If you’ve survived more than three years in VFX, you’ve probably managed someone who made you question your sanity and your management skills. But is there a way to avoid insanity?  Let’s go “Beyond Normal” and explore how neurodivergent minds drive innovation in post-production, why traditional management styles fall short, and how studios can redefine collaboration and go about managing Neurodivergent Talent.

Why This Conversation Matters Now

Let’s be honest: We’re all a bit weird because we chose to enter the creative industries. You don’t accidentally end up spending more than 12-hours a day making imaginary creatures look real, unless your brain works a little differently than most people’s.

But here’s what’s changing: with AI tools making individual artists exponentially more powerful, understanding how your team’s brains actually work isn’t just nice-to-have management theory any more.  Because when you had 50 people on a show and two couldn’t stand each other, you worked around it. When AI shrinks that team to 10 people, interpersonal friction becomes catastrophic. The studios thriving in the next five years won’t just be the ones adopting AI fastest, it’ll be the ones who can create environments where neurodivergent talent operates at maximum effectiveness while collaborating in tighter, more interdependent teams.

Some Numbers

For the data-hungry: Replacing senior VFX talent can cost studios between $150,000 and $300,000—a hefty price for letting expertise walk out the door. Creative industries aren’t just creative; they’re also hotbeds for neurodivergent thinkers, showing concentrations two to three times higher than in typical workplaces. In fact, 48% of VFX professionals display traits linked to ADHD, autism, dyslexia, or similar cognitive differences. The upside? Teams that embrace and manage neurodiversity solve complex technical problems 30% faster. But is that a surprise to anybody? (Sources linked below)

And what does that have to do with your show?

Most Supervisors avoid drama. The smart ones learn to channel it. This article isn’t medical advice, or a comment on “Todays society” – it’s a field manual from someone who’s been there, done that, and learned what actually works when you’re trying to deliver impossible projects with exceptional and exceptionally challenging people.

Part 1: Spotting the Patterns

Before we dive in, let’s address the elephant in the room: neurodivergence has become trendy on social media. The “University of TikTok” has produced thousands of armchair experts who can “diagnose” your entire team based on a 30-second video and millions of Twitterati who tell you in 160 characters why their way is the best, and why everybody else is crazy. 

Here’s the thing: You don’t need anyone to have a medical diagnosis to notice that some brains processes information differently than yours. And more importantly, you don’t need to know the clinical terms to figure out how to work with them effectively.  

The first hurdle is distinguishing between genuine cognitive differences and plain old bad behaviour (aka. The colleague who is frustrated by life that needs a victim). Let’s dive into that difference first!

“Being on the Spectrum” vs “Clinical Diagnosis”

Here’s a controversial take: what matters most in production isn’t the label, but how someone’s brain actually works. “Being on the spectrum” isn’t a diagnosis—it just means human cognition is wildly varied. Some people process sensory input intensely, others spot patterns nobody else sees, some communicate bluntly. For creative teams, the real questions are: How do they process information best? What environment brings out their strongest work? How do they communicate most effectively? And what triggers their worst performance? That’s what managers need to understand—labels are just shorthand for far more complex minds.

Narcissist vs Neurodivergent – a few examples

To introduce a few archetypes – more on THAT can of worms later – here are two you might have met: The Toxic Perfectionist would say: “These renders are garbage. Who approved this? I can’t work with people who don’t understand quality.” we all know that one. The Sensory-Sensitive Artist would say: “I need to re-render this sequence. The noise patterns in the shadows are creating visual artifacts that will be distracting in the final composite.” We all wish for this kind of feedback.

The difference? One is attacking people, the other is identifying technical issues. One gets worse when challenged, the other provides specific, actionable feedback.

Or another example: The Entitled Demander would say: “I shouldn’t have to attend dailies. They’re a waste of my time and I work better alone.”, while the Accommodation Requester would say: “Could we structure dailies differently? I process feedback better when I can take notes without simultaneous discussion, maybe written notes first, then verbal discussion?” The difference? One wants special treatment, the other is asking for workflow modifications that could benefit the entire team. Or, to slot this into a workplace: One is a person who you want to work with, the other gets a sneeze-muffin for their birthday. 

