Today we’d like to introduce you to Don Kim
Hi Don, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I grew up with the Harry Potter series and have always been a big fan. I read the original books and watched all the movies in theaters. Sometimes, I would sketch scenes from the movies as I imagined them or scenes from the books that didn’t make it into the films. My dream of becoming a filmmaker began to take shape during those years. Among all aspects of filmmaking, I became particularly interested in creating realistic imagery, such as bringing Hogwarts, magical creatures, and enchanting landscapes to life. This became my dream job, and I have dedicated myself to learning and working in this industry.
However, it took me a while to realize that these movies used CGI (computer-generated imagery) technology. Back in those days in South Korea, where I grew up, it wasn’t easy to find relevant programs such as VFX (visual effects) and 3D animation in academic institutions due to their lack of popularity. I discovered that a few art schools abroad had renowned programs in this field. This realization prompted me to study abroad, and I ultimately attended the Animation program at SCAD (Savannah College of Art and Design). Throughout the four-year program, I honed my skills with industry-experienced professors and talented friends from around the world.
After graduation, I landed an animation internship at MAKE, a Minneapolis-based VFX studio. I was fortunate to work on several television commercial projects as an animator for clients like Microsoft, Spin Master, and Hess. While contributing to projects with heavy live-action elements, I helped create ‘pre-vis’ (pre-visualization), a crucial process in film, television, commercials, and game cinematics.
At MAKE, the CG team used 3D tools to block out entire commercials for pre-visualization during the pre-production stage. Our role was similar to that of a director or DP (director of photography) on set, but within a virtual 3D environment. This demanded more creative thinking than technical skills. In animation, a similar process called ‘layout’ also played a pivotal role. I particularly enjoyed leading the animation team to create the layout for our capstone film project, Stabby (2020), during my senior year of college.
This experience inspired me to pursue pre-visualization roles, leading to my first job as a previs artist for the Disney Plus Original film Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers (2022) at MPC (Moving Picture Company), a VFX studio known for its work on iconic franchises including the Harry Potter series. This marked the fulfillment of my childhood dream and the beginning of my career as a professional visualization artist.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
As an artist, I believe everyone has strengths and weaknesses, and I lean towards an artistic mindset. I chose to study animation rather than visual effects in college because visual effects programs often involve complex node systems and scripts, which overwhelmed me given my fine art background.
However, as a previs artist, I frequently need to learn new tools, skills, and pipelines for various projects. Depending on the project’s requirements, clients may need more detailed work from the visualization department. This can involve creating realistic rendered images using Unreal Engine for on-set references, incorporating motion-captured performances to align precisely with actors’ actions, handling simulations for visual effects like cloth, hair, and debris, or preparing real-time CG scenes for virtual cameras.
From my experience, the ability to adapt quickly to new tools and skillsets is crucial for a previs artist. While I still face challenges in this area, I continue to work diligently to improve myself as an artist.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a pre-visualization artist, also known as a previs/previz artist, previs animator, or shot creator, currently working at the visualization studio TTF (The Third Floor), renowned for its work on major projects like the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Game of Thrones, Star Wars, and Avatar. The pre-visualization department is crucial to the pre-production and virtual production stages of the film production pipeline. We create preview versions of films for clients before production begins on set. This process helps shape the narrative, plan camera angles, choreograph actors’ movements, and design lighting setups, while identifying and resolving complex or VFX-heavy shots early on. Additionally, previs improves communication, aids in technical planning, enhances resource management, and ensures cost efficiency and safety during production. Its importance is underscored by its central role in many VFX-heavy blockbuster movies.
Our role requires diverse skill sets to visualize scenes. Typically, previs artists use storyboards or scripts as references to create shots or sequences. We animate props, lights, characters, creatures, and vehicles, and have a deep understanding of cinematic language to set up and animate cameras in 3D space. Beyond animation, our responsibilities often extend to other technical tasks such as modeling, lighting, compositing, simulation work to achieve visual effects.
Since 2020, I’ve had the opportunity to contribute to various projects, such as the mobile game Kingdom Jump and television commercials for clients such as Energizer®, Hess, Spin Master, and Microsoft. I’ve also been involved in notable film projects like Disney Pictures’ Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers (2020), DC Studios’ The Flash (2023), and Lucasfilm’s The Mandalorian – Season 3 (2023), among others.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.donmkimartist.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/previzguyla/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/previzguyla
- Vimeo: vimeo.com/user198723313
- Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm12532654/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_4
Image Credits
dkim_personalPhoto – © Andrew Solari. All rights reserved.
TheMandalorian-S3_official_poster – © Lucasfilm Ltd. All rights reserved.
Chip’nDale-RescueRangers_offical poster – © Walt Disney Pictures. All rights reserved.
Stabby_poster – © Stabby Production. All rights reserved.
Stabby_BTS_storyboard-layout-final – © Stabby Production. All rights reserved.
TheArtofAvatarImmersiveExhibition-workEvent – © Don Kim. All rights reserved.
