Originally from London, England, Edd Dawson-Taylor has made his home in Los Angeles, California. He is now training the next generation of visual effects artists and filmmakers through the <\/span>CG Pro Podcast<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMost of my work in computer graphics for film has been special effects\u2014making magical things that don’t exist come to life, combining them with live action, and making sure that they look like they belong together.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Edd studied computer science and was originally a software engineer in England for six years or so. However, even while he was leading a team of software engineers, his passion for computer graphics was ever-present.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Eventually, Edd decided it was time to turn that passion into a job, so at the age of 26, he retrained and jumped into his new career with both feet. His first job was on the production team of the <\/span>Harry Potter<\/span><\/i> film based on the fifth book in the series. He also had a great mentor who opened the door for him to work on several commercials, music videos, and TV projects, and a bit of film.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt all began when I watched <\/span><\/i>Jurassic Park<\/span> as a kid of about 14 years, and I started dreaming of creating similar effects. Even as I got a bit older, I felt I was way too young, had the wrong nationality, and no skills. But I had a dream, and I kept it alive. I kept my eye on my goal and worked at it for 20 plus years. I boldly applied to ILM <\/span><\/i>[Industrial Light & Magic\u2014George Lucas\u2019s visual effects company]<\/span>, where I was hired and got the opportunity to work on <\/span><\/i>Jurassic World<\/span>. It was super cool, very hard, and very rewarding.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Edd also went on to work on <\/span>The Lion King<\/span><\/i>, leading the Virtual Art Department.<\/span><\/h3>\n

He stays up to date on the evolution of the industry. <\/span>\u201cThe major change in the last five years or so is seen in the use of images in filmmaking. We used to have to do what was called \u2018rendering\u2019 to make imagery. That meant sitting in front of your computer waiting, so having it happen in real time is transformational. This is an exciting time in filmmaking. We’re seeing a renaissance in the way we make movies from ground zero.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cFor anyone starting out, I recommend trying Unreal Engine, which is an unbelievable tool. It’s exquisite and free. You can bring in a massive amount of free assets, like rocks and plants, and animate them. And the other cool thing about it is that it works in real time.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Edd and his wife, Jackie Cooper, who is the producer of the podcast, wanted to have multiple free offerings, so they created a free CG Pro Facebook group and started the podcast almost a year ago as a means of providing free training.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The podcast has been a labor of love for the couple. Edd said, <\/span>\u201cI enjoy uncovering our guests\u2019 early inspiration and their breakthrough moments. It\u2019s all about people’s passion\u2014what makes them tick, what they really love about what they do, and how they made it happen. I believe it\u2019s important to do what you love. We’ve had some incredible people on the show, including Academy Award winners.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cOne of them is the acclaimed VFX designer Kevin Mack, who won his Academy Award for <\/span><\/i>What Dreams May Come<\/span>. I\u2019ve also interviewed Visual Effects Supervisor and Director Scott Squires, whose first film was <\/span><\/i>Close Encounters<\/span>. He\u2019s as humble as he is talented.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cWe try to get people from different backgrounds to come on the podcast\u2014females, in particular\u2014because there are more men than women in this industry.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/h3>\n

Edd and Jackie have also started a school through which they teach people how to use techniques like virtual production.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span><\/i>The Mandalorian<\/span> provides a good example of this filmmaking technique in action. A big LED screen is used to project and display a world behind the actors. That film popularized the virtual production technique, and it’s now being used by many of the large studios in some form or other,\u201d<\/span><\/i> Edd explained.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe started to focus on teaching people how to use this technique. We also help studios find talent.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/h3>\n

Edd is not only multi-talented, but multi-passionate. <\/span>\u201cComputer graphics was a hobby that I turned into a job. Another big passion of mine is playing the saxophone, which I\u2019ve done for 33 years. I miss it dearly. I love playing music, particularly with other people. There’s definitely magic in that for me, but right now, I don’t really have time to dedicate to it. When our two daughters and the business are older, I look forward to getting back to that a bit more.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Edd\u2019s face lit up as he spoke about his favorite pastime. <\/span>\u201cSpending time with the family is always a pleasure for me, and we\u2019re very lucky that we live just two minutes away from a hiking trail or 15 minutes from Malibu. If you told me when I was in my teens that this would be my future, I probably wouldn\u2019t have been enthused. But it turns out that this is what I love.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>\u201cYou only get one life, and it is meant to be lived experientially. Pay attention to the things that speak to you. Follow them, and surround yourself with people who lift you up and challenge you a bit to be your best\u2026 people who support you. Don’t spend time with people who pull you down and make you feel bad.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m living proof that anything is possible. I didn\u2019t have a clue that I was going to do some of the things I’ve been able to. If you keep your goal in sight and chip away at it one day at a time, your dreams can come true. Go out and find something you love.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Great advice from someone who is leading the way for aspiring visual effects professionals with the <\/span>CG Pro Podcast<\/span><\/i>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

August 2022 Issue<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Originally from London, England, Edd Dawson-Taylor has made his home in Los Angeles, California. He is now training the next generation of visual effects artists and filmmakers through the CG Pro Podcast. \u201cMost of my work in computer graphics for film has been special effects\u2014making magical things that don’t exist come to life, combining them with live action, and making sure that they look like they belong together.\u201d\u00a0 Edd studied computer science and was originally a software engineer in England for six years or so. However, even while he was leading a team of software engineers, his passion for computer<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":13169,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[47],"tags":[3658,3657,895,1437,3661,3659,2724,894,3660],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n