Ep-20: Todd 'Teaspoon' Perry - Visual Effects supervisor "at will".
Updated: Sep 14, 2019
Visual Effects supervisor Todd Sheridan Perry is at the top of his game, having supervised on films like BLACK PANTHER, DR. STRANGE, AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON, and most recently FOR ALL MANKIND (series debuting soon on Apple's streaming service). But rather than working full-time at one facility like many vendor-side VFX sup's, Todd takes one show at a time and uses self-prescribed downtime to work on smaller projects that align with his personal interests and advance his skills and career goals.
For someone who's been working at the heart of the visual effects industry for so many years, Todd is surprisingly agile and exploratory - switching back and forth from supervising professional crews on Hollywood's biggest blockbusters, to doing small VFX jobs all by himself for independent filmmakers, or exploring other creative avenues like screenwriting and directing. Where some may worry such a winding professional path could risk losing traction, Todd relies on years of industry credibility and a deeply rooted professional network to walk away calmly knowing he'll have no shortage of opportunities when he's ready to get back and take on bigger shows.
What makes him many artists' favorite VFX supervisor? And why is it important to him to be able to step away from blockbuster movies and TV series and work on such different projects? These are some of the questions we I tried to get answers for as we sat down for our remote conversation.
"I found that in order to get to the place where you wanna be you actually have to tell people that that's where you want to be [...] You're playing the long game on this, they may not give you the chance tomorrow, but they may give you the chance next year. You just have to start that conversation so that seed is planted and then you have to nurture it. You have to remember to come back to those people and stay in communication with them."
Episode Links:
Show notes:
Opening and closing song: "14 Days" by Akın Sevgör.
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Todd's philosophy about planting seeds and nurturing relationships really resonated with me. The idea that you have to actually tell people where you want to be instead of waiting for opportunities to find you is such practical advice for anyone in a creative career. His willingness to step back from blockbuster work and tackle smaller, personal projects shows real confidence — not everyone could walk away from that level of production and trust the network they've built would still be there when they returned. It's a refreshing perspective on career longevity. I've found that same spirit of exploration when working on my own character designs and visual projects, and tools like an oc maker have made that creative side-work so…
Todd Perry's 'at will' approach to VFX supervision is fascinating and sounds like a smart way to manage his career. For those interested in gaming, the Dungeon Quest Reborn Wiki & Guides offers some great resources.
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