Director Shannon Tindle (Kubo and the Two Strings, Lost Ollie) and VFX supervisor Hayden Jones join us to discuss the role of empathy in animation. We talk about Tindle’s latest film, Ultraman: Rising as well as the importance of collaboration and infusing personal experiences into characters and storytelling. Chapter Markers [00:00:00] Intro [00:03:20] Rejection Letters [00:11:25] Deleted Dreams [00:17:46] Empathy in Animation [00:45:52] The Martini [00:50:33] Outro Episode Links  Shannon...

For this special Halloween Edition, we flash back to Ghostbusters II with VFX legend Bill George who shares stories from the model shop. We talk with Bill about the evolution of visual effects over his 40-year career. Chapter Markers [00:00:00] Intro [00:03:45] Questions from the mailbag [00:16:20] Lighter Darker - origin of the name [00:19:10] Rejection letters [00:22:28] Ghostbusters II and the evolution of the artist toolbox [00:44:51] The Martini [00:52:19] Outro Episode Links  Bill...

Director Lee Isaac Chung (Minari, Twisters) and executive producer Ashley Jay Sandberg (Twisters, The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart) discuss working together to balance science and storytelling with their latest film, Twisters. They share stories from the set, including real-life challenges from Mother Nature. The filmmakers and the Lighter Darker hosts chat about films that inspired them to choose their career paths and some roadblocks they faced along the way. Chapter...

Episode Summary Beth D'Amato, ILM digital paint supervisor, joins Todd and Rob to discuss their favorite camera moves, compositions, and notable oner’s. Beth shares how she got her start in VFX and we learn that sometimes, "We will keep your resume on file" is a good thing! The ILM pros answer questions about basic VFX terminology, and we bust an internet myth. Chapter Markers [00:00:00] Intro [00:01:50] Questions from the mailbag [00:11:07] Rejection letters [00:16:20] Misinformation...

Episode Summary In this episode, the Lighter Darker team welcomes director Josh Cooley (Toy Story 4, Transformers One) to talk about combining humor and heart in filmmaking as he does so well in his films. Josh shares the story of getting his dream shot at Pixar and how he almost had a very different job! Chapter Markers [00:00:00] Intro [00:01:41] Questions from the mailbag [00:04:46] What is virtual production? [00:13:00] Rejection letters [00:17:05] Humor and heart in animation [00:33:15]...

Welcome to Lighter Darker: The ILM Podcast hosted by ILM Chief Creative Officer, Rob Bredow, ILM Compositing Supervisor, Todd Vaziri, and Producer Jenny Ely who talk about the creative process of filmmaking and the art of visual storytelling. In our premiere episode Rob and Todd share thoughts on beautiful final shots from films they've personally worked on, along with a few "could-be-better" or CBB moments they didn't want to let go. Todd unpacks the compositing from a famous shot in Star...

Welcome to Lighter Darker: The ILM Podcast where we focus on the creative process of filmmaking and the art of visual storytelling. Hosted by ILM Chief Creative Officer, Rob Bredow and Todd Vaziri, ILM Compositing Supervisor, we tell stories from behind the scenes to illustrate the many crafts that come together to create a motion picture, TV Series, or special venue project. Whether you're a seasoned professional, an aspiring filmmaker, or a fan of immersive experiences, Lighter Darker...