Maxine hangs out with Pedro Andrade, Compositing Supervisor/Head of Compositing and Founder of Comp Lair™. Pedro chats about his podcast and compositing supervisor training program, The Next Level, and how they both stemmed from his desire to share knowledge. Pedro continues his valuable knowledge-sharing with Maxine—diving into the tools, skills, and perspectives that help VFX artists advance their careers into leadership roles.
Tune in to hear Pedro talk about embracing your unique perspective, the freedom of letting go of expectations, and the importance of being prepared for opportunities that come your way.
Episode Breakdown
00:00 Intro
01:53 Why Pedro started the Comp Lair™ podcast
05:00 The Next Level training program and four skills a compositing supervisor needs to master
10:50 How Pedro shifted from music and engineering into visual effects
19:20 Freelancing, Star Trek: Into Darkness
20:45 Finding your unique voice and using it to get ahead
26:03 The importance of being prepared
28:32 Practical tips for people who want to get into the industry
31:31 How Pedro learned a new skill in 3 months and the value of being proactive
37:38 The state of VFX and compositing and what to expect in the future
About Pedro Andrade
Pedro Andrade is a London-based VFX 2D Supervisor/Head of Compositing with extensive experience in all mediums of VFX production. His diverse background in Mechanical Engineering and Music Production—spanning many continents and career paths—gives Pedro a unique edge in his thinking process, knowledge, and leadership style.
As a 2D Supervisor, Pedro has worked at companies such as DNEG, Cinesite, and Milk VFX. As former Head of Compositing at MPC, he managed 100+ people across London, Berlin, and Montreal, from junior artists to supervisors, on both episodic and film projects. Pedro's credits include House of the Dragon, Avengers: Endgame, The Boys (season 3), Doctor Who, and Guardians of the Galaxy.
Free compositing courses and resources!
Thanks to The Next Level program, Pedro is offering some great freebies.
FREE Tech Corner Bundle - A free course with 25+ lessons available! It's like having a preview of The Next Level program but with unique content.
FREE ‘Position Projection’ Article - A more advanced technical article around linear algebra applied to compositing. You'll gain some insights into Pedro's R&D process and get a glimpse of some of the more advanced covered in The Next Level program.
The Comp Lair™ podcast and The Next Level program were founded by Pedro to impart VFX, compositing, and industry knowledge
Photo of Pedro with Sara Bennet, Oscar-winner (best visual effects for Ex-Machina) and one of the founders of Milk VFX. Pedro said Sara played an important role in his career—she was the person who promoted him from compositor to supervisor.
A trailer for Pedro's training program, The Next Level
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