Pradeepto (Rik) Roy
Pradeepto (Rik) Roy
VFT Program-2014/2015
What education did you have before you took the Visual Effects for Film and Television course?
Pradeepto (Rik) Roy
I completed my graduation in Mass media from Mumbai University in the year 2005. I then worked in the Indian film industry as an assistant director and assistant editor on multiple film and television commercials for a couple of years following which I went to the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune to do my 3 year post graduate studies in Film Editing. The program allowed me to keep working alongside. I supervised the post production of numerous projects from on set edits to final delivery using a wide variety of softwares like Da Vinci Resolve, Avid Media Composer, Final Cut Pro, Autodesk Flame and Smoke. My interest in compositing and VFX developed as a result of this experience.
Tell us a bit about your experience at the college.
Apart from the trials I had done on after effects by myself, I had never had hands on experience with any compositing program . My main area of focus till the course was video editing and hence all the software offered in the course were completely new to me.
The amount of information given was enormous. Initially I was gasping, asking friends and faculty for help all the time. But slowly, things began to fall into place.
We are guided by not only the top industry professionals but incredible teachers. Teachers who know when to push the students to get better results and when to give them a break and allow them to soak in what they just learned. They not only help out during class hours, but also give personal inputs on your work through very specific critique videos and solutions through email. Along with 24hrs access to the lab, we are also given access to a treasure of tutorial videos.
The atmosphere in the classroom was also one of the best I have ever experienced. I was surrounded with immense talent from all over the globe who constantly shared their thoughts and ideas and helped each other through. There was healthy competition which always helped in pushing each other.
How do you use the education you got at Seneca in your job today?
I am working currently as a Digital Compositor at Rocket Science VFX, and EVERYTHING I do, has been taught or at the very least been touched upon at Seneca. Nothing comes as a surprise.
Not just related to compositing, but the fact that we are forced to take care of all aspects of our showreel by ourselves prepared me to understand how other departments like lighting, modelling, matte painting etc. work. In a professional setup, having such a holistic knowledge is a huge plus point and really helps in communication with team members.
The seemingly impossible deadlines for assignments mimic the kind of situations you face in the industry.
What advice would you give potential students who are thinking of taking the course?
The course is incredibly rewarding and challenging at the same time.
The professors are the best in the world and if you have prior knowledge, you would really be able to exploit the time you spend in their company learning advanced techniques. At the same time, students who are just getting introduced should not worry as enough time will be spent going over the basics to bring everyone on the same page.
The earlier you can identify the area of specialization, the more focused your learning will be. At the same time, please help out your course-mates. Working in a team always exposes you to more situations and challenges than working by yourself.
Please ask questions or rather 'Communicate'. The professors or mentors as I would call them, really pay personal attention. They can suggest you ways to overcome a particular issue you are having or point you in a direction where you will find the answers. Discuss ideas for shots, and they can help you prepare and execute well. Saw a movie, liked a shot... talk to them about it. Communicate with friends and together you can help each other grow.
(Written in 2016)