• Interview
• Video

Beyond-FX CEO on apprenticeship program and creating immersive VFX

The company offers an apprenticeship program to help junior artists learn VFX in gaming.

Morgan Shaver

May 10, 2022 1:15 PM

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Beyond-FX is a full-service VFX team that focuses on the creation of immersive, interactive visual effects. Adding to this, the Beyond-FX team is comprised of award-winning veteran artists with a history in AAA game development. For example, the team has worked on titles like God Of War, Call of Duty, and Halo to name just a few.

For those interested in getting into the VFX space, or who are curious about Beyond-FX as a whole, Shacknews’ own Greg Burke recently sat down with the company’s CEO and Studio Head, Keith Guerrette. Opening the interview, Greg asks about the program Beyond-FX is offering for aspiring visual effects artists.

While the program itself sounds like an approachable, hands-on way to learn VFX, some aspiring VFX artists may still have lingering questions about the difficulty of learning VFX as a whole.

On this note, Greg asks about the difficulty in using programs like Inferno and Houdini for example, and how they aren’t inherently user-friendly. Responding to this, Guerrette first touches upon the multitude of tools in the VFX toolbox, before expanding outward on things like artists having subspecialties, and the considerations one needs to take into account when creating visual effects in a game.

Guerrette then offers an example of two different things one might create, a waterfall versus a magic missile. While those may be unique challenges, the “core fundamentals are still there in both cases” according to Guerrette. The interview then touches on how there are artists from every background working with Beyond-FX, and how this among other things helps when it comes to teaching junior artists.

For more on this, the apprenticeship program, and Beyond-FX, be sure to watch the full interview video over on GamerHubTV. While you’re there, hit that subscribe button if you haven’t already, and if you haven’t subscribed to the Shacknews YouTube channel, hit the subscribe button there as well.

Morgan Shaver

Senior Editor

Morgan is a writer from the frozen wastelands of Maine who enjoys metal music, kpop, horror, and indie games. They're also a Tetris fanatic who's fiercely competitive in games like Tetris 99... and all games in general. But mostly Tetris. You can follow Morgan on Twitter @Author_MShaver.