[Watch the video interview on YouTube here]
Film Courage: How is filmmaking better today than it was 20 or 30 years ago?
Craig Caton-Largent, Visual effects artist and current Chair of 3D Animation & VFX at New York Film Academy (NYFA) Los Angeles: Oh wow! Well the thing is we don’t need lights anymore like 20 years ago, we had to have all these lights and now we can shoot with practically no lights at all which I think is amazing. I think that the fact that everything is in digital now, we’ve moved from film. We’re no longer doing these inter-negatives and transferring film to digital and stuff like that. I think that digital has come up with very, very high quality that finally begins to match the film quality.
I think there are better tools out there. I mean gosh, there’s a lot better tools out there like for instance just for green screens alone. For instance Laurel Canyon Stages has a really nice green screen out there but you control it from your phone. It can be any color you want. Do you want it to be green? It’s green. Do you want to be red? It’s red. Do you want it to be blue? You can literally dial it in and you couldn’t do that. 20 years ago, you want a green screen, okay we’re bring in this girl. She’s going to charge $2,000 and she’s going to paint the green screen over the weekend. Oh, now you need it white? Okay, bring in the girl for $2,000 and over the weekend she’ll paint it again.
Now you just go click, now we have another screen. The other thing that I thought was really cool was this focus stuff…(Watch the video interview on YouTube here).
About Craig:
With over 40 years in the film industry, Craig Caton-Largent is a legendary visual effects artist and the current Chair of 3D Animation & VFX at New York Film Academy (NYFA) Los Angeles. He has worked on over 100 films, creating some of Hollywood’s most iconic creatures, including the Slimer ghost in Ghostbusters (1984), the penguins in Batman Returns (1992), and the raptors in Jurassic Park (1993). Craig has collaborated with top directors like Tim Burton, Steven Spielberg, and James Cameron, earning six Academy Award nominations for Best Visual Effects. A pioneer in digital effects, Craig co-founded Digital Domain and developed groundbreaking VFX software like Animservo, used by top studios and theme parks. As the Chair of the Visual Effects and Animation Department at NYFA, Craig is dedicated to helping his students develop animation and storytelling skills that will lead to success in the industry. Craig is also a sought-after speaker on motion capture technology at film festivals and universities worldwide.
CONNECT WITH CRAIG CATON-LARGENT
About New York Film Academy:
Founded in 1992 by Jerry Sherlock, the New York Film Academy (NYFA) provides an accessible, hands-on education in filmmaking, media, and the performing arts. With a mission to make the film industry more accessible to all, NYFA empowers students from diverse backgrounds to tell powerful stories through a project-based, immersive curriculum. Students work closely with industry professionals, gaining invaluable mentorship and real-world experience while building creative, technical, and collaborative skills. NYFA’s global community includes students from over 160 countries, fostering a network of passionate storytellers. From day one, students dive into creating projects that refine their craft and prepare them for successful careers. With a focus on practical experience and individualized support, NYFA equips students with the tools and confidence to excel in the competitive world of filmmaking and the arts.
CONNECT WITH NYFA
Nyfa.edu/location/nyfa-los-angeles
Advertisement – contains affiliate links
(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases)
More affiliates:
Camera we use for interviews – https://buff.ly/3rWqrra
Sound we use for interviews – https://amzn.to/2tbFlM9
Other books on Amazon that Film Courage recommends – https://buff.ly/3o0oE5o
