Interview with Subin Woo

At the beginning of the project, there was not much work to do for my assigned role, so I spent my time modeling droids. My main role was in compositing, but I also had the opportunity to work across several related areas. After filming was completed, the production pipeline I worked on consisted of matchmoving, matte painting, and compositing.

I believe that no matter what profession you choose, it is important to have a clear understanding of what you want, what you are good at, and what you are willing to dedicate yourself to before getting started. The reason I came to SF Film School was because I wanted to learn compositing, and after taking the courses, I became even more certain that it was the field I truly wanted to pursue.

Because I was genuinely interested in the subject, I enjoyed every class. Even when a large portion of the compositing work was concentrated on me during the team project, I certainly felt pressure, but I still found the process enjoyable. If you choose a specialization simply because it seems acceptable rather than because you are passionate about it, overcoming difficult periods will be much harder, and maintaining productivity will become increasingly challenging.

I also believe it is important to develop an eye for high-quality work. Technical skills can always be learned, and experience will naturally help you improve over time. However, if the standard of quality you are satisfied with is too low, it becomes difficult to create truly outstanding work. Studying excellent projects and trying to recreate them can be one of the best ways to develop a stronger artistic and technical eye.

In the portfolio program, there are instructors specializing in each area. Of course, asking a teacher a question can help solve problems more quickly, but I do not think valuable knowledge comes without serious thought and effort. Rather than taking a passive approach and expecting to be taught everything, I think students gain much more when they actively research, think deeply about their work, and ask thoughtful questions.

I also believe it is important to discover a workflow and working style that suits you personally. Sitting at a desk for long hours does not automatically result in higher-quality work, just as spending less time does not necessarily mean producing lower-quality results. Instead of pushing yourself too hard from the very beginning, it is better to find a sustainable work cycle that fits you and approach your projects with persistence and determination.

At first, this was simply a place where I worked. But after spending about a year here, it started to feel like a second home—comfortable and familiar. On one hand, I feel relieved that it is over, but on the other hand, thinking about not coming back here anymore makes me feel a little nostalgic already.

I remember Instructor Jo Guk-hyun once saying during a meeting that, in the future, when we meet our teammates again, we would probably talk about these experiences the way people talk about their military service. I have never served in the military, but I think I understand exactly what he meant. It feels like this will become one of those memories we revisit together—sharing stories about the intense moments of teamwork, the frustrations, the challenges, and all the fun times we had along the way.

Perhaps because it was a team project, the lab was not only a place filled with passionate work, but also a place full of laughter and memorable experiences. After our first shoot, I did not even know exactly how much work would eventually be required of me. Before I knew it, the workload had grown enormously, and looking back now, I realize just how much I have learned and developed throughout the process.

There were plenty of challenges, both in terms of working with people and discussing each other’s work, but I believe everyone worked incredibly hard and brought the project to a successful conclusion.

I would like to sincerely thank Instructor Choi and Instructor Jo for always providing guidance and helping us find better solutions throughout the project. I also want to thank Instructor Seok-woo, who somehow became even closer to us during the portfolio program than during the regular course, and Instructor Go, our After Effects expert.

Finally, I would like to thank Instructor Jung for carefully guiding me when I suddenly found myself responsible for matte painting work and completely overwhelmed. Looking back, I think I am simply grateful to everyone who helped along the way.

Thank you all.