
VFX Graduates at Rising Sun Pictures Follow Different Paths to Success
data-src=https://creativecow.net/wp-content/uploads/avatars/263018/5fa08c562aaf4-bpthumb.jpg data-srcset=https://creativecow.net/wp-content/uploads/avatars/263018/5fa08c561c0e7-bpfull.jpg 2x class=lazyload avatar avatar-80 photo height=80 width=80 />
Brie Clayton April 20, 2021
0 Comments
The training programs at Rising Sun Pictures (RSP), operated in partnership with the University of South Australia (UniSA) provide prospective visual effects artists with the essential skills they need to work in industry. The Bachelor of Media Arts and Graduate Certificate programs both have an admirable record for success with its graduates regularly finding employment at visual effects studios throughout Australia and beyond-including at RSP itself.
Sash Elliott, Maddison Green, Ryan Woodcock, Olivia Mitchell and Monica Quan are excellent examples of the value of training at RSP. Each of the six Adelaide natives participated in one of RSP's training programs accredited through UniSA last year and were subsequently hired by the studio in junior roles.
Each of these young artists has a different story, but they share commonalities in their commitment to hard work, eagerness to become accomplished professionals and determination to achieve big things.
Here are their stories:
Sash Elliott completed the visual effects (VFX) specialisation of the Media Arts degree last October and was offered a position with the studio just a few weeks later. Initially hired as a front-line services wrangler, managing data and providing artist support, she moved to the layout department after two months and is currently a junior track and match-move artist. I love layout, she insists. It was challenging at first, but as long as you know the under-pinning principles, you can apply it to the software.
Sash's passion for visual effects ignited when she enrolled in an introductory computer animation course as a Media Arts student at UniSA. It blew me away, she recalls. I immediately saw it as a career opportunity. When I learned that I could specialise in visual effects and take third-year courses at Rising Sun Pictures, I signed up straight away.
The training was demanding, but Sash applied herself diligently and undertook tasks beyond what her instructors required. I did my assignments to the best of my ability, but I also pushed myself further and took on side projects to show my passion and interests, she recalls. At the end of the semester we gave presentations and I shared some of my extra work. It helped me stand out.
Securing her first job so quickly, Sash looks forward to a promising future. I'm focused on improving my skills in layout, she says. I hope to progress to senior artist, but that will take experience. I'm eager to see what happens.
Maddison Green came onboard RSP as a frontline services wrangler in February. Having been cautioned, following her graduation last October, that it could take six months or longer for a position to open, she was pleasantly surprised. The learning curve is steep, she says of her new role, but it's going very well and so much fun. The camaraderie is great. Everyone here loves movies, so it's easy to chat and have good conversations. Everyone's keen to help each other out.
Maddison trained onsite at RSP as a third-year Media Arts student at UniSA. She received intensive instruction in compositing, tracking and other skills, but what she found most rewarding was the opportunity to interact with working professionals. Talking with senior artists and learning how they progressed in their careers was super valuable, she recalls. The teaching assistants, who also trained at RSP, reinforced the principles covered in class. They understood what we were going through and knew how to slow it down and explain things.
Anxious to flex her creative muscles, Maddison is interested in becoming a compositor. However, her experience thus far has taught her that the most important quality for a young artist is adaptability. You need to take advantage of every opportunity, she insists. If you have a chance to talk with senior artists, go talk with them. If you're in class, you need to stay focused and engaged. You need to be a good artist, but you also need to network and cultivate connections.
Ryan Woodcock set his sights on a visual effects career in high school. His interest was piqued by a showcase presentation from the Academy of Interactive Entertainment (AIE). He completed AIE's two-year advanced diploma program, then went onto UniSA and undertook RSP's Graduate Certificate program. By year eleven, I knew I wanted to work in visual effects, but it was only when I got to study at RSP that I learnt how to get my foot in the door, he says. The program is amazing and offers a doorway to industry through its recruiters and connections to other studios.
Ryan is totally absorbed in his work as a junior paint and roto artist in RSP's layout department but he maintains a strong interest in compositing, which was a focus of his training. Compositors apply the final touch before the image goes to the screen, he observes. They put it together and make it look gorgeous. They deliver the shots that people see. I find that so appealing.
