Interview with Jaejin Ahn

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

Before entering the field, I knew very little about VFX. One day, I came across a video online showing three people creating an impressive battle scene using a blue screen and 3D effects. I was amazed that such an epic sequence could be produced by only three people. Soon afterward, I discovered SF Film School, met with the program director for career counseling, and decided that it was the right place to pursue VFX.

At first, Maya felt completely unfamiliar, but thanks to Mr. Lim's patient instruction and the school's well-structured curriculum, I quickly became comfortable with the software. Looking back, I probably asked more questions than anyone else. I even asked questions during every break, no matter how small or trivial they seemed, and Mr. Lim always answered them kindly. Since everyone in Class 55 happened to be male, we naturally developed great teamwork. Whenever someone encountered a problem, we shared information and helped each other. In fact, when I first started using Maya, I often relied on the classmate sitting next to me for help.

The sculpting course was one of the most memorable parts of my education. I enjoyed many conversations with Mr. Cho while working, and for someone who had always loved making things but never had the opportunity, it felt like a dream come true. I also asked him countless questions about VFX throughout the course. My sculpted creature was intentionally designed to look as disturbing as possible. I combined the creepiest features from various references—faces, hands, and other details—to create a character that would leave a strong impression. Through this project, I learned a great deal about anatomy, muscle structure, and color variation.

Before moving into the SF Film School Research Studio, I completed a helicopter model and an Iron Monger model for my portfolio. During the storyboard and concept development stage, Mr. Cho provided invaluable guidance during the artwork classes. My primary goal was to achieve the highest possible quality while keeping the production process as efficient as possible. Whenever my instructors suggested that a scene wasn't working, I wasn't afraid to revise it completely. I also optimized my character by reducing the number of objects and polygons wherever possible. In many areas, I relied on bump maps instead of highly detailed geometry to save resources. For shading, Mr. Lim introduced me to Mental Ray's blur techniques, which helped me create convincing rusty metal materials.

The most difficult stage of production began with rigging. Due to personal circumstances, I missed the rigging classes, and I remember rebuilding the rig for my Iron Monger nearly twenty times. At first, every failure was frustrating, but eventually I learned to enjoy the process of solving problems. The environment was another area I devoted a great deal of attention to. I realized that no matter how good a character looked, poor backgrounds would lower the overall quality of the final shot. Because of this, I frequently asked my instructors for advice. I also experimented with 3D projection several times, but ultimately decided not to use it because I encountered transparency issues. The sequence I invested the most time in was the reflection shot. I originally thought reflections would be simple, but creating realistic reflections required much more work than I expected. I analyzed professional VFX shots frame by frame and studied how reflections behaved before recreating them in my own project.

After joining the SF Film School Research Studio, I received tremendous support from many people, especially my mentor Sang-il and the other members of the studio. We discussed each other's projects, shared late-night meals, and spent countless hours working together. Some of my happiest memories are simply taking short naps on the rooftop after long days of production.

Today, I have completed my journey as a student and begun my career as a professional. I joined EON Digital Films, one of the studios where many SF Film School graduates have built their careers. The company has contributed to films such as The Divine Weapon, A Frozen Flower, and Marine Boy. I would like to sincerely thank the director, the instructors, and everyone in the SF Film School family for giving me this opportunity. I will continue working hard to become an even better artist and repay the support I received.

To all future students, I hope you create outstanding portfolios and achieve your goals.

Thank you, SF Film School. I will always be grateful.