Today we’d like to introduce you to Wei-Kang (Victor) Lin.
Hi Wei-Kang (Victor), so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I studied film in my hometown Taipei for my undergrad. Back in 2017, while I was doing my military service in Taiwan, I decided that instead of pursuing a master’s degree in film, I wanted to do something more technical such as 3D animation and visual effects, since I didn’t have the money nor connection to really make it to where I want to be. After a year of self-learning, I got accepted to go to the Savannah College of Art and Design for the Visual Effects MFA program, and just like that, I moved from Taiwan to The States.
Soon after I started school at SCAD, Covid happened. Although I spent most of my school life at SCAD in my room, it didn’t take away the fun of learning new things. In June 2021, I was very fortunate to be offered a compositing intern position at Hinge Digital in Portland. Through the internship, I was certain that I want to be a compositor.
In January 2022, I began messaging people on LinkedIn trying to build connections, and through that, I met my current show supervisor, Steve DiNozzi, my boss Chris LeDoux and other more experienced people in the industry. I got offered multiple compositing positions at different companies throughout the US and in the end, I went with my Hunch and got a junior compositor position at my company – Crafty Apes in Atlanta. Which I have been enjoying working at ever since.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
With the pandemic, getting to where I am has not been a smooth road. Many studios had to shut down because of the lack of work and the uncertainty of the remote working situation. It was not easy for us international students to find any sort of jobs or internships in 2020/2021. And now, just when it’s getting better, the writer strikes and the actor strike happened. With that, many of my colleagues have lost their jobs, and even though I was lucky to stay, my own hours have been cut.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a compositor. The easier and quicker way to explain is Photoshop but for videos. What I do is to enhance the visual and combine different footage with elements such as effects simulations, 3D renders, or even just random materials we find that suit the storytelling.
For example, in films like Guardians of the Galaxy, you can’t have the whole on-set team go to space to shoot the film. Instead, it will be at a studio or locations that the production companies built. And part of my job is to remove the blue/green screens and composite backgrounds provided by other departments or clients. Many people might not realize that visual effects is not a one-man job, and it’s usually many teams of people working on specific things and then combining all the elements together to create the final results we see on the big screen.
Besides the action-packed blockbuster film and cool effects, What I do daily and the most is actually something people called “invisible visual effects”. People might look at the scene and not realize anything has been done with it and that just mean we’ve done a great job. It can be something as small as removing a scar from the skin to replace the sky. The whole point is to make any changes seamlessly fits the original footage.
Most of my work has not been released yet. But in the past few years living in the States, I’ve worked on scenes in tv shows such as What We Do In The Shadow season 3, Black Mafia Family season 2, Swarm and Echo 3. There are more shows and movies to come.
I am very proud of what I do, and I have been praised for having a good attitude and hunger for knowledge. As a fresh-out-of-school junior artist, within one year I have been confidently taking on more senior shots and received good comments from my coworkers. My background is also what sets me apart from other people in my company. Being in a foreign country alone can be tough; that’s why I need to work harder and make sure I am constantly improving.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
My biggest advice for students like me or anyone at all is to be relentless. Don’t be afraid to reach out to people and ask for what you want. It’s never a bad thing to put your name out there even though you might not have much experience, but at least you can learn from the feedback you receive. Sooner or later, you’ll be noticed.
And for people who just started out as a compositor, watch more movies, go outside and feel nature, you will be surprised that most of what we do isn’t explosions or superpowers. Knowing what everything is like and being able to create believable images is important. And don’t be afraid to reach out to people for help if needed. Everyone I know from the visual effects industry has been nothing but helpful and supportive.
Contact Info:
- Website: victorlinvfx.com
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/victor-lin-vfx/
Image Credits
Andrew Johnson, Lucie Regal, Austin Tyler, DJ Shea, Ryan McConnell, Jesse Griffin, Miranda Leighr, Laura Palmer, Chris Wood, Josh Stevens, Janelle Jovellanos, Garrett Braun, Bobby Tucker, Phylicia Feldman
