions, refine the relationship between textures and shaders, and prepare a setup that the lighting team can use consistently across shots.

What to share

• Assets shown under more than one lighting condition, with close-up material detail.
• Breakdowns identifying your work on shaders, textures and material setup.
• An example of matching a physical reference or maintaining a defined visual style.

The work

Build rigs that give animators useful control over a character, prop or mechanical asset. Work with modelling and animation to establish movement needs, test deformation and control behaviour, and resolve problems that appear as the asset moves into shots.

What to share

• Rig demonstrations showing controls, movement range and deformation quality.
• Your contribution to the rig, including any tools or scripted components.
• An example of responding to animator feedback or solving a difficult deformation.

The work

Create groups of characters whose movement and variation support the action in a shot. Set up behaviour, distribution and timing, then refine the result around camera framing, interactions and the needs of the surrounding animation and effects work.

What to share

• Crowd sequences with breakdowns of your setup and final shot contribution.
• Examples of variation, interaction and movement suited to different scene types.
• The tools you used and how you handled shot feedback or simulation problems.

The work

Develop simulations for movement and physical effects such as cloth, fluids or particles. Balance believable behaviour with the intended timing and shape of the shot, then prepare stable caches and clear handoffs for lighting, rendering or compositing.

What to share

• Simulation breakdowns showing the setup, iterations and finished result.
• The types of simulation you handle and the software you use for each.
• An example of directing a simulation toward a specific creative note or shot requirement.

The work

Build effects such as smoke, fire, water, particles or destruction for individual shots and sequences. Develop the movement, scale and timing around the action, and work with lighting and compositing to make the effect sit convincingly in the finished scene.

What to share

• Effects reels with breakdowns identifying the elements you created.
• Examples showing how you shaped an effect around the action or camera movement.
• Your role in simulation, shading, caching and the handoff to other departments.

The work

Light CG assets and environments to support the scene's mood, composition and visual continuity. Match live-action references where needed, refine the relationship between materials and light, and prepare render passes that give compositors useful control over the final image.

What to share

• Lighting examples with your contribution separated from modelling and look development.
• Reference matches or sequence work showing consistent light, shadow and colour.
• A breakdown of the render passes and handoff you prepared for compositing.

The work

Reconstruct camera or object movement so digital elements stay aligned with filmed footage. Assess the available reference, lens information and shot movement, then deliver a solve with the scale, orientation and supporting geometry needed by the next department.

What to share

• Tracking shots with an overlay or test render showing the quality of the solve.
• Your contribution to camera tracking, object tracking or supporting scene geometry.
• An example involving a difficult lens, limited tracking detail or changing movement.

The work

Create backgrounds and environment extensions that fit the shot's perspective, lighting and atmosphere. Combine painting, photography or 3D elements as appropriate, and prepare layers or projections that support the planned camera movement and compositing work.

What to share

• Finished matte paintings alongside the original plate and a contribution breakdown.
• Examples showing perspective, light and atmosphere matched to a filmed scene.
• Your role in source preparation, painting, projection setup and compositing handoff.

The work

Prepare scenes and render outputs so the final images meet the needs of the shot and finishing team. Troubleshoot noise, missing assets or inconsistent results, and balance image quality, render time and available resources while keeping outputs organised.

What to share

• Rendered work with your responsibilities for scene preparation and troubleshooting.
• An example of improving a render's reliability or efficiency while preserving image quality.
• The render engines, passes and delivery workflows you have worked with.

The work

Combine filmed footage, CG and other elements into a consistent final shot. Refine the keying, colour, light, grain and edges so the elements belong together, then carry review notes through to the required finish and delivery format.

What to share

• A reel with before-and-after views or layer breakdowns for selected shots.
• Your contribution to keying, integration, cleanup and final shot finishing.
• Examples that show careful matching of light, movement and detail across different sources.

