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Artwork for befores & afters

befores & afters

Ian Failes
Visual Effects
Animation
Machine Learning
Virtual Production
Framestore
Houdini
Film Production
Motion Capture
VFX
ILM
Gladiator
The Boys
Stop Motion Animation
The Last Starfighter
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
Loki
Star Trek
Industrial Light & Magic
Wētā FX
Digital Productions

The befores & afters VFX podcast from journalist Ian Failes, covering the latest in visual effects, animation and virtual production.

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes256Founded4 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
TV & FilmTechnology

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for befores & afters

Latest Episodes

Ian Failes from befores & afters chats to visual effects supervisor Chad Wanstreet about the visual effects of season 3 of 'The Night Agent'.

Ian Failes from befores & afters chats to 'Star Trek: Starfleet Academy' visual effects supervisor Jason Zimmerman about virtual production, digital characters, space scenes and motion graphics.

Ian Failes from befores & afters chats to visual effects supervisor Sheena Duggal, and VFX supervisor and virtual production supervisor Jim Geduldick, about the newly released VES On-Set VFX Data Collection and Usage Guide.

Ian Failes from befores & afters chats to 'Ted' s2 visual effects supervisors Hoyt Yeatman and Blair Clark about the creation of the main character, and the deepfake work that went into the appearance of Bill Clinton.

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Accepts Sponsors
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
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Recent Guests

Jason Zimmerman
Visual effects supervisor
Star Trek production
Episode: The visual effects of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy
Sheena Duggal
Visual Effects supervisor
VES Technology Committee
Episode: How to get the most out of the VES On-Set VFX Data Collection and Usage Guide
Jim Geduldick
VFX Soup and Virtual Production supervisor
VES Technology Committee
Episode: How to get the most out of the VES On-Set VFX Data Collection and Usage Guide
Hoyt Yeatman
Visual effects supervisor
Framestore? (discussed)
Episode: Behind the visual effects of 'Ted' season 2, including the bear, and the deepfake Bill Clinton
Blair Clark
Visual effects supervisor
Framestore? (discussed)
Episode: Behind the visual effects of 'Ted' season 2, including the bear, and the deepfake Bill Clinton
Tara DeMarco
Visual effects supervisor on The Boroughs
The Boroughs / VFX team
Episode: A mysterious creature in a mysterious retirement community: the VFX of 'The Boroughs'
Sean Faden
Production Visual Effects Supervisor
Befores & Afters interviewee
Episode: A deep dive into the visual effects of 'Murderbot'
John Haley
Production visual effects supervisor
Episode: The old-school show-within-a-show in 'Wonder Man' used some old-school effects techniques
Eran Dinur
Visual effects supervisor
Director of visual effects on Marty Supreme
Episode: The art of CG ping pong balls and crowds in 'Marty Supreme'

Host

Ian Failes
Host of befores & afters

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 28 ratings
  • Very helpful and interesting

    Love the podcast keep it up.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    @theOrangedragon
    Canada2 years ago
  • Exceptional

    This has been one of the most informative podcasts I could find on filmmaking. I appreciate the deep dive into practical effects (miniatures, forced perspective, etc) as much as the VFX.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    In a Bubble World
    United States2 years ago
  • Fantastic insights

    Ian gives great insight to film and tv lovers in an approachable and conversational way. A great listen

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    lamamamamama
    United States2 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

The host asks thoughtful questions that pull out technical details without getting lost in jargon.
Insightful and practical take on VFX that resonates with production teams.
The guests consistently share real-world workflows and vendor dynamics, useful for pros.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#244
Australia/TV & Film
Apple Podcasts
#236
Poland/TV & Film

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

A mysterious creature in a mysterious retirement community: the VFX of 'The Boroughs'
Q: Was there ever a consideration to use a practical creature, or was CG always the plan?
They built a full-size creature for lighting references and explored puppeteering, but found puppeteering too cumbersome for the required movement, ultimately relying on CG for the creature while using plates of live-action for reference.
A mysterious creature in a mysterious retirement community: the VFX of 'The Boroughs'
Q: How did the team approach the TV distortion and moray effects seen in Lily's visions?
They tied Lily's visions to the TV distortion language, drawing from One Division references, CRTs, and moray effects to create a coherent on-screen vocabulary for the visions and weaponized TV screens.
A mysterious creature in a mysterious retirement community: the VFX of 'The Boroughs'
Q: How did practical and CG elements balance during production?
They designed a backlot cul-de-sac with a practical set first, then extended it with set extensions and full CG aerial shots, coordinating lighting and camera placements to keep the illusion seamless.
A mysterious creature in a mysterious retirement community: the VFX of 'The Boroughs'
Q: What were the initial visual effects conversations like when approaching the project?
Initial conversations focused on treating the town as a character and ensuring the place felt dreamlike and livable for seniors, with careful planning to align locations and backlot work so actors could move naturally between practical and CG environments.
A deep dive into the visual effects of 'Murderbot'
Q: Were there any other major VFX highlights for you, big shots or subtler moments?
Beyond the action sequences, the discussion highlighted environment work grounded in real locations, the use of pre-vis and on-set rigs, and developing the Murderbot interface and inner data stream as a core narrative element that could expand across episodes.

Audience Metrics

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Frequently Asked Questions About befores & afters

What is befores & afters about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A deep-docused look at visual effects, practical and digital, with heavy emphasis on how VFX teams plan, execute, and iterate—from miniature rigs and forced perspective to real-time rendering and Stagecraft workflows. Episodes feature veteran supervisors and technical leads discussing collaboration across multiple studios and vendors, balancing on-set practicality with CGI, and solving complex storytelling challenges across high-profile projects. The conversations tend to spotlight innovative tool development, cross-disciplinary pipelines, and leadership insights from top studios, making it a valuable listen for those interested in the craft, technology, and management of modern visual effects.

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Which podcasts are similar to befores & afters?

These podcasts share a similar audience with befores & afters:

1. Team Deakins
2. fxguide: fxpodcast
3. The Director’s Cut - A DGA Podcast
4. Scriptnotes Podcast
5. Awards Chatter

How many episodes of befores & afters are there?

befores & afters launched 4 years ago and published 256 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on befores & afters?

Recent guests on befores & afters include:

1. Jason Zimmerman
2. Sheena Duggal
3. Jim Geduldick
4. Hoyt Yeatman
5. Blair Clark
6. Tara DeMarco
7. Sean Faden
8. John Haley

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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