Interview with Youngjoo Jeon

Hello! My name is Youngju Jeon, and I successfully completed the VFX Professional Program at SF Film School after working hard throughout the course.

About six or seven years ago, I watched Spider-Man in a movie theater, and I still remember being amazed from the opening scene all the way to the ending. It was the first time I became truly interested in visual effects for films. Right after that, I searched online for schools specializing in film CG and VFX training. After comparing several options, I decided to enroll at SF Film School.

As I studied alongside classmates who shared the same career goal, I gradually developed my portfolio. In the beginning, I tried creating an original character from scratch, but unfortunately it didn't work out. I eventually decided to start over with an existing "Mechanical Frog" character, which added extra time to the project. Since I only had a few still images as references, the modeling and texturing progressed fairly smoothly, but the animation was much more difficult. There were very few video references available, so gathering enough material for realistic animation became one of the biggest challenges. Although the finished animation was simpler than I had originally planned—with the frog mainly performing jumping motions—I was proud that I managed to complete the project despite all the obstacles.

While working on my portfolio, I tried to maintain a balance between studying and production. Whenever I found myself stuck, I would step away from the computer and take a break to clear my mind. Of course, before long I'd start thinking, "I shouldn't be relaxing like this!" and hurry back to work. Looking back, I'm not sure that was the best strategy! One of the most valuable experiences came after completing the course, when I joined the SF Film Research Center with my classmates. Working together nearly every day created a great environment for staying motivated, and it helped all of us successfully complete our portfolios.

One of my favorite memories was watching the horror movie REC together while eating fried chicken. It was the perfect way to relieve stress after long days of production.

I am currently working at SF Zone Production. Since I'm still in the early stage of my career, I know I have a great deal to learn. Going forward, I hope to continue improving my skills in Maya and After Effects while building my professional experience and becoming a true VFX specialist.

Rather than offering advice, I'd like to make one request to future students. Don't try to do everything alone. Throughout the process, you'll receive help from your instructors, classmates, and many people around you—and you'll have opportunities to help others as well. Your portfolio isn't something you complete entirely by yourself; it's something that's made possible through the support of many people. That support isn't just technical—it also provides the encouragement you need to keep going. I believe the most important thing is for classmates to support one another and make sure no one gives up along the way.

Looking back from the day I enrolled at SF Film School to where I am now, I can confidently say I made the right decision. I was initially impressed by the outstanding quality of the students' portfolios, but what convinced me to enroll was the feeling that the school would genuinely support its students until the very end. After experiencing it firsthand, I realized that impression was absolutely correct. The instructors cared deeply about every student and continued to provide guidance throughout the entire process.

Another great strength of SF Film School was the positive atmosphere within each class. Everyone supported one another and helped fill in each other's weaknesses. Joining the SF Film Research Center also gave me the opportunity to meet and learn from students in other classes, which was an invaluable experience. Weekly portfolio reviews with the studio manager allowed me to receive honest feedback from different perspectives, making it much easier to improve my work.

At SF Film School, I learned many programs such as Maya and After Effects, but more importantly, I met wonderful people who have remained an important part of my journey. Looking back, choosing SF Film School was one of the best decisions I ever made.