Hard work and persistence are obviously essential to success in visual effects but being lucky doesn't hurt. Ryan says that he landed his job, in part, by being in the right place at the right time. I phoned an RSP recruiter just to stay in contact and it happened that the studio's head of 2D had just informed her of an opening, he recalls. She said she'd get back to me on Thursday, but the next day I received an email with a job offer. One week later, I was starting. There's nothing like
Most recent headlines
09/11/2025
Dalet today announced a transformative leap forward for media operations: Agentic Artificial Intelligence (AI) that unifies the Dalet ecosystem under one natura...
06/10/2025
France T l visions, France's leading broadcaster, has received the 2025 EBU ...
13/09/2025
ATLANTA Cox Media Group has announced that the company's vice president of news, Misty Turnbull has been inducted into the National Academy of Television Ar...
13/09/2025
AMSTERDAM Shotoku Broadcast Systems, a major developer of robotic systems, has announced plans to take studio robotics to the next level at IBC2025 by debuting ...
13/09/2025
At IBC2025 in Amsterdam, Riedel Communications unveiled Bolero Mini, the company's lightest and flattest wireless intercom beltpack to date. Designed to del...
13/09/2025
Shotoku Broadcast Systems, the international developer of dependable, userfriendly robotic systems, is taking studio robotics to the next level at IBC 2025 with...
13/09/2025
Bitmovin, a leading provider of video streaming solutions, today released the 9th annual Video Developer Report 2025/26, offering an in-depth look at the evolvi...
13/09/2025
Bitmovin, the leading provider of video streaming solutions, today announced a strategic partnership with StreamShark, the trusted video platform for enterprise...
13/09/2025
Ikegami has chosen IBC 2025 in Amsterdam as the launch venue for a major addition to its range of viewfinders. The new VFE-P711AD is a 7-inch high resolution OL...
13/09/2025
Founder-led Merger to Fast Track R&D, Asset Library Upgrades, Tools and More; No Disruption to Pricing or Support for Users
Today, KitBash3D, a pioneer in 3D a...
13/09/2025
With NDI certification, Atomos integration, Grass Valley collaboration, and a new Monitor app, at this year's IBC, Mavis is showcasing a series of powerful...
13/09/2025
Creamsource, maker of artisan LED lighting for film and television, has unveiled the Vortex24 Soft (V24S), a 1950W native soft light and the largest soft source...
13/09/2025
When international sports streaming service DAZN secured the global rights to the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup football tournament, it set out to deliver an unmatch...
13/09/2025
Riedel Communications today announced the acquisition of hi human interface from Broadcast Solutions, bringing a powerful, vendor-agnostic control system to it...
13/09/2025
Building on its long-term relationship with audio metering specialist RTW, Calrec has integrated the company's brand new TMxCore metering platform across it...
13/09/2025
Calrec is expanding its family of future-ready self-contained Argo M control surfaces at IBC2025, with the addition of a brand new powerful 48-fader console. Co...
13/09/2025
Researchers find brain region that fuels compulsive drinking Study by Scripps Research scientists shows how the brain learns to seek alcohol for relief, not jus...
12/09/2025
College Football Kickoff 2025: Fox Sports Ups Look as Canon, Sony Power Shallow ...
12/09/2025
ABC/ESPN Excited For WNBA Postseason Coverage In Revamped FormatThe Finals moves to a best-of-seven series in 2025By Mark J Burns, SVG Contributor
Friday, Sep...
12/09/2025
(L-R) Jade Croot, Rosy McEwen, and Bryn Chainey attend the 2025 Sundance Film Festival premiere of Rabbit Trap at Eccles Theatre on January 24, 2025, in Park ...
12/09/2025
For fans, we know how important it is to stay plugged into music culture and dis...
12/09/2025
Link ping, Sweden and Shipley, United Kingdom, September 12, 2025 - Agama, the expert in video observability and analytics for service quality and customer expe...
12/09/2025
IBC2025 began on Sept. 12, with exhibits and conferences running through Sept. 15 at the RAI Amsterdam Convention Center. Explore the full TV Tech coverage of t...
