[Herald Design Forum] Communication key for visual effects, motion graphics

Effective communication is crucial in the visual effects and motion graphics field, experts said Tuesday during a roundtable session held at the Herald Design Forum 2024 in the Floating Island Convention Center on the Han River, Seoul.

The roundtable, hosted by YouTuber GeniusSKLee, brought together top experts in these cutting-edge fields, including Weta FX senior facial modeler Hwang Jung-rock, Weta FX CG supervisor Choi Jong-jin, and motion graphic designer Kim Gryun."

Hwang, senior facial modeler at Weta FX, emphasized the importance of continuous communication among artists and with clients to achieve the best results.

"When (facial modelers) at Weta FX look at a character design, there's a way that the client wants a character to look, and there's a way that (facial modelers) want a certain character to look," said Hwang.

"After the artists work on shaping a character’s appearance, they present their designs to the client. Sometimes, the clients are pleased with the outcome, while other times, they request a different approach and provide specific feedback. When we receive such input, we further research the character and develop a new design," he said.

"All of these processes need to be understood by other teams and clients (such as directors), and (I view that) our work is the result of collaborations," said Hwang.

Choi, CG supervisor at Weta FX, said as a supervisor, he works hard to integrate all the different opinions given by artists when creating a character for a film.

"(The artists) have strong creative perspectives, but we work together to coordinate the ideas," said Choi.

"In film, while quality is crucial, it’s also important that the front and back shots remain consistent. ... It's the role of a supervisor to coordinate to make sure the film retains its consistency," said Choi.

Emmy-winning motion graphic designer Kim added such communication is crucial in the motion graphics field as well, and that he believes even AI cannot effectively handle the communication needed.

"While it may seem like we're just creating outputs, the result actually evolves through constant changes in the process and through holding communication with the client," said Kim.

"AI can be a very fast tool in achieving the results, but when it comes to the development process, there’s still a lot of need for human involvement. And AI can also help to enhance such development procedures," he added.