Last Updated: 9/5/2025

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Mission

We believe that visual effects artists should be cast for their unique talents and style, just like actors.

Kevin Todd Haug summed it up 20 years ago:

"You're a director; you go to a movie, let's say, WAR OF THE WORLDS. You see a cool shot; let's say, the impossible camera move in, out and around the minivan. You say to yourself, 'Hey, whoever did that work would be great for an effects shot I need in my next film. I need to find out who they are. All I can say is: Good luck."

and...

"Artists should be picked to fit the shots. You wouldn’t cast a period costume designer to design space suits. Same goes for choosing VFX craftspeople."

How it works

This is not YAJB (yet another job board). What we're building instead turns the idea of a job board on its head.

Artists don't search for jobs, jobs search for artists.

Artists

• Showcase your work, list your credits and skills, and write stories about your contributions.
• If you did that minivan shot in War of the Worlds, employers will find you and read how you did it. No need for "Open to work" ribbons on your LinkedIn profile. Brad Pitt doesn't do that! Why should you?

Recruiters

• Use powerful search tools to find the perfect artists for your projects. Search based on work history, skills, location, story content, and more.
• Search "war minivan camera" and you'll find the artists involved and read how they did it.
• Make bids to artists for positions you want to cast. Negotiate in message threads (like AirBnB).
• Artists can accept or decline, then you can finalize to seal the deal.

The process

The platform manages the lifecycle of bids. It's like a talent agent working for both sides. If an artist accepts an offer, other overlapping offers are automatically declined with a polite message. Likewise if an employer fills all vacancies for a role, other candidates for the same role are automatically rejected, again with a polite message. We provide contract templates with auditable electronic signatures.

Who's behind VFX Spotlight?

I'm Julian Mann. I've been VFX artist and programmer since 1995. I helped start DNEG in 1998 and later led R&D at MPC Film. I've been a freelancer, a full time artist, and I've been on the hiring side too. I think the VFX job market has plenty of room for improvement, to put it politely. By taking the view that VFX artists should be cast like actors, I thnk we can build something that improves the quality of life for artists, and the quality of effects for productions.