Interview with Simon Marinof (FX98), Graduate of the Film and Television program, Lead Compositor at Rhythm and Hues, Los Angeles

1- Which company do you work for and what position do you hold there?
I work as lead compositor at Rhythm and Hues. In addition to working on shots, I’m also the resource person for all compositors in my team, and I’m in charge of ensuring the quality of the work before it is presented to VFX supervisor. I’m currently working on the movie: The A-Team.

2-Why did you choose a career in 3D?
I’ve always been attracted to the visual arts. However, because I wasn’t that great at drawing, I decided to look into other ways of creating images. I also really liked cinema. My dad worked for the National Film Board of Canada for many years. He would often take me to work with him, and I could visit the film sets, the sound mixing rooms, etc. One day, he brought me into this little room, which I’d never seen before, where 5 or 6 people were working on computers using Softimage. That’s when I realized that was what I wanted to do!  Afterwards, watching movies such as Jurassic Park and Terminator 2, helped confirm my passion and the goals I wanted to reach.

3-In what way did the NAD Centre help you start a career in 3D?
The NAD is a top school. Anything is possible for someone who is willing to work. Three quarters of the teachers work in the industry, which means that the courses are always up-to-date and production oriented. Employers look for people who can start work on a project and produce shots without having to train them. The NAD Centre trains students who can adapt themselves to the workforce.

4-What is your career path?
I started my career in the industry as a 3D generalist (texture, lighting, rendering, etc.) at Microids, a video game company in Montreal. I learned a lot since there were many technical restrictions on games at the time (number of polygons, thickness of textures, etc.). Then, for several months, I worked at Side City in Montreal, still as a generalist.  Afterwards, when I worked for BigBang FX/Animation, I got to try new disciplines like motion tracking and compositing. I also worked at Ubisoft within the cinematics team and at Digital Dimension in Montreal where I became CG Supervisor. Digital Dimension had a great work environment where I got the opportunity to work on nice projects such as Lost and many more… I also did several contracts for Mokko Studios and Meteor, while teaching part time at the NAD. I loved my work experience in Montreal, but I wanted to work on bigger projects. So, in 2006, I decided to leave Quebec for San Francisco to work at ILM where I had the opportunity of working on Pirates of the Caribbean 3. I am now lead compositor at Rhythm and Hues in Los Angeles.

5-What do you enjoy in your profession and why?
The whole creative aspect is definitely what I love most. I also like that each project is unique and requires its own problem solving. It’s not routine work, that’s for sure. And, being able to show your work around the world is extremely nice and gratifying.

6- What are the qualities needed to succeed in your field?
Our work resides in the balance between the artistic and the technical side of things. Attitude is also very important. I always say that it’s 50% talent and 50% attitude. We not only want to work with people who are competent, but people who are open and respectful. The technical side is also very important since the software is not always easy to use, and you have to be able to solve technical issues quite regularly.

7- Do you have any advice to give to students who wish to make a career in 3D?
Work hard!!! And, be respectful; allow teachers to teach you and always have an open attitude. Everyone can teach you something and it doesn’t mean you aren’t as good, quite the contrary. Working in 3D means working as a team, don’t get discouraged and try to be as organized as possible.