In the ever-evolving landscape of the film industry, certain individuals stand out as visual effects artists that turn concept and raw footage into the fantasy moving picture on the big screen. Chun Yao Chang, aka Luke, navigates the ever-evolving currents of technology and artistic expression, pushing boundaries and reshaping perceptions with design and technical skills.
Introduction
Chun Yao Chang is a NY-based Visual Effects Artist. A VFX Compositor, Matte Painter is renowned for his adeptness in bringing cinematic visions to life. With a fervent passion for his craft, he immerses himself in the dynamic world of film, television episodes, and commercial projects, where he thrives on the exhilarating challenge of transforming abstract concepts into tangible visual marvels.
For Chun Yao Chang, each endeavor is an adventure, an exploration into uncharted realms of creativity and ingenuity. With a keen eye for detail and a profound understanding of the interplay between light, color, and motion, he orchestrates a delicate symphony that elevates the mundane to the extraordinary, captivating viewers and transporting them into realms beyond imagination.
VFX Journey
Chun Yao Chang was born and raised in Taiwan. With a piece of paper and a pen, he embarked on a journey with his beloved environmental design since childhood.
With a solid foundation in art, Chang’s career has been a tapestry of diverse roles, from graphic designer to stereoscopic artist, game environment artist, and now, a staff VFX artist at Framestore, NY. A few recent projects include Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live from AMC, Invasion Season 2 from Apple TV, The Perfect Couple from Netflix, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan season from Amazon, The Diplomat Season 2… and many others. Another great achievement is that Mr. Chang has officially become a member of the Visual Effects Society (VES) and has achieved both industry and professional achievements. The process takes other industry professional’s nominations as well as references.
In addition to his own professional career, he is also very eager to share his experience and knowledge to foster the future generation. Mr Chang is an Adjunct Professor at Montclair State University. He teaches both basic and advanced Visual Effects & Compositing courses with a focus on Foundry Nuke; guiding emerging talent through the production pipeline so that they can better prepare for their own career trajectory upon graduation.
Mr. Chang’s independent short animation, A Poem in Bamboo, which he Co-directed, Co-wrote, Co-produced, and animated. This piece has since been chosen as an official selection, an award nominee, and an award winner in both national and international film festivals. For Instance, A Poem in Bamboo received an award for “Best Animation” from The Munich Film Awards, an annual film festival held in the heart of Munich whose judges consist of filmmakers and industry professionals from six different countries. The Rookies additionally selected the film as a 2019 finalist and a Semi-finalist at the Rome Independent Prisma Awards and other distinguished festivals such as The European Independent Film Festival (ECU), ARFF Paris International Awards, New York Lift-off Festival, Moscow Shorts and more. These well-known festival achievements are some of the primary ways films can demonstrate their significance out of thousands of submissions chosen by a team of top judges in the industry.
The Important Project
Speaking of an Important project Chun Yao Chang worked on is the recently aired TV show “Sugar,” a production featured on Apple TV and helmed by director Fernando Meirelles. At the heart of the narrative lies the captivating tale of Private Detective John Sugar, embarking on a quest to unravel the mystery surrounding the disappearance of Olivia Siegel, the cherished granddaughter of Hollywood producer Jonathan Siegel.
Within the creative realm of this production, Chun Yao Chang, a key figure responsible for compositing and matte painting, found both enjoyment and challenge. The absence of strict reference concepts from the client granted a liberating space for innovation and experimentation. Collaborating closely with colleague Ben, they embarked on a journey of exploration, testing various iterations of terrain shape designs and meticulously fine-tuning compositions and grading to craft a distinctive environment. A unique blend of blue tones emerged, synchronizing seamlessly with the alien entities, celestial bodies, and luminous avian creatures that grace the skies, imbuing the scenes with an aura of wonder.
The synergy between the compositing and computer-generated imagery (CGI) teams proved instrumental in infusing realism into portraying the extraterrestrial beings and the dynamic, color-shifting CG birds soaring across the firmament. As a pivotal member of the esteemed Framestore team, Mr. Chang relished the trust in his abilities to tackle this challenging task. The opportunity to exercise creative freedom within the project’s design space was fulfilling and deeply gratifying.
In retrospect, the experience of contributing to “Sugar” has left an indelible mark on visual effects artists, serving as a testament to Chun Yao Chang’s craftsmanship and passion for pushing the boundaries of visual storytelling. As the credits roll and audiences worldwide immerse themselves in the captivating world of “Sugar,” the artistic contributions of individuals like our protagonist stand as silent testaments to the magic of collaborative creativity.
Published By: Aize Perez
