Stuart White was a founding member of VFX studio Fin Design + Effects nearly 24 years ago. Over the years, he has contributed to numerous award-winning commercial projects and films, establishing himself as one of the company’s leading VFX Supervisors. Stuart has overseen FIN’s VFX work on recent films, including Nightbitch (starring Amy Adams), Interceptor, Thor: Love and Thunder, The Creator. In 2024 Stuart spent three months on set in New Zealand with Australian writer and director Leigh Whannell, supervising the VFX for Wolf Man.

What drew you to the world of VFX?

When I saw Star Wars I was too young to realize that movies were made by people. But when I saw Empire Strikes Back the penny dropped that the images I was seeing of giant robots marching across snowy landscapes were done by artists staging miniatures to look real through a camera lens. That seemed like pure magic and that’s when the VFX bug bit me.

What is the biggest change you have noticed in the industry since you started?

The transition from optical effects to digital. Showing my age here! But combining computers with visual effects is a promising combination that I think could really take off.

What has been your favourite piece of work to be involved in since joining FIN?

Fin’s work on The Creator was the most satisfying thing I’ve been lucky enough to work on. For two reasons; Gareth the director is a lovely collaborator, and human being and I am slap bang right in the bullseye of the target audience for that movie.

What is the one film you WISH you could have worked on?

Star Wars. To be there in that moment of VFX history when so much fertile new ground was being explored would be insane. And then for your project to become part of popular culture and change the film-making world would be icing on the cake.

Do you prefer being on set or in the studio?

At the risk of copping out, I love a bit of both because a VFX supe should have one foot in the practical film-making world to keep themselves honest and the other in the digital trenches to stay sharp. Being on set is intense, challenging and rewarding but ultimately that’s all just the process of preparing to do visual effects. Working for the next six months with the people around me at the studio to actually craft those shots to final is where the magic happens that I signed up for.

You’ve been at FIN for a long time… What’s made you stay so long?

The people, the culture, the vibe of the place. FIN for me has always had the feeling of working among a bunch of friends. I also love the feeling that I can evolve my skills and my professional focus over time and FIN has always found a way for me to harness whatever I can bring to the table.

What do you think the Australian Film Industry has/is/does better than every one else?

One thing that I truly enjoy is working with Aussie film crews. There’s a friendly pragmatism, particularly on commercials – a spirit of getting things done with no ego or dramas that I really cherish every time I see it. It’s not there 100% of the time of course, but it’s definitely a thing that I feel on an Aussie set.

Will AI take your job?

I watch AI like a hawk and the next few years are going to be a wild ride for sure. AI video took massive leaps and bounds in the last 12 months and won’t slow down. But when I think of what it actually takes day-to-day to do my job, the most valuable part of it has nothing to do with anything you enter into a computer with a mouse or a tablet. For example, sometimes what a director wants isn’t necessarily the sum of the words he or she just said – it’s remembering the movie they said that they liked two months ago and intuitively knowing that this shot has echoes of that feeling in it. Yet at other times what they want is exactly, literally what they just asked for in words. There’s a lot of intangible human stuff to telling worthwhile stories with pictures.

If you didn’t work in VFX what would you do?

I would be a front-of-house sound engineer. Combining music with tech in some form or other.

What Film are you most looking forward to seeing this year?

Jurassic Word Rebirth – The original Jurassic Park caught me off guard with what computers were capable of. So when Gareth Edwards gets a crack at that franchise, I’m there for it.

For PR/marketing enquiries about Stuart White and FIN please get in touch with [email protected].