Some VFX Archetypes I’ve Been or Met

If you’ve managed a few shows, you’ll recognize these patterns. These aren’t labels to slap on people, they’re cognitive styles that show up consistently in our industry. Understanding the pattern helps you work with the person, not against their natural processing style.

1. The Pipeline Prophet

What you see: Nathan interrupts the dailies meeting with detailed technical objections that sound like we’re all fucked.

What’s actually happening: His brain naturally maps entire technical pipelines and spots failure points others miss. Where the team sees “renders with minor issues,” he visualizes the inevitable train wreck when clients request changes you can’t make without re-rendering everything.

Recognition signs: Meet the team’s unofficial Cassandra: they predict technical problems with scary accuracy, communicate urgency in ways that can sound alarmist, and get visibly frustrated when their “obvious” warnings are ignored. Only to be proven right (time and again, it has become a pattern) when consequences others missed come crashing down.

• Predicts technical problems with scary accuracy
• Communicates urgency in ways that sound alarmist
• Gets frustrated when “obvious” problems are ignored
• Often right about consequences others don’t see

Tl;dr of the “Proper Approach”: Create structured “devil’s advocate” time in planning phases

2. The Render Perfectionist

What you see: Sarah re-renders the same shot for the fourth time for changes nobody else can see, burning farm time and missing deadlines.

What’s actually happening: Her brain processes visual information with extraordinary precision. She literally sees things others don’t, subtle lighting inconsistencies, edge or compression artifacts that will become obvious in final delivery.

Recognition signs: This is your resident render perfectionist: they catch quality issues everyone else misses, struggle with anything less than flawless, and will work long past the point of efficiency for the smallest improvements. And when you suggest a technical shortcut? They take it as a personal insult, because perfection has feelings too, you know.

• Catches quality issues others miss
• Struggles with “good enough” delivery standards
• Works far past efficiency points for minimal improvements
• Takes feedback about technical shortcuts as personal criticism

Tl;dr of the “Proper Approach”: Set clear quality thresholds upfront, celebrate progress milestones

3. The Comp Wizard

What you see: Marcus creates stunning work but explains his techniques in ways that sound like technical hieroglyphs, making it impossible for others to learn from him.

What’s actually happening: He thinks in visual relationships and technical systems that don’t translate easily to verbal communication. His strength is intuitive technical problem-solving, not teaching.

Recognition signs: Say hello to the comp wizard: they deliver exceptional results, but ask them to explain their process step-by-step and you’ll see frustration set in fast. Documentation requests? Expect eye rolls. They’d much rather show you quickly “how it’s done” than write a manual for anyone to replicate; think hands-on brilliance, but with a side of “figure it out as we go.”

• Produces exceptional technical results
• Struggles to explain methodology step-by-step
• Gets frustrated when asked to document processes
• Works better through demonstration than explanation

Tl;dr of the “Proper Approach”: Pair with technical writers, use screen recording for knowledge transfer

4. The Shot Sculptor

What you see: Zoe delivers gorgeous animation but eviscerates junior artists with feedback so harsh it makes them cry.

What’s actually happening: She processes movement and aesthetics with extraordinary precision but packages feedback in ways that sound personal rather than technical. A sub-section of the comp-wizard, but with even less social filters.

Recognition signs: Meet the Shot Sculptor: their creative vision and execution are top-tier, and they spot problems with laser precision. Feedback? It’s delivered straight, with zero sugarcoating. If others don’t see the “obvious” artistic issues, expect visible frustration. And they wonder vocally how everyone else missed the elephant in the frame.

