An Ongoing List of Directors Positively Acknowledging Visual Effects

this page is periodically and (hopefully) frequently updated

Over on social media, I provide an extensive and exhaustive chronicle of movie directors and studios denigrating, marginalizing, and outright insulting the visual effects crews of their own films.

I want to do a better job of chronicling the positive: the lovely, fleeting moments of Hollywood leadership actually publicly acknowledging and praising the digital visual effects work in their films and the people who create the work. 

Have you seen a studio, producer or a director specifically praising the people and work behind the visual effects of their film? Send me a link - tvaziri@tvaziri.com .

2023, Rian Johnson and "Poker Face"

Here's "Poker Face" showrunner Rian Johnson talking about the show's visual effects, calling out supervisor Craig Clarke and the visual effects houses that contributed to the show.

original tweet: https://mobile.twitter.com/rianjohnson/status/1631333681829748739

2023, John Francis Daley and "Dungeons and Dragons"

I served as ILM's compositing supervisor on "Dungeons and Dragons" (2023) and directors John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein were fantastic partners on the movie. 

original tweet: https://twitter.com/tvaziri/status/1629322328814526465

2023, Craig Mazin and "The Last of Us"

Writer and producer Craig Mazin was extremely complementary of the visual effects work on "Chernobyl" on his podcast Scriptnotes, and even dedicated an episode of the show to a discussion about visual effects. In Scriptnotes 588, Mazin goes out of his way to praise the visual effects artists of his show "The Last of Us".

watch on YouTube

original tweet: https://twitter.com/tvaziri/status/1628231925587640323

2023, Jim Cameron and Jon Landau, "Avatar: The Way of Water"

I wrote about how director Cameron and producer Landau were public and supportive of their visual effects teams on the night of the Visual Effects Society Awards in 2023. See also Landau calling into Corridor Crew's VFX Artists React video.

original tweet: https://twitter.com/tvaziri/status/1626457519219437570

2023, Boots Riley, "I'm a Virgo"

I had the pleasure of having a quick chat with Boots Riley when he was prepping "I'm a Virgo" - he's such a thoughtful gentleman and I was thrilled to see his tweet about both the in-camera effects work and the digital work for the show:

original tweet: https://twitter.com/BootsRiley/status/1672300261027770368

2023, Seth MacFarlane, "Ted"

Upon wrapping on the new Peacock series "Ted", Seth MacFarlane took time to praise the work from Franestore on the project:

original tweet: https://twitter.com/SethMacFarlane/status/1723840452514959661

2023, J.A. Bayona, "Society of the Snow"

Director J.A. Bayona was effusive with praise on the visual effects of his film "Society of the Snow", and promoted an interview with the film's visual effects supervisor Laura Pedro. (Thanks, Charmaine!)

original tweet: https://twitter.com/FilmBayona/status/1729911944411336913

Another in a series of tweets from J.A. Bayona:

original tweet: https://twitter.com/FilmBayona/status/1733207173688172719

2023, Jimmy Chin, "Nyad"

Co-director of "Nyad" Jimmy Chin promoted the work of visual effects supervisor Jake Braver and the visual effects team on Instagram. Thank you, "megbaratta"!

2023, Reginald Hudlin, "Candy Cane Lane"

Director Reginald Hudlin went out of his way to talk about the artists of ILM:

"There were so many joyful things about making this movie, but one of the best was working with the brilliant artists at Industrial Light And Magic. Watching the magic unfold weekly was a treat!"

original Instagram post: https://www.instagram.com/p/C1Lanc8Lmn8/?igsh=MTdtdWhpaWN6bTR0bw%3D%3D

2024, Michael Sarnoski, "A Quiet Place: Day One"

Director Michael Sarnoski talks about digital effects in "A Quiet Place: Day One".

“The monsters themselves are physically unique and a bit impossible to do practically. But we had amazing people at ILM who had a lot of experience bringing those monsters to screen and did an incredible job making these monsters extremely real and extremely terrifying,” he says.

Den of Geek: https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/a-quiet-place-day-ones-lupita-nyongo/

2024, Wes Ball, "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes"

Director Wes Ball has been exuberant about his experience working with Wētā FX and about digital visual effects in general, both on his own Twitter account and promoting the movie.

"I've been spoiled as a fairly young filmmaker - I've made four movies with Wētā . They are the best in the world... I can't say how humbling it is to work with people that are the best in the world at what they do. It's absolutely a thrill every day to see the stuff they do. They are true artists. They are not just 'computer tech nerds'. People don't totally appreciate the artistry and storytelling, filmmaking craftsmen that these people at Wētā are."

The VFX of 'Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes' (befores & afters):  https://youtu.be/536l31ZcaJo?si=09_Pa04_EgYgMb0F&t=9 

2024, The filmmakers of "Fallout"

Watch the people behind "Fallout" (Prime Video) talk about creature effects, stunts, LED volume, practical effects and visual effects and how they all work together to tell a story. No need to present one craft as more "pure" than another.

Creating The Wasteland VFX Featurette, "Fallout"