12/09/2025
The Best Fictional Bands (and the Artists Who Make Them Great) With Spinal Tap II: The End Continues hitting theaters and songs from KPop Demon Hunters ruling...
12/09/2025
Industry veteran Tom Baldassare has joined Advanced Systems Group, LLC (ASG), a technology and services provider for media creatives and content owners, as a Se...
12/09/2025
Maxon, maker of powerful, approachable software solutions for creators working in 2D and 3D design, motion graphics, visual effects, and more, today announced a...
12/09/2025
PlayBox Neo, a leading provider of media playout solutions, has partnered with AI-Media, pioneering developers of AI-powered captioning technology, to integrate...
12/09/2025
Dalet today announced a transformative leap forward for media operations: Agentic Artificial Intelligence (AI) that unifies the Dalet ecosystem under one natura...
12/09/2025
New alliance strengthens the IT channel in Germany and Switzerland in protecting business-critical SaaS data.
Keepit, the world s only independent, cloud-nativ...
12/09/2025
Fincons Group, an international IT business consultancy and systems integrator company with more than 40 years of experience in the market, is proud to announce...
12/09/2025
Following its acquisition of Telemetrics, EVS continues its push into robotics with an announcement at IBC2025 that it is acquiring XD motion....
12/09/2025
TORONTO The North American Broadcasters Association (NABA) has announced the appointment of Eduardo Ruiz Sanchez, deputy director, broadcast operations at Telev...
12/09/2025
Ed Miller, a longtime broadcast engineer in Ohio and a former national president of the Society of Broadcast Engineers, has died....
12/09/2025
AMSTERDAM At this year's IBC2025, the Advanced HDR by Technicolor initiative will be pushing broadcasters to adopt a more dynamic, frame-by-frame conversion...
12/09/2025
Feature-length retrospective from Studio Crook to air in 2026
Sir David Jason returns to the nation's favourite comedy channel, U&GOLD, for Open All Hours:...
12/09/2025
September 12th, 2025
Tribeca X and The Female Quotient to Host Powerhouse Em...
12/09/2025
Friday 12 September 2025
The Boomtown Rats, Nyah Grace, Soweto Kinch, Royal Ballet and Madness also announced to perform at the ceremony on Tuesday
Sky today ...
12/09/2025
Wuppertal September 12, 2025
Riedel Unveils Ultra-Light Bolero Mini Wireless Intercom BeltpackAt IBC2025 in Amsterdam, Riedel Communications unveiled Bolero M...
12/09/2025
Wuppertal September 12, 2025
Riedel Communications Acquires hi human interfaceRiedel Communications today announced the acquisition of hi human interface fro...
12/09/2025
Back to All News
New International Crime Series Road (WT)' Explores Twiste...
12/09/2025
Back to All News
First Look: Thai Crime Drama Everybody Loves Me When I'm ...
12/09/2025
Back to All News
Netflix Marks 10 Years in Japan, Announces Three New Series Th...
12/09/2025
CORE+ virtually removes distortion, setting a new standard for church sound and giving worship teams the clarity and confidence they need.
Read the full artic...
12/09/2025
The Late Late Show is back with a bang after the summer break, and Patrick Kielt...
12/09/2025
The World Athletics Championships, Ireland v France in the Women's Rugby World Cup quarter-final, the Irish Champions Festival, and two Sports Direct Men...
12/09/2025
The Records Show starts Sunday at 6.30pm on RT One and RT Player.
Katie Hanno...
11/09/2025
Report: Busy Live Sports Streaming Execs Have Low-hanging Fruit' in Front o...
11/09/2025
Inside Game Creek Video's Big Week as Ovation, Flagship Make NFL DebutsBy Ken Kerschbaumer, Editorial Director
Thursday, September 11, 2025 - 7:00 am
Pr...
11/09/2025
NFL Kickoff 2025: Prime Sports Starts New Season at Lambeau Field; Sets Sights o...
11/09/2025
College Football Kickoff 2025: NBC Sports Pushes HDR Image Quality, Aerial Drone...