Through the course of my research into the visual effects industry I have discovered that most studios don't necessarily look for applicants to have a degree or prior experience, but rather prefer applicants to demonstrate their skills through a high quality showreel.
Those people applying for design or concept roles also tend to require a portfolio of work and all applicants are advised to include breakdowns of the shots and scenes that they have created so that the studios can see that they know the key techniques that are required to construct complex imagery.
I looked mostly at the larger studios such as Double Negative, Framestore and The Motion Picture Company and looked at how they work and what they look for in a good employee. I was quite surprised to discover that many of the larger companies, particularly Double Negative, like their staff to be flexible and to be able to learn different techniques so that they can move into various areas of an ongoing production and share ideas, rather than being restricted to key specific roles. This was an attribute that had previously associated with smaller companies because of their limited staff and budgets, but it appears that it can apply across the board.
Despite conducting most of my research through the internet; mostly the company websites themselves, and through VFX magazines, I did attempt to contact Pedro Sabrosa. Pedro is a visual effects supervisor previously at Framestore, though I'm not sure where he is working now; perhaps still Framestore. He has worked on a lot of big name films and TV programs including 'The Borrowers', several 'Harry Potter' films and 'Casino Royale'. I wanted to ask Pedro how the visual effects industry was changing and, to try and get an idea for our presentation, to ask "Is It Better To Be A Specialist Or A Generalist In The VFX Industry?". Unfortunately I didn't receive a response to my questions, something that I believe several people struggled to achieve when contacting people from the bigger companies.
My research has led me to a non-definitive answer to my original question, "Is It Better To Be A Specialist Or A Generalist In The VFX Industry?". On the one hand smaller companies, due to their limited size, budgets and infrastructure, tend to be quite keen for staff to be able to generalise and take on various roles whereas the larger companies are more geared up to allow staff to be specialise in certain techniques; whilst they are increasingly promoting a more fluid work environment where people can multitask and vary their roles, it is always important for individuals to be able to work to their own strengths and have particular skills that they are best at; I just feel, from this research, that the larger companies are better suited to work in this way.