• Exceptional artistic vision and execution
• Identifies problems with laser precision
• Delivers feedback without emotional filtering
• Frustration when others don’t see “obvious” artistic issues

Tl;dr of the “Proper Approach”: Teach “intent vs impact” feedback framework, structured review sessions

5. The Deadline Hyperfocuser

What you see: Amir seems scattered and unfocused during pre-production, then becomes a productivity machine during final weeks, pulling off impossible tasks but burning out afterward.

What’s actually happening: His brain responds to pressure and clear deadlines with hyperfocus abilities, but struggles with open-ended planning phases.

Recognition signs: Here’s your adrenaline specialist: they thrive under pressure and deliver exceptional work when the clock is ticking, even if their prep looks like total chaos. Long-term planning? Not their strong suit. But come crunch time, they’re laser-focused until the job’s done and then they crash harder than your render farm on a Monday morning.

• Thrives under pressure but struggles with long-term planning
• Produces exceptional work in compressed timeframes
• Seems disorganized during prep, laser-focused during delivery
• Crashes hard after intensive periods

Tl;dr of the “Proper Approach” Create artificial deadlines, schedule recovery time, protected focus blocks

6. The Systems Thinker

What you see: Elena asks endless questions about project scope, timeline dependencies, and technical specifications before starting any work, seeming to overthink simple tasks.

What’s actually happening: She needs to understand the complete system before engaging with individual parts. Once she has the big picture, she works efficiently and spots integration issues others miss.

Recognition signs: Enter the systems sleuth: they spot project integration problems and hidden dependencies nobody else notices, but need a full briefing before diving in. Expect a barrage of what seem like overly detailed questions. When (if) they have all the answers, they work methodically and catch issues before anyone else even sees them coming.

• Spots problems in project integration and dependencies
• Requires comprehensive briefings before starting
• Asks questions that seem overly detailed
• Works methodically once requirements are clear

Tl;dr of the “Proper Approach”: Invest in thorough briefings, use as project integration reviewer

And now?

Now we know a few of our players – with that under our belts (Or Pockets, or Post-its – whatever works for you) we can have a look at the next steps. That is why this is only part one of the series.

Exclusive for Digital Production readers: Early access to the Creative Systems Beta (normally €291) free in exchange for feedback.

If you recognize these neurodivergent team patterns (The stuff we are talking about in this article): constant crisis mode, total dependency on the lead, nights and weekends just to keep up, you’re exactly who the Creative Systems (Beta) is designed for.

This isn’t confidence coaching; it’s survival mode. The program focuses on Red Star Systems: the foundation of systematic creative control before leadership growth can happen. Over three months, beta testers will work with crisis management frameworks, 24/7 support, weekly accountability check-ins, delegation systems, emergency time blocking, and burnout prevention protocols, all aimed at reducing stress in 30 days, stabilizing quality, and making productivity sustainable.

Digital Production readers are invited to join the beta as testers. Normally priced at €291, participation is free in exchange for detailed feedback on the frameworks. Spots are limited to keep crisis intervention support focused.

Go here and sign up : https://masterminds.monexpansion.com/join?invitation_token=bbf1fe999b13d047f57fb6ad2934dbc185397e95-18e9bd65-f8d4-4db0-ba09-4af78c9416b4

The next parts in the Series:

Part 2: How To Make It Work. Let’s understand who needs what, in general terms – apply and adjust that for your team. Let’s see how we can structure teams, and how we can avoid the Silos.

Part 3: The AI Amplifier: Why Understanding Your Crew Matters More Than Ever. Do you really have the budget to waste talent? Let’s talk about the upcoming changes, and how we can prepare for them

Part 4: Actionable Tips and a few Sources for Supervisors. We’ve got the framework, the understanding of teams and dynamics, and you know why you should do it. Here’s the bullet point list, and a few books and resources that might make you even better at managing your team.

Sources

Employee Replacement Costs
Center for American Progress (2023): 21% for average roles, up to 213% for highly trained positions
Jobvite (2025): 50-200% of annual salary depending on role complexity

Creative Industries Neurodivergence
Marketing Dive/Understood Study (2024): 48% of creatives identify as neurodivergent vs 31% general population
Creative Network South: 50% over-representation, autistic people 16x more likely in digital marketing

Team Performance:
World Economic Forum: 30% higher productivity for teams with neurodivergent professionals.

