Sean Kennedy is a VFX veteran with an impressively long IMDB page and is a longtime friend of CG Cookie. He's probably worked on your favorite TV show! Sean also runs the OpenVisualFX blog, which has a lot of helpful tutorials that cover how to create special effects with open source software like Blender and Natron.
If you have any questions for Sean, drop them below before the interview! I'd recommend watching his Blender Conference talks if you're interested in what it's like to work in Hollywood.
Also be sure to check out his series on creating a Matte Painted VFX shot, which covers a really wide range of compositing topics:
https://openvisualfx.com/2017/04/27/creating-a-matte-painted-shot-in-blender/
[Q] Is it the more challenging the shot the more you can charge for it? Or no matter them complexity is always the same rate?
[Q] Is it typical for a shot to reach a department and they add stuff that wasn't planed just cuz someone thought it was cool?
[Q] so are all of the passes just composited together in the compositer. The door, the paper, the debris?
[Q] Do you know if due to the pandemic and the "be glad you still have a job" argument, are artist getting extra exploited in the industry?
Honestly when you make your mark you probably get to make your own demands to people who want your work.
A pruchase I do not regret making. Makes layering shaders super simple even aside from the texture painting benefits.
[Q] Are there things or practices within the industry that you wish could change?
Ohhhhh man I love bPainter. IT is awesome!!!
That and yelling at his smart watch notifications bugging him while he is modeling.
He's soo fun to watch. I have learned a lot by watching his case studies.