James McPhail
@jamesmcphail.bsky.social
I'm a VFX artist at ILM originally from New Zealand and I've been calling Canada home for a while now.
Reposted by James McPhail
Vanity Fair asked me to talk about visual effects, and it was my great honor to show off some of ILM’s terrific work over the years.
Todd Vaziri on Vanity Fair VFX
youtu.be/ERKEsIzTFas?...
Todd Vaziri on Vanity Fair VFX
youtu.be/ERKEsIzTFas?...
ILM's VFX Secrets Behind Star Wars, Transformers & More | Vanity Fair
YouTube video by Vanity Fair
youtu.be
October 7, 2025 at 5:18 PM
Vanity Fair asked me to talk about visual effects, and it was my great honor to show off some of ILM’s terrific work over the years.
Todd Vaziri on Vanity Fair VFX
youtu.be/ERKEsIzTFas?...
Todd Vaziri on Vanity Fair VFX
youtu.be/ERKEsIzTFas?...
Reposted by James McPhail
Why do they keep doing this? They belittle the entire community of VFX industry professionals. Is Christoph Waltz film illiterate? The film had over 200 digital VFX shots.
Enough with this crap.
Enough with this crap.
August 31, 2025 at 4:53 PM
Why do they keep doing this? They belittle the entire community of VFX industry professionals. Is Christoph Waltz film illiterate? The film had over 200 digital VFX shots.
Enough with this crap.
Enough with this crap.
Reposted by James McPhail
me a few weeks ago: maybe we've turned a corner and the press won't continue to fan the flames of a non-existent war between movie departments
me today: ah shit
me today: ah shit
August 21, 2025 at 4:40 PM
me a few weeks ago: maybe we've turned a corner and the press won't continue to fan the flames of a non-existent war between movie departments
me today: ah shit
me today: ah shit
Reposted by James McPhail
Jim Cameron on digital and physical effects: “It’s really the higher question of what are you trying to show, and what are you trying to say? I don’t attach some kind of dogmatic aesthetic around in-camera or practical... It’s really just a means to an end.”
source: youtu.be/v_x3OZlnkwM?...
source: youtu.be/v_x3OZlnkwM?...
August 7, 2025 at 4:19 PM
Jim Cameron on digital and physical effects: “It’s really the higher question of what are you trying to show, and what are you trying to say? I don’t attach some kind of dogmatic aesthetic around in-camera or practical... It’s really just a means to an end.”
source: youtu.be/v_x3OZlnkwM?...
source: youtu.be/v_x3OZlnkwM?...
Reposted by James McPhail
"Personality, knowledge, and emotion are the three things that need to exist [in art] — and I'm sorry, they don't come from a fucking app." Del Toro sums it up 🫡
July 28, 2025 at 6:57 PM
"Personality, knowledge, and emotion are the three things that need to exist [in art] — and I'm sorry, they don't come from a fucking app." Del Toro sums it up 🫡
Reposted by James McPhail
one thing the AI uptick has shown is that people resent creatives so much for what they perceive to be "not real work." and that means creating a narrative that people are overpaid for things they don't perceive as important/valuable, but still form entire consumer identities around.
June 13, 2025 at 3:17 PM
one thing the AI uptick has shown is that people resent creatives so much for what they perceive to be "not real work." and that means creating a narrative that people are overpaid for things they don't perceive as important/valuable, but still form entire consumer identities around.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=649P... A great reel celebrating the first 50 years of ILM. A couple of shots I contributed to made it in.
Industrial Light & Magic: 50 Years of Innovation
YouTube video by Industrial Light & Magic
www.youtube.com
May 29, 2025 at 12:28 AM
www.youtube.com/watch?v=649P... A great reel celebrating the first 50 years of ILM. A couple of shots I contributed to made it in.
Reposted by James McPhail
We're expecting another update from Vancouver Police later tonight about the tragedy at Lapu Lapu Day.
After that, we probably won't know much more for many hours.
Given the global attention already on it, a lot of speculation will inevitably happen.
The best thing you can do is not amplify it.
After that, we probably won't know much more for many hours.
Given the global attention already on it, a lot of speculation will inevitably happen.
The best thing you can do is not amplify it.