VFX Salary Context: Senior VFX artists earn $75k-$162k+ (PayScale, Talent.com), making the $150k-$300k replacement cost estimate realistic. Senior – don’t get your hopes up too soon!

By the way, who’s talking here?

The post Beyond Normal: A Creative’s Guide to Different Minds and Managing Neurodivergent Talent (Part 1) first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Julien Klein.

Pureref, a tool popular with artists and designers for organising and viewing reference images, has released version 2.0. The update brings a refreshed user interface, a new simple drawing tool and support for animated GIFs. There are also playback controls for scrolling through individual frames.

Pureref 2.0 also includes a new rich text editor for notes. This allows you to use links, checklists and advanced formatting options. The update introduces a hierarchical grouping system. This allows you to create and display any hierarchy via a tree menu. This makes it easier to manage complex projects.

The “Image streaming” function ensures that images are displayed correctly on different devices. In addition, images are now cached on the hard drive, which saves memory. The previous “Zoom quality” setting has been replaced by the more efficient “Cache on hard disc” mode. The update also ensures that everything runs faster and requires less memory.

Operation is now also easier, for example you can use gestures on the trackpad to pan and zoom or control the slideshow. The coordinate selection has been improved so that it now also displays selections and prints out pixel measurements. The name and source of the moved file are also displayed.

Price and availability

PureRef is still available as donationware free of charge for testing – for larger teams or commercial use there are both “permanent licences” and subscriptions – the permanent licence, for example, costs 49 US dollars and includes all updates of version 2.x.

The full list of changes can be found here.

The post PureRef, the new version first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

In nuce: order is half the battle – and the other half is disorder, right? Whether it’s organised chaos or chaotic order, there comes a point for every VFXer when the jumble of assets cries out for a structured filing system. It may help that the latest version of Das Element has been released (stylised spelling: das element). Version 1.2 of the VFX Library software has been released. This is according to a recent press release. According to the Munich-based developers, the implementation of version 1.2 focussed on user-friendliness – especially with new functions relating to teamwork.

New functions: The following functions are among those highlighted by the developers. In a separate video, Jonas Kluger, founder of and mastermind behind Das Element, provides an overview of the new features (see below).

• Shopping Cart / Collections: This allows elements to be shared with team members. Users search through existing libraries and bundle the desired elements within a collection. Collections should make lengthy searches for elements a thing of the past.
• The Sphere Viewer has been added within the HDR Sphere Organiser function. The Sphere media type has been added for this special type of panoramic image.
• In addition, API support for Python 2 and 3 is now available. Well thought-out documentation including sample scripts is included.
• Collections of elements can be organised in a user-defined folder structure. Each user can create their own collections and favourites. These can be made public or set to private.
• The user interface has been improved in many areas – for example: new filters, customised multiple selection, new shopping cart function, and more.

Click further: All further information on The Element. We last reported on asset management from Munich on 25 March 2022 , when version 1.1.4 of Das Element was released.

das element | VFX library software | version 1.2 – feature overview

The post The element appears in version 1.2! first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Patrick Poti.

Game developer Activision releases USD Shell Extension – a source-free software solution that allows Windows users to view and format USD files directly in Windows File Manager. The architecture of USD Shell Extension is designed to cope with large assets. According to Activision, the majority of software tasks run asynchronously and outside of the file manager. This should prevent performance losses.

With the USD Shell Extension Manager, VFX and game artists working with Pixar’s Universal Scene Description can edit their files directly in the Windows file manager. By default, the 3D viewport renders with UsdView, the native USD viewer. Alternatives such as Arnold or Karma can be used without any problems.

You can find out more about USD Shell Extension on Activision’s GitHub – or you can download the latest version there directly.

The post USD Shell Extension | Release first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Patrick Poti.

This article originally appeared in DP 04 : 2020.

