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Meet Neilan Naicker: Visual Effects Artist & Programmer

CP=Career Planet
NN=Neilan Naicker
 
CP:  Where do you work?
NN: Black Ginger

CP:  What do you LOVE most about your job?
NN: It’s constantly changing, every show has different problems and needs a different solution. There’s a satisfaction in solving each unique challenge.

CP:  Have you had any other jobs?
NN: No, this is my first.

CP:  When you were at school, what type of career did you think you would follow?
NN: In high school I thought I’d do something related to maths or physics, as those were my passions. I only really picked up computer science seriously in University, after which it was clear that that was what I really wanted to do.

CP: Which qualification/s are needed for this career?
NN: For programming specifically, a computer science degree, or else related qualifications in programming. Visual Effects benefits greatly from a strong maths background. So ideally both maths and computer science.

CP: What made you decide to choose that study path?
NN: It evolved over time really. I started studying maths and physics, realized that physics wasn’t for me, and gradually migrated to computer science as I realized I was passionate about programming.

CP:  How long did you study for, and do you still do any training?
NN: Three years for my Batchelor of Science in Computer Science and Maths, and an additional year doing Computer Science Honours. So four years total.

CP: Have you ever done any volunteer work to gain experience?
NN: I developed a web based platform for Shell while I was studying, but it was a very short term project.

CP: What made you decide to choose the job that you are doing now?
NN: In my honours year, my thesis was in Graphics, so my supervisor got me in touch with the company after I graduated. I hadn’t intended to follow a path in visual effects (I actually had no idea what to do) so I thought I’d try it out and see what it was all about.

CP: Please tell us about a typical day at work.
NN: If it’s a newish job that I’m tackling, then it’s probably still in the research and development phase, so it’s mostly about problem solving. Trying to figure out how to tackle a particular visual effects sequence, whether it will need to be programmed, whether it can be done with a simplistic approach, or if something more elaborate will be necessary. Trying various approaches in our visual effects software (Side Effects Houdini) until we have something that works.

CP: What are the main tools that you use daily ?                                                                                                                                                                     NN: Computer exclusively. Specific software I use are programming tools, or our primary visual effects software, Houdini.

CP: Does your job involve managing other people?
NN: Not really. I rely on work that has been prepared by other people, and in turn my work gets used by other people, but I never really manage other people per se.

CP:  Do you work office hours or flexi-time?
NN: Office hours, but flexible in the case of an approaching deadline!

CP:Do you work in a relaxed or a formal environment?
NN: Very relaxed. Everything’s open plan, everyone’s approachable, so everyone’s constantly discussing things, whether work related or not. Every now and then (after hours) we play games against each others. It’s a great environment to work in.

CP: What is the dress code for your job?
NN: I’m not sure there is one! If there is it’s very casual. In summer most people are in shorts, T-shirts and sandals.

CP: What can one expect to earn as a starting salary in this career?
NN: Anything from R5000 per month upwards

CP: What is the best thing that has ever happened to you at work?
NN: Probably seeing the first advert I was majorly involved in for the first time. The feeling of seeing something you’ve devoted months to as an exceptional finished piece is incredible.

CP: What is the worst/or most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to you at work?
NN: The nature of the job is that ultimately someone else (the director) has final say on anything you do. So there’ve been some horrible times when something you’ve been working on for a long period of time (say, weeks) gets cut entirely from an advert, or gets given to someone else.

CP: What are the prospects for career growth?
NN: There are some fantastic opportunities with large visual effects companies overseas, so with enough experience you could find yourself working on the biggest and best films and commercials.

CP: Does your job include travelling?
NN: No.

CP: Describe the kind of person that you think most suits this type of work
NN: It’s a computer career, so some sort of technical appreciation definitely helps, but it also requires a lot of artistic drive and passion in order to do really well. You need to be the sort of person who can refine and refine something until it’s perfect, even in the face of someone telling you that it’s not quite where it needs to be. So it takes persistence.

CP: Do you have any tips for people thinking about this career?
NN: Familiarize yourself with the software packages, or else try to get a feel for the sort of things that happen in the industry with regard to visual effects and programming, in order to be prepared for the sort of work you’ll have to do. Also, being passionate about film in general is obviously a plus.

CP: What other options/possibilities are there for career growth in this field?
NN: Animation, visual effects and programming are all relevant in the games industry too, so that’s another option for advancement – although, there is very limited scope locally, so you’d have to have a mind for going overseas.

CP: What are some of the main companies/organizations that provide employment in your field?
NN: Locally, there are companies like BlackGinger, Luma, the Refinery, Masters and Savant. Internationally there are the massive special effects houses like Industrial Light and Magic, Digital Domain, Weta Workshop.

CP: Are there opportunities for entrepreneurs in this field?
NN: There’s always the opportunity to establish a new budding facility, but I can imagine it’s hard to secure jobs reliably without contacts and/or experience.

CP: Do you have hobbies?
NN: I’m passionate about films, books and games.