VFX Compositor Iain He and the Invisible Craft Behind Studio Production

Written by Gretchen M. Stone

For VFX Compositor Iain He, the world is a visual journey, shaped by the invisible work that feeds into films and TV shows. The Visual Effects (VFX) industry creates photo-realistic visuals that support storytelling, generally in post-production. His fascination with behind-the-scenes work in film inspired him to enter a world where every element within the frames is carefully considered and detailed. 

A Career Built on Precision and Collaboration

His current role began at Molecule, a New York–based VFX company, which merged with Crafty Apes in 2021, where he continues to work. On Modern Love, his responsibility was to track and integrate a phone screen insert from a character’s point of view, rather than create the insert itself. Collaborating closely with the VFX supervisor and senior VFX artists, he contributed to increasingly complex integrations, building trust through consistent precision and reliability. His current work centers on seamless, invisible visual effects that support the narrative and align with the client’s creative intent.

Every shot has its challenges, and breaking problems down into smaller steps, collaborating with the team, and being open to feedback make all the difference. The value of subtlety has been a big lesson. “Sometimes the best work is the work no one notices because it supports the story so seamlessly,” He said.

Technical Problem-Solving Under Pressure

He learned how compositing combines creativity with problem-solving by watching other artists use tools like Nuke to combine CG and live-action footage. However, his experience in VFX was marked by substantial challenges. As he worked with difficult or imperfect source footage, problematic quality was evident in inconsistent plates and very long shots.

In addition to resolving keying issues caused by poorly lit blue screens on Palm Royale, He worked on a long hallway fight scene in Nobody 2 that featured several stunt performers. The shot needed retiming to match the client’s edit reference. By replacing a background fan to keep the motion natural, he added multiple muzzle flashes, blood hits, and environmental damage to maintain realism throughout the sequence.

Managing Complex Shots and Workflow Constraints

The process started with breaking problems into smaller steps: analyzing footage, planning the workflow, and collaborating with supervisors and peers for advice before diving into the work. By matching the footage and reference, He added keyframes to the retime node and noted all the frames where he located the muzzle flashes and blood hits. 

With this initial work complete, He went on to the next stage. Having received a camera track for this shot, he had to work with the original footage, not the retimed version. After syncing the retimed footage with the reference, he keyed each effect element accurately to the new shot timing. Although a camera track was provided, it only applied to the original plate. He adjusted the workflow by linking his retiming changes to the camera track through expressions, ensuring the retimed camera movement stayed accurate. With this issue resolved, he completed the background replacement and effects integration and delivered the final shot in line with client requirements.

Studio Credits and Continuity-Critical Work

Similar problem-solving has been needed across multiple productions. Compositors often have to overcome technical challenges without delaying delivery or escalating issues up the chain. In these situations, subtlety often indicates success.

In recent years, He has completed many VFX shots for studio-backed films and TV series, including Rustin, The Exorcist: Believer, Nobody 2, Song Sung Blue, Citadel: Diana, The Summer I Turned Pretty, and Palm Royale. He has handled complex hero shots and continuity-sensitive work under tight deadlines, collaborating directly with VFX supervisors to keep visual continuity across sequences.

Responsibility Without Formal Titles

On Palm Royale, He was responsible for a hero shot that featured a poorly lit blue screen. This shot required significant cleanup and integration with a digital matte painting. After several rounds of client feedback, he modified the sky color, added environmental movement, and fixed keying issues to match the shot with the surrounding scenes. Once finalized, the shot served as a reference for additional sequence work before undergoing senior-level quality control and being delivered to the client.

While He does not hold a formal supervisory title, his role often involves managing high-responsibility shots that impact several downstream deliverables. This trust reflects the collaborative nature of VFX pipelines, where reliability and technical skill are key to keeping production schedules on track.

Looking Ahead in a Demanding Industry

Looking ahead, He plans to continue growing his responsibilities, aiming to move into senior compositor or supervisory roles that involve leading complex sequences and mentoring junior artists. Iain He’s long-term goal is to contribute work that supports storytelling through accuracy, consistency, and restraint, qualities that define visual effects at the highest professional standards.

Photo Credit: Iain He