Comikaze 2013: So You Want to Get Into Special Effects?

Most conventions have “how to” panels, but you need to know more than just how to get into a business, you need to know what it takes to survive. There was such a panel at Comikaze and it focused on what it takes to work in the special effects industry.

From Left to Right: Matt Winston, John Cherevka, Bruce D. Mitchell, Dawn Dininger, and Richard Cetrone

The panel started off going down the line and the panelists gave one word that they felt describes what you need to make it in the fx industry. John Cherevka (painter) said you need a “drive.” He went on to say, “you need to know the difference between good and bad work so that you can improve.” “No one is a natural. You learn from experience” (Cherevka).  Bruce D. Mitchell (fabricator) chose persistence. He explained that “you gotta love this because you need to be able to survive the slow times.” He added that “you need to maintain a relationship with the shops you worked at” because it is “easy to be forgotten when you first start out.” So make sure to keep people updated on what you are working on! The theme continued with Dawn Dininger (fabricator) adding “determination.” She also said the better you get along with people, the better you work with people. Matt Winston (son of Stan Winston and Co-Founder of the Stan Winston School) expanded on Dininger’s comment by saying his father’s greatest attribute was that “people loved to work with him.” When you enjoy working with your fellow co-workers, your work will be better and they will be more willing to help you out when you need it. Richard Cetrone (suit performer) concluded with “persevere” and explained how you cannot be claustrophobic in the suits/masks. You “gotta have a passion for it… gotta eat, sleep, breath what you desire.” Everyone agreed that networking is key and that you need to meet as many people as you can. All excellent advice and it can all be applied to other job fields (or life in general) as well!

Speaking of other jobs, Winston  quoted his father by stating, “If you have a fall back, you WILL fall back.” You need to do this because this is what you want to do for the rest of your life. Extremely sound advice for all artists out there. Another thing Winston pointed out was that you “need to be supportive of other people’s journeys and dreams” and if you are going to attack anyone, “attack your own dreams.” I think this is something many people do; they get caught up in being jealous of other people’s success and they try to tear them down. We need to encourage each other to succeed because if we focus negatively on someone else too much, we lose the focus our own lives.

There was a helpful/informative Q&A after the panel where attendees asked generic to extremely specific questions. One person asked about CGI and how they felt about it. Winston replied, “Don’t hate CGI. Hate that CGI is looked at as the only option.” It is unfortunate that many films have moved away from practical effects towards CGI because there is just something real and tangible when practical effects are used. Winston’s last piece of advice was “become a traditional artist as well as high tech.”  It is wonderful when the two can work together and enhance the effect! I asked the last question which was, “After working in the industry, can you watch film without critiquing/analyzing how it was done?” Winston and Dininger said “yes” but Mitchell, Cherevka and Cetrone were a strong unanimous “no.”

Check out the trailer below for a look at the Stan Winston School of Character Arts!

Check out this special episode of Blood and Guts which looks at the legacy of Stan Winston!

Bonus Blood and Guts episode focusing on Stan Winston!