Inside ILM | To be a Generalist

I've been a generalist for most of my career, you can learn so much. The saying that a generalist is a master of nothing is missing the point. Glad to see ILM have this work ethos 👏

"It's a lot easier to teach an artist how to use a tool than it is to teach someone who knows a tool how to do art" The best digital art quote ever!

"Become a generalist, be a generalist, it's the right decision", I've waited 10 years to ear that from a big studio, thanks you Falk Boje

Its a pleasure to see ILM praising the generalist race, the industry outcast, "the wrong way to go" that I've been listening my whole life but there are always people inspired to learn a new thing everyday and create a broader repertoire of technics to ease it's artistic expression

18 years of my life i dint know what to become when i grow up ....always had a thing for art 3d modeling and editing, Now AFTER THIS VIDEO i choosing the path to be a Generalist at ILM. Thats my future in the next 5 years!!

I've been Sr. CG Generalist in most of my career. My extensive experience allows me to seamlessly transition between different mediums, techniques, and styles, enabling me to approach projects from a holistic perspective. This versatility not only fosters innovation but also enhances problem-solving abilities, as senior generalists can draw upon their multifaceted expertise to find effective solutions. Moreover, their well-rounded skill set often makes them invaluable collaborators, capable of contributing to every stage of the artistic process, from conceptualization to execution. In a constantly evolving creative landscape, the adaptability and proficiency of senior generalist artists position them as invaluable assets in any artistic endeavor.

I've been doing this for almost 20 years and this just confirmed that I chose the right path to learn multiple disciplines instead of just specializing in one. Thank you ILM for this!!! Really needed to hear it, but it means more coming from you.

Awwww maaaaan. This is SO what I wanted to do when I was a kid. This is heaven for creative people!

When I interviewed for a job at ILM in 1998, they told me I should specialize my portfolio more. I'm still a professional generalist, maybe it's finally time for ILM to hire me.

This reminds me of the old days where it was the regular way. Back at Terminator 2 most of the leads did model, matchmove, animate etc. At that time, those guys and gals could truly say: THAT is my shot! That aside, ILM`s groundbreaking work in T2/Jurassic Park/TheMask/Jumanji and so on made me go into VFX. But instead of landing in Film (sorry, but 16 weeks for one shot is just too long for me ;-), I went for high end commercials (Mercedes, BMW, Porsche etc.) and I`m as happy as I ever could be. Nonetheless: Thank you for the inspiration, Dennis Muren, Steven Spaz Williams, Mark A Z Dippé, Stefen Fangmeier, Geoff Campbell, Andrew Berton, Annabella Serra, George Joblove, Eric Armstrong, Ellen Poon, John Knoll and many many more...in short, the troop also known as "I L M"

Generalist throughout the 90s and into the early 00s. Being able to do shots and even entire sequences on your own - from initial planing & budgeting to final delivery - might sound like a crazy amount of work, but in the end it's also incredibly liberating.

You guys are the real superstars of the movie industry⚡

Amazing work and amazing cinema history. Love ILM and what it stands for.

Excellent and inspiring piece that recognizes what is like to be a Generalist. This makes me proud to be a CG Generalist and puts in perspective artist like myself that get bored easily when only focusing on one task. I think generalist are a very special breed of people who are always wanting to learn new things to help solve complex problems.

As a generalist working in the commercial industry, I love that moment when my artwork finally released on social media and gained millions of views - I could proudly tell my family and friends that I did almost everything on my own. That's the biggest motivation to keep me going under pressure (which is quite common in the industry... ), and of course, I got paid well xD

The fact that we even get to be generalists is a huge testament to how far VFX software has come. VFX is one of the art types most closely tied to the tools and technical execution, and for a long time each discipline required the mastery of such complex tooling that it left very little room to understand much else, let alone entire other disciplines. So not only did the tools get a lot more intuitive and accessible, but also I think we’re approaching a time when we’ll be able to just create and art direct while AI produces final images from our input.

The best video that explains everything.. i always loved being generalist but never had the opportunity to work on a real production. Thank hou guys fo this amazing video

1:26 Indonesia represent. So glad to have one of ours to be working at one of the best in the industry. Superb work bro Johanes!

Generalist have been taunted so much in the past for being a Jack.. but thing is, humans are created differently... Generalist have a passive knowledge acquisition, they get bored and tuned off when focusing on only one thing.. they are naturally curious minded people... good side of a generalist is they have expansive thinking... they can think out things you'd never have imagined.... and they dont have a specific path to an output, they can take plenty other routes to achieve same result...

As a generalist I'm glad that big studios talk about the proficiency of this. I believe you must be able to handle all basic aspect of visual effects in your career