Corinne Deorsay is a CG supervisor/lighter with nearly a decade of experience. After graduating with a degree in Digital Media from Drexel University in Philadelphia, she was exposed to Houdini after working with SideFX, and has been primarily working in Houdini ever since.
Corinne has worked with notable directors such as Adam Berg, Paul Haggis and Ian Pons Jewel, and for global brands such as Kia and Audi.
Her background is varied, working on commercials and game trailers, as well as feature films such as Wrath of the Titans and Beautiful Creatures.
After working as a CG Artist at renowned studios in Los Angeles including Method Studios and ETC, as well as MPC in 2013, Corinne joined the LA studio in August 2019.
Notable work at MPC includes Kia’s ‘Fully Charged’, Call of Duty’s ‘Advanced Warfare: Discover your Power’ and Jet Blue’s ‘Recurring Dream’.
Corinne> I often find myself giving notes to artists to make changes 'so no one will ever look at it'. Invisible VFX is a challenge because as artists, we often want to make something beautiful, interesting, and eye-catching but that is counterproductive to the project's needs. VFX is often the art of balancing, and the hardest work is often creating something mundane enough that it won't distract from the main story.
Big VFX shots are often a challenge because you rarely have the time to let one artist handle everything, or even one discipline. The tasks are subdivided up into multiple modules for different artist to handle. Then the challenge is getting them all to fit back together properly. There's a lot more logistical challenges in the large shots, beyond just making the difficult bits of VFX.
Corinne> Good VFX takes planning and time. Spend time before shooting, planning out the VFX and speaking with the team that will be executing the final work. It's important to give the VFX time in the schedule. The more iterations you can have the happier you will be with the results. Also, try to be a little flexible and listen to the team's suggestions, they have your best interests at heart.
Corinne> In university we had a strong computer lab culture where students across the different years really encouraged each other and shared knowledge. I would credit those four years with really giving me my worth ethic and the tools I needed to learn new things in the future. I'm still in touch with many of those friends, and cross paths with them in the industry. We're still helping each other 10 years later.
Corinne> Most projects start with an intense 'research phase' to familiarise myself with the subjects for the next project. One of the fun side effects of working in VFX is you become a mini expert on something new for every project. It's important to learn the vocabulary you'll need for the next project so you can accurately talk with clients and team about what you're re-creating. Watching previous work by the same directors, agencies, and clients. Looking into other artist's techniques for solving the same technical problems and chatting with team members who have done something similar before. Those are my first steps for every project.
Corinne> That's a tough one! Is it ever really finished? Usually, it's the client-set deadline that has us finally dropping our Wacom pens or getting caught up in the next project.
Corinne> I always love working in Houdini. I was an intern at Sidefx Software and I really enjoy their commitment to their software and users. I'm a bit of a fan.
Corinne> Covid really encouraged the team at MPC LA to start operating like a global company. Prior to Covid, many projects were run locally, a small core team worked together (often in the same room) to collaborate and finish a project. With Covid came a few massive, full CG projects that required large teams to finish. We are now sourcing artists from all our locations to make sure we have the very best team. We quickly had to restructure our communication styles to keep a large team moving forward and in the loop across multiple time zones and locations.
Corinne> I like the flexibility working from home gives artists. Waiting for other pieces of the pipeline to finish is easier when you're doing it from your home. I also think some people are really benefiting from the quiet of their home offices for solving technical problems. I do miss my co-workers a ton. We once ate lunch in the office parking lot (socially distanced, of course!) because we were missing that connection.
Corinne> I went to school for 'Digital Media' and focused on working in 3D. When I graduated, I moved out to Los Angeles and got my first job working on a Disney TV Movie for a tiny studio, Mechnology, in Glendale. My coworkers were fantastic and taught me a lot about pipeline and how to work as a team to get a project done. I then took an internship with Sidefx Software where I solidified my path as a 3D artist who often works in Houdini.
Corinne> One of my first projects was a Kia Hamster commercial that had a moment of viral popularity on the internet. There were only two of us rendering hamsters on the project, so I felt very connected to the final output. It also didn't hurt that it's still probably the most recognised project I've ever worked on.
Corinne> I really loved the Burberry commercial done in our London office. It was just a nice combination of good ideas, lovely cinematography, and very well-done VFX work. The team killed it on that one, and I'm proud to call them my co-workers.