Interview with Jaehong Ahn

Hello, my name is Ahn Jae-hong, and I completed the VFX Professional Program at SF Film School.

Ever since I was young, watching 3D films made me want to create them myself rather than simply admire them. I tried teaching myself at first, but eventually discovered SF Film School and decided to enroll. Looking back, my time there was one of the happiest years of my life. I truly enjoyed every moment, and everyone treated each other like family.

When I first started sculpting, I could barely build a proper armature, so it amazed me that I eventually completed a full sculpture. It felt just like playing and creating things as a child, making the process incredibly enjoyable. I based my sculpt on a boss character from the Resident Evil series, while gathering additional inspiration from various films. One memorable challenge was that the sculpture gradually leaned forward because of its weight, which earned me plenty of feedback from my instructors! Unlike my sculpture, however, my portfolio focused on a mechanical subject, so building each part while thinking about the games I loved became one of the most memorable experiences of the entire project.

Once I began working seriously in 3D, I encountered many challenges. After watching Transformers, I knew I wanted to create something impressive, so I chose Megatron as my portfolio character. I even spent my savings on a Megatron figure for reference, but since it was only a toy, many details were inaccurate—an expensive lesson! I relied heavily on the films themselves while modeling each component. The model was built primarily with low-polygon techniques, and I could feel my skills improving little by little as the project progressed. My instructors constantly encouraged me, and the members of the SF Film School Research Studio generously shared their time and advice. Their support is something I will always appreciate.

Texturing was probably the most exhausting stage. There were simply too many objects to manage, so I spent countless hours listening to music and working through each piece one by one. I'm sure people around me thought I had completely lost my mind! I made plenty of mistakes along the way, but every one of them became a valuable learning experience. As the project improved, my desire to polish every detail only grew stronger.

While many students created matte paintings, I wanted to produce a single long-take shot instead. I failed several filming attempts before finally capturing the footage I needed at the National Museum of Korea. By my fourth visit, even the staff recognized me and greeted me. I still remember carrying a backpack full of bread during the freezing winter while repeatedly changing tapes in front of the camera. I learned an incredible amount about cinematography through that experience, and I highly recommend trying live-action shooting because it offers a completely different perspective from matte painting.

The transformation sequence was by far the most enjoyable part of the project. I created the effect by morphing a compressed robot model into an intermediate aircraft form, then transforming it back into the robot before finally replacing it with a fully rigged version. At first, I had no idea how I would make it work, but somehow everything came together through persistence. Completing that sequence gave me tremendous confidence and made me realize that I really could accomplish difficult challenges. After that, my overall production speed increased significantly.

Looking back, both the six months of portfolio production and the entire year at SF Film School passed far too quickly—although if someone asked me to do it all over again, I'd probably say no! Watching my classmates finish their portfolios made me just as happy as completing my own, and everyone celebrated each other's achievements as if they were personal successes. Those memories remain incredibly meaningful to me.

After graduation, I joined Eliot Studio, where I continue to grow as a professional. Working in the industry has made me realize just how much more there is to learn, and it has reminded me that I was only beginning my journey. I will continue studying, improving, and challenging myself throughout my career.

To everyone at SF Film School and the SF Film School Research Studio who supported me over the past year, thank you from the bottom of my heart. I will never forget everything you have done for me, and I will always cherish the time we spent together.

Thank you, SF Film School. I truly appreciate everything you've given me, and I will always remember it.