VFXsupervisor

A visual effects (VFX) supervisor is a production professional responsible for overseeing the planning, management, and execution of visual effects for a project. They bridge the creative aims of the director and the technical work of VFX artists and vendors, ensuring that the visual effects vision is feasible, coherent with the story, and delivered on time and within budget.

In pre-production, the VFX supervisor interprets the script and director’s intent into concrete VFX requirements. They produce breakdowns, shot lists, and technical notes, participate in previs and planning, and help establish schedules and budgets. They assess feasibility, identify potential constraints, and coordinate with departments such as production design, cinematography, and stunt teams to integrate VFX early in the process.

On set, the VFX supervisor may supervise photography and data capture, ensuring proper plates, camera tracking, lighting continuity, HDRI references, and safe integration with stunts or practical effects. They communicate with the director and DP about on-set needs and may troubleshoot issues that affect later VFX work.

In post-production, the VFX supervisor manages vendor and in-house teams across all stages of the VFX pipeline—matching lighting and look, supervising 3D modeling, animation, simulation, rendering, and compositing, and reviewing work to provide notes and approvals. They maintain quality control, asset management, and delivery schedules, and coordinate with editors and producers for final integration.

Key skills include leadership and communication, pipeline and scheduling expertise, technical problem-solving, and proficiency with software such as Nuke, Maya, Houdini, and related tools. A typical path is progression from compositor or lighter to senior VFX roles and then to supervision.