We first reported on the Lesspain programme in 2016, when it was still very young. Back then, we particularly missed the support for RAW files and the transfer of metadata to DaVinci Resolve. Both have changed, but a lot has also been added. Currently, we are particularly interested in the support of Blackmagic Design products, but of course Kyno also works with other professional editing programmes.

Support for raw data from RED cameras has been available for some time now. Version 1.8 (which we were still testing as a beta) now also includes BRAW from Blackmagic Design cameras. Unfortunately, only DNG sequences from the earlier Blackmagic models are not recognised as films. Professional video production often requires support for older codecs that are based on the 32-bit Quicktime framework. However, these are no longer supported by Apple as of Catalina (Mac OS 10.15). Kyno fills the gap here with a Final Cut Legacy MediaFilter and supports conversion to current formats (not only for Final Cut Pro, of course) and, since version 1.7, hardware acceleration when playing back H.265 on suitable computers.

One function in the output since version 1.7 is likely to be of great interest to Resolve users: ProRes on Windows. This is not based on software from the grey area, but is certified by Apple so that no customer can complain. Although it has been available for others for some time, Resolve on Windows still does not offer an output of this important professional codec.

The codec is already available in the cheaper standard version. For professionals, the premium version now also supports the MXF container for all suitable codecs in addition to MOV, and not only for re-encoding, but also as a very fast re-wrap. The optional filters have been extended for Premium, including the ability to set the temporal noise filter separately for Luma and Chroma.

Not only the long lists of DNxHD and DNxHR codecs are offered (Premium), but also XDCAM and Cineform (already in Standard). The latter is almost an insider tip, as this little-noticed codec is ideal as an intermediate format for editing H.264/265 on somewhat weaker hardware due to its good quality and low computer load. In reduced resolution, it is also well suited as a compact proxy codec. In 720p at 422 and 10 bit, it only requires around one thirtieth of the space compared to a file in BRAW from the Blackmagic Pocket 6K at 3:1 and is therefore of the same order of magnitude as ProRes LT. ProRes runs slightly better under Mac OS, but under Windows Cineform has the edge. Visually, it is often a little nicer because, as a wavelet codec, it does not tend to form blocks with too much detail like the DCT codecs.

Of course, distribution formats are also offered, in addition to H.264 and H.265 (aka HEVC) even WMV HQ or Flash Video. Kyno is very efficient when encoding HEVC, all of our computer’s cores were running at full speed, and despite double the bit rate compared to the standard output in Resolve, Kyno was even around 5% faster. The speed is not even that important: unlike in Resolve, the entire batch processing in Kyno runs in the background while you can continue viewing quite smoothly. Even VP9 for WebM, which is very CPU-intensive in terms of compression, is supported, albeit very slowly depending on the hardware. Resolve can’t get to grips with this without the help of native hardware.

Kyno can also handle pure audio data, but still without waveform display. It converts MP2 and MP3 to PCM (also vice versa, but this is not very useful for further processing) or packs audio files without video into MOV. When playing back or transcoding video, you can also use a LUT so that a viewing copy is created directly from a log recording. The “Export marker as image file” function can quickly do something that is much more complicated in Resolve, namely output still images of marked positions as JPEG or PNG.

Media and data backup

Support for the workflow is just as important as a comprehensive range of codecs. This starts with localising the files. Kyno helps here with its drill-down concept, which searches folders or storage media at any depth with a single click and brings to light everything that contains video, audio or photos. This means that no ingest is necessary as with typical media management, but Kyno does not remember everything it has ever seen. In the workspace, on the other hand, Kyno can memorise media or folders and automatically reactivate their display when they are reconnected. It would also be desirable to be able to permanently mark a folder for drill-down

If media from a camera has been freshly connected, data backup is of course the first step. Kyno is professionally equipped here, as it can create copies with checksums (in Premium on up to four media simultaneously). The incremental backup saves time, while a check for damaged files and their automatic replacement takes a long time, but can save a project in an emergency. Backing up to additional tape storage with Archiware P5 can be done directly from the programme, so that all film backup requirements are met.

