Roni Rodrigues: From Brazil To The UK - A Graduate’s Life Changing Journey Into VFX #CareerGoals
Welcome back to National Film & Television School #CareerGoals, where we catch up with past students to talk about where they were before they came to the School and where they are now!
Today we chat to Roni Rodrigues who graduated from our Visual Effects MA in 2013 and has since worked on James Bond’s Spectre, News of the World, The Imitation Game and series 3 of global smash Bridgerton…
What were you doing before you came to the NFTS?
I’m from Brazil, originally from Rio de Janeiro and I actually started to work in the film industry in the late 90s. After I spent some time working as a Line Producer on set, I became an Editor, working on projects like City of God, Elite Squad and some other Brazilian films. Then about 15 years ago I decided to move to the UK and at the time I couldn't speak English very well so I needed to start all over again. So before joining The National Film & Television School I spent some time working as a cleaner, bartender and waiter.
How did you find out about the NFTS VFX course?
My late wife always believed in me and I had obviously told her stories of when I was in the film industry and she was trying to motivate me to go back, so she signed me up for an open day and that’s when I fell in love with the Visual Effects department.
It was hard because I was in the film industry before and then suddenly I spent years not in the film industry which really shook my confidence. I didn’t think I would actually be able to attend the NFTS, I thought how could I afford it? How could I have two years off and not work? Is my English good enough?
We put these barriers in front of ourselves. I think once you accept the opportunity the universe starts to work in your favour so, what was a distant dream in the beginning, actually became much more realistic. So I moved to Beaconsfield and fully immersed myself, I found a way to pay for the course and my bills and, at the end of my course, I graduated with a distinction.
What have you been doing since graduating?
After six months of being at the NFTS we had the summer holidays and I was really motivated to find work experience, so I started going to all the companies in London to try and find work. I got an offer to work on The Iron Lady with Meryl Streep. The next year, that same company offered me another opportunity to come back and work on Snow White and The Huntsman. Following that they offered me the opportunity to give up my course and take on a full-time role. I always felt fascinated by the academic part of the NFTS, even though the course is super practical, so I kindly rejected their offer and went back to complete my second year.
By the time I graduated I had another full-time job offer so I jumped straight to working on a string of productions including Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, F2 Kicks Off: London Live, The Imitation Game, which was nominated at the 2014 BAFTAs, Woman In Black 2, Spectre, The Last Kingdom, and the list goes on!
In 2019 I joined Outpost who, at the time, were based in Bournemouth and now have offices in Montreal, LA, Mumbai and are now opening in London. It was a big change for me but I decided to take the plunge and welcome the opportunity to work with a new studio. After working on Fast and Furious: Hobbs and Shaw I got the opportunity to work on News Of The World, a western starring Tom Hanks. In 2021 I was nominated for Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature at the VES Awards and the film was also shortlisted for an Oscar and BAFTA, which was a huge recognition of the work that we put in. Now I'm working on season 3 of Bridgerton and more I can’t tell you about yet!
I think it’s all about attitude. That’s what opens doors in my opinion. I was very lucky to have a lot of opportunities but it’s all because I always care about the projects I'm working on and what I'm involved with. Being reliable, being positive and having the right attitude that makes people want you around. That’s what counts.
Tell us about your role – what’s a typical day, what projects have you been working on?
VFX has been growing in the industry as Directors and filmmakers are choosing different ways to use Visual Effects to help enhance the storytelling. There are several roles within VFX including Compositor, 3D Artist, Lighting Artist, and once you actually start working you can choose which pathway you want to take.
I still think the best way to join the Visual Effects industry is still the academic side. NFTS opened so many doors for me and if, like me, people don't know what Visual Effects is and how the industry behaves the NFTS can give you massive clarity on how the industry is built and what departments there are.
How has studying at the NFTS helped you in your journey to your current career?
There are so many lessons you learn at the School that you can’t learn in books or on online tutorials, one of the biggest being collaboration, learning how to work with other departments who are depending on you to do your job so they can do theirs. It teaches you responsibility and reliability which is incredibly important. It was also just really fun to work together to come up with ideas and solutions together and see the final result in the end.
It also gave me a good overall look at the different VFX departments before I made my decision to do what I actually like. I completed 40 different projects within the 2 years and that’s what gave me not just the understanding but also the confidence to go into the industry and get the job I wanted.
What advice would you give to an aspiring NFTS Student?
Absolutely apply! I recommend they follow what I follow, which is ‘say more yes’ than no’s’.
When you join the School, get involved in as many projects as you can, even if it’s extracurricular. That’s how you can train your communication skills and people skills. Take full advantage of all the support and structure that the NFTS offers and experiment. If it doesn’t work or you meet some barriers, just take a deep breath and keep moving forward. Use these two years to develop the quality that I mentioned earlier and that you’re going to use the most, which is attitude, that’s what's going to impact your success.
What’s the last film/TV show you watched and would like to recommend?
I would actually recommend a film I worked on, News Of The World.
It’s a beautiful story about a man and a girl on a journey together. It’s an interesting piece of storytelling and we really used the Visual Effects to not take the spotlight off the story but support the director to tell the right narrative and that's what visual effects is about.
Apply today for a National Film & Television School Visual Effects MA today:
Final places are remaining on these practical courses that train you in the essential skills needed to jump straight into the industry like Roni!
Find out more and start your application today: nfts.co.uk/vfx
Any questions? Get in touch with Emily, our Student Recruitment & Admissions Co-Ordinator at info@nfts.co.uk