Archive notice: This article was originally published on July 29, 2009. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
eyeon, one of the leading companies in compositing, post-production, visual effects and broadcast graphics, is supporting the animago AWARD 2009 as a category sponsor. DIGITAL PRODUCTION spoke with Eric Westphal, eyeon’s European Product Manager, about emerging talent in the industry, the collaboration and the importance of animago.
DP: eyeon is a sponsor of this year’s animago AWARD. How do you assess animago’s standing in the industry? Why is it important for you to take part in this event?
Eric Westphal: animago has developed into the most important competition of its kind in Europe, and every year there are wonderful entries that demonstrate new techniques or push existing programs beyond their apparent limits. And that is precisely one of eyeon’s strengths. For more than 20 years, we have been providing artists with an ever-growing collection of tools. Artists request new features to implement new ideas, or show us possible applications that our developers had not imagined even in their wildest dreams. This creates a constant cycle of user requests and new features in Fusion. This feedback is very important to us.
DP: You sponsor the Best Young Production category. Why did you decide to sponsor this particular category?
Eric Westphal: In my view, emerging talent is an extremely important group. Young, talented artists who think beyond familiar boundaries and implement their ideas not with render farms costing millions but in a quiet little room are the producers, directors and supervisors of the future.
This immense creative force deserves an outstanding production environment that works just as well in a quiet little room as it does on a render farm costing millions. Fusion and Generation do exactly that.
DP: Although animago is expanding more broadly and into the professional field this time with its many categories, does emerging talent still have to remain an important part of the animago concept?
Eric Westphal: Of course. Without new talent, even the best production company will eventually run out of employees. Without new talent, there is no “fresh blood” and no “radical ideas” that some supervisors may curse, but which are indispensable to the dynamism and continuing development of current production processes and viewing habits.
DP: The previous year’s winner for Best University Production (“Our Wonderful Nature”) and the excellent work published annually by Filmakademie Ludwigsburg demonstrate the potential at German universities. Are German universities gradually becoming able to match the standard of specialised private universities in the USA?
Eric Westphal: The Filmakademie certainly occupies a special position. But every school has the potential to produce outstanding artists. In my view, however, the school always accounts for only a certain percentage of the training. Far more important is each individual’s personal commitment, regardless of which school I attend or who my professors are. There are now countless opportunities to continue learning. And even if, as an intern on a production, you spend two months doing nothing but making coffee, putting the coffee cup down at the artist’s workstation always gives you the opportunity to look over their shoulder for a few minutes and learn new things. Anyone who keeps their eyes and heart open and who genuinely has a goal in mind will certainly become a good artist—whether in Europe or the USA.
DP: How do you assess the current job market in compositing for Fusion artists? Will it continue to expand?
Eric Westphal: The market for Fusion artists in particular continues to expand. More and more companies are switching to Fusion, from small boutiques to the largest studios.
Anyone who can use Fusion generally has a job. That is another reason why promoting emerging talent is so important to us. The market is demanding Fusion freelancers.
DP: With your own SWAT initiative, you also want to ensure that Fusion and Generation artists remain at the top of their game. Tell us a little about the concept and background. Does a compositing artist’s training never end?
Eric Westphal: Herbert Grönemeyer once sang, “Stagnation is death,” and in that sense I am glad that our entire life is really a continuous training process.
The SWAT initiative works at various levels. On the one hand, we naturally want to introduce young artists to Fusion and Generation. On the other, as already mentioned, more and more companies are switching to Fusion. Their artists already have years of experience in Shake, AfterFX, Combustion or Flame and naturally want to transfer this knowledge to Fusion as quickly and smoothly as possible.
Sometimes it is enough to know that the front door is hinged on the left in Shake and on the right in Fusion. Once you have found the door handle, everything else is no longer a major problem. Through SWAT, we therefore offer various training opportunities. There is something for beginners, people changing systems and high-flyers, because our trainers themselves have many years of production experience and know what matters.
DP: animago is now moving to Germany’s film mecca, Potsdam-Babelsberg. What do you expect from animago 2009?
Eric Westphal: The answer is almost contained in the question. With its central location and long film history, Potsdam-Babelsberg has precisely this mecca-like atmosphere and is certainly a good choice. But an event is only ever as good as its guests, and because they will—hopefully—not change, I believe it will be just as exciting, cheerful, communicative and fulfilling as in previous years. Perhaps even better. And in Berlin.
