Training

DESCRIPTION

VFX artists and producers bring unique knowledge, experience, and habits to the studio. Their input is essential in shaping an efficient and tailored pipeline, as their insights often lead to valuable improvements in tools and workflows.

The exchange of information is bidirectional.
While the pipeline must adapt to artists’ needs, users must also stay informed about the evolving pipeline environment.
Additionally, new team members must be onboarded quickly and efficiently.

To ensure this, up-to-date documentation and continuous training are vital.

Key responsibilities to keep users aligned with the pipeline included:

• Maintaining comprehensive pipeline documentation
• Providing ongoing pipeline support
• Assisting and training users on development-related tasks
• Supervising junior developers
• Overseeing internships

ROLE

Pipeline Documentation

Accurate and regularly updated documentation was essential for maintaining visibility and clarity around workflows and pipeline features.

Specific documentations were produced for targeted audience:

• Production team: managing project workflows and environments
• Supervisors and leads: asset and shot workflows
• Artists: tool usage and best practices
• Developers: development workflows and processes
• IT team: pipeline installation and system administration

This allowed users to quickly understand the aspects of the pipeline relevant to their roles.

When new concepts or tools were introduced, supplementary documentation and visual presentations were created.
These were often followed by training sessions or demos, giving key users a chance to provide feedback and ensure alignment.

Pipeline Support

While team leads could handle much of the training for their teams using their nowledge and the documentation, I was responsible for introducing major new features and updates.

Additionnally, for non-standard workflows or specific project requirements, I often had to collaborate directly with supervisors and leads to design custom solutions using the existing pipeline toolset, guiding them through the setup and ensuring proper understanding.

Development Assistance & Training

Though I was generally the only developer at the studio, I frequently supported artists and supervisors with scripting and development tasks.
This ranged from offering guidance and technical advice, to reviewing scripts or tools created by users with limited development experience.

Additionally, at the director's request, I conducted a two-day training session on MEL (Maya Embedded Language) to introduce its capabilities to artists using Maya.

Junior Developer Supervision

For several months, a junior developer joined the team to help lighten my workload.

Alongside receiving support from him, I also took on mentoring responsibilities:

• Introducing VFX pipeline concepts and tools
• Providing ongoing Python and software development training

He primarily contributed to the QuickQC tool and its plugin management system.

Internship Supervision

Shortly before my departure from the studio, a student intern joined the team as part of his development training.

As with the junior developer, he needed training on pipeline concepts and tools, as he had no prior knowledge of the VFX industry.

He initially assisted me with pipeline maintenance tasks, learning through close interaction with artists.
He later worked more independently with the look development team to explore Gaffer customization and its integration into our pipeline, while regularly reporting back to me to ensure task alignment and consistency.

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