Category: Adult Non-Fiction 18+
Genre: Entertainment Industry, Movie Industry, Arts & Entertainment, Job Hunting & Career Guides, Women & Business, Strategic Business Planning, Computer Graphics
Publisher: Vicki Lau, 376 pages
Publication Date: May 2021
Content Rating: PG Suggested use of the word "bitch" (but spelled as "b..."), one mention of an experience of unwarranted sexual advance through text message solicitation (no images, just text).
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pe-UWh9_Gy0]
From the city of Singapore to working on over twenty Hollywood blockbuster films and TV series such as “The Walking Dead,” “Guardians of the Galaxy,” “Aquaman,” and “War for the Planet of the Apes,” comes one of the first books of its kind in the visual effects (VFX) industry.
With a unique blend of self-help, career strategy, and memoir-like elements, Vicki Lau speaks to the core of what it is like to work behind-the-scenes on some of your favorite Hollywood titles, covering strategies employed in order to maneuver her way into the upper echelons of the industry.
You will learn:
- Detailed breakdowns of day-to-day studio activities
- How industries and events impact your life and career prospects as a VFX artist
- Key strategies and insights on dealing with Hollywood politics
- Precise predictions on VFX job displacements and new high-growth skills
- Self-clarity on your ambitions in life and what the VFX industry truly offers
Why I Do VFX is a must-have for anyone seriously considering a fulfilling life and career in Hollywood, film, and the arts.
After
all, why spend a decade of your life uncovering the truths about this
industry when you need only read this book to answer your own question:
Do you really want to do VFX?
Foreword by Leif Einarsson (VFX on "Stuart Little," "X-Men: Days of Future Past," "Spider-Man: Homecoming")
And now an interesting interview with author Vicki Lau
Do you have another profession besides writing and visual effects?
I tend to get involved in a lot of industries so I am what you would call a multi-hyphenate artist (if there is such a profession). In general, I do a lot of things aside from just writing and VFX – it would be hard to pin me down with just one label.
However, if you try asking Google “what does Vicki Lau do” you’ll get a shortlist of answers – all of which are accurate except for ‘visual artist’ maybe (been trying to get that changed for years). But in all seriousness, I also teach VFX and filmmaking online (with my reach currently being over 80,000 students all over the world) and would consider myself an educator/content creator in that sense. That being said, I do give talks and speeches (some of them paid) so, in that sense, that does make me a speaker (though I wouldn’t go as far as to say speaking is my profession – unless you count teaching).
Where do you write?
In my bedroom – where I also eat, sleep, think, and exercise. Yea, I know. #hermitLife
What was your favorite part, and your least favorite part, of the publishing journey?
Most favorite part: working with other talents to bring the book title to life.
Least favorite: waiting on platforms to publish and/or approve the book title for distribution. Especially audiobooks – man, those platforms could take forever sometimes.
Can you share with us something about the book that isn’t in the blurb?
The book is really about understanding oneself, one’s industry and, ultimately, determining what I would call your “ambition appetite.” In this book, you’ll read about how I came from a foreign country with zero connections to Hollywood and ultimately got to where I am today. The ambition appetite is present in all of us at varying degrees and it relies heavily on honest self-assessment of one’s position in life and determining how satisfied you are with your current position in life in contrast to the goals you have set for yourself.
Now, I don’t want to mislead anyone and say that this book is all about the ambition appetite – it isn’t – but it will lead readers to that point where, given all the data, observations, and insights I’ve made about the industry, it comes time to determine whether or not the reader is satisfied with themselves at the end of the road. 0
Does your industry offer the capacity to fill your ambition appetite? What exactly is your level of ambition?
Ambition is such a forgotten value and trait today that I believe this book will eventually culminate in readers taking a hard look at themselves and their industries to see for themselves if they are actually living up to (or exceeding) their potential. Whether or not you are in VFX or in a creative industry, it is the journey that counts – and I invite all of you to experience that journey in Why I Do VFX.
Name a quirky thing you like to do.
I like dancing intensely to myself in my room. I will break a sweat doing so, even with the air-conditioning turned on at full blast. Dancing is very invigorating.
Did you always wanted to be a VFX artist growing up?
Actually, no. I think that me wanting to do VFX evolved naturally from my passion for video-editing (having discovered it at the age of 14). When I was younger (like 10 or so, let’s say), I probably didn’t even know what VFX was; plus, it wasn’t like Singapore was an advocate of a career in the arts back then (hence, I wasn’t even aware of career paths like VFX or the like). I would say, however, that I did non-seriously consider becoming a detective or even a singer/voice actor as a child (you know, like how some kids want to be astronauts or firemen – they weren’t serious about it at that age).
In the book, I mentioned that my reason for doing VFX was because it became a channel for self-expression, so in that sense, VFX discovered me before I discovered it. Being a VFX artist is a very enjoyable journey (with its pros and cons) but there is definitely more to life than just being labelled or pigeonholed in one little niche.
Tour Schedule:
Aug 2 – Cover Lover Book Review – book spotlight / author interview
Aug 2 - Rockin' Book Reviews – book spotlight
Aug 3 – Splashes of Joy – book spotlight / author interview
Aug 4 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book spotlight
Aug 5 – The Adventures of a Traveler's Wife - book spotlight / author interview
Aug 6 – Books for Books - book spotlight
Aug 10 – Pick a Good Book – book spotlight / author interview
Aug 11 – Literary Flits – book spotlight
Aug 12 – Book Corner News and Reviews – book spotlight
Aug 13 – Jazzy Book Reviews - book spotlight / author interview
Aug 16 – Gina Rae Mitchell - book spotlight / author interview
Aug 17 – Sefina Hawke's Books - book spotlight
Aug 18 – Kam's Place – book spotlight / author interview
Aug 19 – She Just Loves Books – book spotlight
Aug 20 – Cheryl's Book Nook – book spotlight
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