Interview with Jiwon Lee

Hello. My name is Jiwon Lee, and I completed the VFX Professional Program at SF Film School.

I majored in Advertising Design, where I learned 2D design techniques. However, after graduating, I wanted to create work that was more realistic and visually expressive. That desire led me to explore 3D graphics. Although I was a little nervous about learning an entirely new field, I knew it was something I wanted to pursue, so I began researching different training schools.

Because of my background in design, I understood how important the final quality of student work was. I carefully compared student portfolios from many different schools, and among all of them, SF Film School stood out the most. The quality of the students' work was noticeably higher than what I had seen elsewhere, and I immediately thought, "This is exactly the school I've been looking for." I applied for an interview, was fortunate enough to be accepted, and began my studies there.

While attending the program, I also worked part-time, so I wasn't able to spend as much time practicing with my classmates as I would have liked. Nevertheless, I attended every class and dedicated myself to learning as much as possible.

My portfolio project featured a robot and a robotic dog in a warm, charming story. At first, I planned to rely mainly on reference videos and still images that matched my concept. However, thanks to the guidance of the studio manager, the project evolved significantly and incorporated many additional techniques.

One scene in particular involved the robot climbing up a sloped surface. Initially, I intended to animate it in a simple way, but the studio manager suggested something completely different. He encouraged me to physically act out the robot's movements myself by walking up a similar slope while being filmed from multiple angles. Following his advice, I performed each scene in front of the actual background locations where the CG character would later be composited.

That experience became an invaluable reference. It allowed me to accurately observe how streetlights affected color, how shadows changed direction, size, and softness, and how natural body movement translated into believable animation. It greatly improved the realism of the final result.

Looking back, my biggest regret is that I wasn't able to spend more time working alongside my classmates at the SF Film Research Center. Because I completed most of my portfolio on my own, I missed many opportunities to exchange ideas, learn new techniques, and stay motivated. Working alone also made it easier to lose focus and slowed my overall progress. I strongly encourage future students to take advantage of the collaborative environment at the SF Film Research Center. Sharing knowledge and working together can make a tremendous difference in both the quality of your portfolio and your overall learning experience.

I am currently a member of the Lighting team at Macrograph, a VFX studio specializing in high-quality visual effects for feature films and game cinematics. The company has contributed to productions such as The Restless, Hanbando, and The Forbidden Kingdom, among many other projects.

My goal is to continue learning, gain valuable production experience, and keep growing as a lighting artist throughout my career.

Finally, I would like to sincerely thank the studio manager for his dedication and constant support throughout my portfolio production, my instructors for always helping me overcome technical challenges, and my classmates for encouraging me every step of the way. I truly appreciate everyone who helped me reach this point.