The work

Create accurate mattes that let other artists separate, replace or adjust parts of a shot. Follow the subject's movement and changing edges, account for blur and fine detail, and keep the shapes and delivery organised for the compositing team.

What to share

• Rotoscoping examples showing mattes alongside the original footage.
• Shots involving motion blur, hair, overlapping subjects or changing focus.
• Your approach to frame-to-frame consistency and responding to compositing feedback.

The work

Develop secondary motion that helps a creature feel physically convincing in a shot. Work with animation, rigging and lighting on elements such as muscle, skin, fur or cloth, refining their response to the performance and the needs of the final image.

What to share

• Creature effects shots with a breakdown of the systems and elements you handled.
• Examples showing how the effect responds to the underlying animation.
• Your role in setup, simulation, shot adjustments and the handoff to lighting.

The work

Guide the CG work needed to carry a creature from asset development into finished shots. Coordinate modelling, rigging, look development and shot departments, set a consistent quality standard, and resolve issues that affect both the creature's appearance and performance.

What to share

• Creature sequences with your supervisory scope and the departments involved.
• An example of coordinating asset decisions with animation and shot requirements.
• Breakdowns showing how you addressed a visual or technical issue across the team.

The work

Develop detailed textures for characters and creatures, with attention to how skin, scales or other surfaces support the form. Work with look development and modelling to keep texture detail consistent with the design, anatomy and distance of the final camera.

What to share

• Character or creature turntables with close-ups and relevant texture maps.
• References explaining the surface qualities, variation and detail you developed.
• Your contribution to texture painting, displacement detail and material handoff.

The work

Model realistic characters with close attention to anatomy, proportion and the way forms read under light. Develop the sculpt and production geometry together, working with rigging and look development so the asset supports both close-up detail and convincing movement.

What to share

• Realistic character models with references, turntables and wireframe views.
• Close-ups showing anatomy, facial structure and the detail you created.
• Your role in sculpting, retopology and preparing the model for deformation.

The work

Build body and facial rigs that support believable movement and expression in realistic characters. Work with modelling and animation to test anatomy, control behaviour and deformation, then refine the rig around the demands of the performance and the shot.

What to share

• Body or facial rig demonstrations showing movement range and deformation.
• Your contribution to controls, corrective shapes and any rigging tools.
• An example of improving the rig in response to animation tests or artist feedback.

The work

Keep VFX shot information, review notes and versions organised as work moves through the team. Track the status of assigned shots, follow up on handoffs and make sure artists and producers have clear, current information about priorities and deadlines.

What to share

• Projects where you coordinated VFX work, with the team size and your responsibilities.
• A redacted example of shot tracking, review notes or a delivery checklist.
• An example of keeping departments aligned when versions, feedback or priorities changed.

The work

Develop concept visuals, backgrounds or shot elements with Seedance, then refine them to suit the brief. Work from approved references, test variations in composition and movement, and review the selected material with the creative and post teams before preparing it for the edit.

What to share

• Seedance examples showing your starting references, iterations and finished material.
• A breakdown of your direction, selection, cleanup and any editing or compositing you handled.
• How you checked source permissions and kept the work within our stated AI production guidelines.

The work

Use Higgsfield to develop visual studies or shot elements around a defined creative direction. Explore framing and movement, compare variations and refine the chosen material with the post team so its look, timing and continuity fit the surrounding work.

What to share

• Higgsfield examples with the brief, your references and the result you selected.
• Your contribution to generation, review and finishing, with the other tools you used identified.
• How you handled source permissions, visual inconsistencies and our stated AI production guidelines.

The work

Create backgrounds or shot elements with Kling, checking visual consistency and finishing the result for the edit. Use approved starting material, review movement and continuity across versions, and work with editors or compositors to address artifacts in the selected shots.

What to share

• Kling examples that connect the starting material, key iterations and finished shot.
• A breakdown of your direction, consistency checks, cleanup and handoff to post-production.
• Your approach to source permissions and to following our stated AI production guidelines.