DGA Monthly

D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 5 I 5 9 On October 25, Unit Production Managers and ADs gathered online for the event, VFX 101 for UPMs: Managing the Invisible Art. Hosted by the Eastern AD/UPM Council's UPM Committee, the invitation-only event served as an opportunity for the attendees to learn about the VFX essentials and how UPMs can approach their role in planning, budgeting, and beyond. Following a welcome from Committee Co-Chair Lynn Appelle, Director/VFX Supervisor Jake Braver (The Fantastic Four: First Steps, The Stand) and Post-Production Supervisor Catherine Farrell (Little Women, In the Blink of an Eye) shared their expertise about the VFX world during an enlightening conversation moderated by UPM Committee member Michael Kriaris. Braver and Farrell covered topics including: an overview of the current technology and VFX terminology; things to be considered during scheduling and budgeting; how VFX and post-production costs relate to state tax incentives; and the pros and cons of using different technologies in prep, shoot, and post. For example, while noting that "whatever camera the Director and DP want to use is the right one," Braver explained some of the helpful considerations that VFX Supervisors can share as those decisions are being made. Braver also touched on how safety concerns can factor into VFX decisions, how existing VFX assets can be licensed, and how AI is now being incorporated into post-production. Farrell provided insight into the varying considerations for lower budget productions, sharing some of the hidden costs that can result from decisions to use different technologies, and how "data wranglers" are employed as part of the project's crew. Farrell also detailed how post-production tax credits factor into vendor decisions. Throughout the discussion and in a segment at the end of the event, panelists fielded questions submitted by the virtual attendees. Image L-R: Director/VFX Supervisor Jake Braver, Post-Production Supervisor Catherine Farrell and UPM Committee member Michael Kriaris (moderator). VFX 101 for UPMs: Managing the Invisible Art An Eastern AD/UPM Council UPM Committee Event photos: 1: Via video from Wellington, New Zealand, Director James Cameron discusses the making of his Avatar film series. 2: Director Jon Favreau serves as the moderator for the video Q&A. 3: DGA Special Projects Committee Co- Chair Rachel Raimist welcomed the audience. 4: Costumes from the Avatar film series were on display in the DGA's Los Angeles headquarters lobby. 1 photos by Shane Karns 4 2 3 See more detailed descriptions and additional photos, where available, online at www.dga.org. DGA Events Roundup On October 21, DGA members gathered in the Guild's Los Angeles Theater for a special advanced screening of the two-part documentary about the making of the Avatar sequels, followed by a virtual Q&A with Director James Cameron. Fire and Water: Making the Avatar Films provided a fascinating glimpse into the making of Cameron's Oscar®-winning box office phenomenon Avatar: The Way of Water and a first look at his upcoming feature, Avatar: Fire and Ash. The film features exclusive behind-the-scenes footage, concept art and interviews with cast and filmmakers including: Cameron, Producer Jon Landau, 1st AD Maria Battle-Campbell, 2nd Unit Director/Stunt Coordinator Garrett Warren, Actors Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Kate Winslet and Sigourney Weaver, and more. Following an introduction by Special Projects Committee Co-Chair Rachel Raimist, Cameron engaged in a video Q&A via a remote video feed from Wellington, New Zealand. During the conversation, moderated by Director Jon Favreau, he spoke about how performance capture technology has strengthened his dedication to his craft and allowed him to focus on being the best Director he can be for his actors. "People basically think of me as a very tactical filmmaker and I am. I love that stuff, but I'm also a writer and I create these characters and there's nothing that gives me greater joy in the craft than working with the actors to bring characters to life," said Cameron. "So, what I found with performance capture —which was a bit unexpected to me going in — was that it completely uncouples performance in my work as an actor's Director from my work as a technical Director. It's counter intuitive because you think of it as a technical process, but really it becomes very much of an actor's process. If you think about it, how much of your time on the set is setting up dolly tracks, setting up a crane, orchestrating the background extras, talking to the DP about lens choice and lighting, maybe waiting for a sun angle? All of those things go out of my mind when I'm working with the cast in a performance capture environment. I'm just there for them. They get 100% of me, which I think they appreciate because I'm coming at it from having sort of created these characters on the page. I hand it to them. It's their baton to run with at that point." Fire and Water: Making the Avatar Films A DGA Special Projects Committee Event

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