At Work With… Colin Campbell, Visual Effects Supervisor / Senior Compositor
The ‘At Work With…’ Interview Series is our way of bringing you behind-the-scenes with the names and businesses included in our Texas Production Directory (TPD). We want to showcase the creatives that cover all levels of production experience, backgrounds, and geographies around the state.
This week’s spotlight is on Colin Campbell, Visual Effects Supervisor/Senior Compositor based in Dallas and a Texan for the past 13 years.
What’s the most memorable experience on a project or production that you’ve had and what made it so special?
Early in my career after finishing work on Steven Spielberg's "Hook", I was on a plane wearing my crew jacket, and a little boy saw that and asked if I had worked on the movie. I said yes, and he asked me for my autograph! I told him I was nobody, but he didn't care, he put it in his autograph book next to a famous baseball player. He said it was his favorite film. It was then that I realized that even though I was just a small part of the film, what I did could have a big impact on a young kid's life, and add a little enjoyment to his holiday season.
What are the skills required to succeed in your specific area of expertise?
Observation, and having a good eye for how things look in the real world. Knowing what the camera "sees" and doesn't "see" so as not to waste time and money chasing effects that the audience is never going to see anyway.
Have you had an industry mentor or colleague that has made an impact on you or helped you along your career path? If so who, and how did they impact you?
I've had many and been fortunate to have worked under many of the top supervisors of visual effects: Dennis Muren, Ken Ralston, and Richard Edlund to name a few. All of them were very gracious to get to know me and share their knowledge and experiences.
What advice have you been given that continues to be helpful in your work?
Never to lose that childlike sense of wonder.
In your industry, collaboration is the key to success. How do you best foster collaboration with your colleagues from project to project?
I tell the people I work with I can either be your hands, or, you can trust my vision to deliver quality ideas and images.
Interview has been edited for brevity.
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