What is a Technical Director? VFX roles explained

The world of VFX is vast and intricate, requiring a diverse range of skills and expertise. From artists to support staff, technology, and supervision, each role plays a crucial part in bringing incredible visuals to life. But what are the different roles involved in VFX, and what do they do?

Speaking at a recent event about the visual effects behind the Paramount+ show Knuckles, a spin-off from the Sonic the Hedgehog film series, Outpost VFX Pipeline Technical Director Jordan Rice outlined some of the roles involved in the project.

From runner to technical director: A journey through the ranks

Jordan started out as a runner, organizing meetings, hand delivering hard drives to different studios, assisting with social events, and even helping to migrate a new website. He later became head runner, where he learned more about how a studio works, and how to manage time and expectations. In his spare time at the studio, Jordan was also able to hone his compositing skills.

“We had a ‘Training room’ which consisted of computers that were part of the production system, where we could work on training shots from previous shows, using the brief from the original show,” explains Jordan. “There was no formal course but there was a senior member of staff assigned to give feedback.”

After building his skillset, Jordan then moved into technology, managing data and servers, before finding his passion in software, specifically Nuke. This led him to a software technical director role and eventually to his current role at Outpost VFX, where he has developed tools and helped set up a new pipeline.

What a VFX technical director does

Technical directors (TDs) develop, maintain, and optimize the infrastructure and workflows for artists. They support artists with technical issues, automate tasks, and unify the experience across all tools.

“This is mainly done through a ticketing system,” says Jordan. “Artists will submit a ticket, either about an issue they’re having with their working files, or maybe a bug with a tool, or a feature they want is missing, and then it’s our job to get them what they need.”

It’s also the job of the technical director to liaise with heads of department to figure out ways to streamline workflows, and determine what tools will be needed for upcoming projects. They also dedicate time to internal processes, such as automating repetitive tasks to remove the likelihood of human error.

“The goal for a technical director is to ensure everything runs smoothly and efficiently, removing bottlenecks in the VFX pipeline,” says Jordan.

What makes a good technical director?

A good technical director is vital to the success of any given project, but what exactly is it that makes a good TD?

“Patience, persistence and an ability to learn.” says Jordan. “Some areas of work are similar and the underlying skills, such as knowing a programming language, are important. But every task is different and often you don’t know anything about it, so you need to learn how to solve the problem, while being patient and persistent. Teamwork and knowing when to ask for help is also incredibly important.”

Understanding the VFX pipeline

The VFX pipeline is a series of stages in post-production, encompassing various departments and aiding data transfer between them. It covers every discipline, including creating workflows, tools, and automation.

VFX roles explained

Here are some of the key VFX pipeline roles at Outpost:

• Match Move: This department tracks camera movement and matches it to 3D scans of the environment. They also match character movements, creating full CG body doubles for effects and lighting.
• Modeling: Modelers create CG characters, props, environments, and costumes.
• Textures and Look Development: Using tools like Mari, these artists create and apply textures to models — matching colors, lighting, and materials to the real-world environment.
• Rigging: Riggers create the controls for characters, like a puppet's strings, enabling animators to move them. They build skeletons, joints, and even muscle systems.
• Animation: Animators use rigs to bring characters to life, creating their movements and performances.
  Effects (FX): FX artists create visual effects like lightning, destruction, trails, and fur.
• Lighting: Using tools similar to Katana, Lighters add ambient and direct lighting to CG elements, making them fit into the environment and adding glow and other effects.
• Environment: Environment artists create or extend environments in 3D using CG elements.
• Digital Matte Painting: Digital Matte Painters create (paint) 2D environments often by combining multiple 2D images to create a new background, they can also remove unwanted elements from footage such as rigs or markers.
• Roto (Rotoscoping): Roto artists create masks by tracing objects in footage, allowing for precise compositing.
• Compositing: Using tools like Nuke, Compositors bring all the elements together, combining plates, CG elements, and effects into the final shot.

How to break into the VFX industry

With a huge range of roles to choose from, there’s something for everyone in the VFX industry. Jordan’s advice on building a career in VFX is to get to know people in the industry, and attend university graduate shows, which are usually open to the public. Along with students and professors who can give advice, they’ll also be studio recruiters present, so it’s a great way to get a foot in the door. Conferences like FMX and SIGGRAPH are also a good place to make useful contacts.

“I found my path to Pipeline Technical Director by playing around with some Python code, solving some problems I had in my role at the time, and then pursuing that further,” says Jordan. “Exploration into something that can both help you, and also interests you, is a great place to start.”

Interested in using Nuke, Mari, or Katana? Check out the Foundry Education page to find out all about our student license program.