Sampling

Only when the data has been saved should it be viewed and evaluated, even if Kyno does not write anything to the original files. It saves its metadata in an invisible .LP_Store folder in XML format so that it can also be read in plain text. This folder is always located in the same directory as the video and audio material.

These small files can be exchanged or updated very quickly for a remote workflow in a cloud service, while the corresponding film files only need to be uploaded once.

This is an essential feature in times like these when you don’t have a very fast upload connection. In this way, sharing samples or transferring metadata requires little effort. Lesspain has even entered into a partnership with Dropbox. Markers and subclips can be transferred. They end up in DaVinci Resolve, including the description.

Viewing is supported by a versatile player in which the material can also be assigned a LUT. LUTs that you have saved as a CUBE file with the same name as the film file are automatically used by the player. Of course, playback can be controlled via JKL or a slider, and slow motion or fast motion from one tenth to four times the speed is also possible here. Rotation or mirroring of the image is also available. Subclips can be set and labelled, as can markers (with a defined duration if required). Playback with reduced resolution makes it possible to play back high-resolution ProRes, BRAW or R3D on slow hardware.
The evaluation and labelling in several fields for metadata must be used in a differentiated manner: while everything is transferred when sending to Premiere or Final Cut Pro thanks to XMP or XML, this is not the case with Resolve. Tags become keywords, but Resolve does not understand stars. The description, scene and setting arrive, but the recording (take) does not, nor does any data about the camera or the angle of view. The very important “Tape” field, on the other hand, is transferred as “Reel”. In this way, Kyno enables round-tripping with material from amateur cameras or mobile phones, where this data is often missing, by generating a timecode during transcoding if necessary. Markers and subclips are transferred correctly, including title and description. The integrated function for differentiated renaming of files and moving them to another folder should also be mentioned.

Transcoding

In addition to pure repackaging, transcoding is one of the programme’s strengths, as it does far more than just convert highly compressed material into intermediate codecs suitable for editing or create proxies for teamwork and offline editing. Kyno can add any missing timecode from the time of creation and include this and other information in the image. The frame rate can be changed or even converted, but only with the simple crossfade or nearest, called “omit/duplicate” here. Metadata for entire folder structures can be transferred via copy and paste and can even be reconstructed if the reference is lost. A drop folder whose contents are automatically converted would also be desirable here.

All these operations are also possible for subclips, so that a selection can be made immediately if the filming ratio is high. Unlike Resolve’s media management, the metadata is retained, as is the folder structure when transcoding. In addition, existing clips are skipped – ideal for daily viewing copies (dailies). If incomplete clips are suspected (e.g. due to a power failure or a disconnected cable), Kyno can check the existing clips and replace them automatically if necessary. The “Combine” command combines several clips or subclips into a rough cut. However, as clips cannot be arranged using drag-and-drop, the desired editing sequence must be determined using suitable metadata, filters and the sorting order.

Operation and versions

Kyno is available in German, English, French and Spanish. Context help and several video tutorials make a manual in the conventional sense largely superfluous, as operation is quite intuitive. There is a standard version for 159 euros and a premium version for 349 euros. This includes updates for one year. After that, however, the programme does not stop working: It will just no longer be supplied with new functions. The versions differ primarily in terms of the range of supported formats, fine-tuning of filters and assistance for larger productions.

Comment

Even if a few functions overlap, Kyno is an ideal complement to DaVinci Resolve. This applies not only to the improved handling of metadata during consolidation, but above all to the hardware and software requirements. Resolve can be a real pain on inadequate hardware, whereas Kyno also runs on much weaker computers and older operating systems. It can also do all the transcoding in the background while Resolve is out of action. It is also well suited for final conversion into all common distribution formats for teamwork and the Internet if you have simply output a master file in a high-quality intermediate format in Resolve instead.

The post Kyno as an editing assistant for Resolve first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Uli Plank.