April 27, 2025 at 5:44 AM
We're expecting another update from Vancouver Police later tonight about the tragedy at Lapu Lapu Day.
After that, we probably won't know much more for many hours.
Given the global attention already on it, a lot of speculation will inevitably happen.
The best thing you can do is not amplify it.
After that, we probably won't know much more for many hours.
Given the global attention already on it, a lot of speculation will inevitably happen.
The best thing you can do is not amplify it.
Reposted by James McPhail
He gives good interviews. Tony Gilroy in The Hollywood Reporter. Good bit here.
www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-featur...
www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-featur...
![Interviewer: I recognize that some people want their preferred version of Star Wars so much that they'll jockey for position in any way they can, but shouldn't we all be rooting for a rising tide in that case? Success means we can all win and get what we want.
TG: Yeah, it doesn't make any sense to me. If you love this thing, then the more variety in it, [the better]. You can't talk about the Star Wars community: it's not a monolithic thing at all. There's 25 different versions i nthere. But I do go online, particularly when we're going out to sell or there's something intense or we're getting into marketing and we're trying to figure out what to do. So I do go online and look, and most of it is fantastic. But every now and then, there's just someone saying something that's completely appalling. The people who speak with the most authority online are usually the people who know the least. That seems to be a pretty fair theorem. So I don't to piss anybody off by saying this, but it is a big tent, man. It's a big frickin' tent. It should be."](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:sslr6rcchgiprvju2ykuwuhp/bafkreidirttuknvyipnqerjvq2pgspe5kpfisvkwqgz6cexlm2nalwphti@jpeg)
April 25, 2025 at 4:32 PM
He gives good interviews. Tony Gilroy in The Hollywood Reporter. Good bit here.
www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-featur...
www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-featur...
Reposted by James McPhail
Season 3 is by far the best season of #theWheelofTime, with satisfying payoffs that were set up back in seasons 1 & 2. If you remotely enjoy Fantasy, or watching powerful women scheme and fight each other in fantastical magic battles, this is a show that deserves your attention. #wotskies #renewWOT
April 18, 2025 at 1:40 PM
Season 3 is by far the best season of #theWheelofTime, with satisfying payoffs that were set up back in seasons 1 & 2. If you remotely enjoy Fantasy, or watching powerful women scheme and fight each other in fantastical magic battles, this is a show that deserves your attention. #wotskies #renewWOT
Reposted by James McPhail
Tony Gilroy says Andor wouldn’t exist without The Mandalorian.
"No Baby Yoda, no Andor," he tells Empire. "Seriously. Don’t think that we don’t know that."
Read more: www.empireonline.com/tv/news/tony...
"No Baby Yoda, no Andor," he tells Empire. "Seriously. Don’t think that we don’t know that."
Read more: www.empireonline.com/tv/news/tony...
April 7, 2025 at 3:12 PM
Tony Gilroy says Andor wouldn’t exist without The Mandalorian.
"No Baby Yoda, no Andor," he tells Empire. "Seriously. Don’t think that we don’t know that."
Read more: www.empireonline.com/tv/news/tony...
"No Baby Yoda, no Andor," he tells Empire. "Seriously. Don’t think that we don’t know that."
Read more: www.empireonline.com/tv/news/tony...
Reposted by James McPhail
It's only the "Ghibli aesthetic" if it comes from the Studio Ghibli region of Japan. Everything else is "Sparkling Insult to Life Itself."
March 28, 2025 at 12:00 AM
It's only the "Ghibli aesthetic" if it comes from the Studio Ghibli region of Japan. Everything else is "Sparkling Insult to Life Itself."
Visiting my parents in NZ and I just found my old minidisc player. It still works on external power. From the disc binder it looks like I last used it in 2003.
March 25, 2025 at 11:13 PM
Visiting my parents in NZ and I just found my old minidisc player. It still works on external power. From the disc binder it looks like I last used it in 2003.
Reposted by James McPhail
Elbows up, Canada.
March 22, 2025 at 10:11 PM
Elbows up, Canada.
Reposted by James McPhail
I have covered presidential politics for 40 years. This was the most juvenile display by a President and Vice President I have ever seen. Other presidents treated their enemies with more respect. This is a low point and a dark day for the US. Totally embarrassing.
February 28, 2025 at 7:00 PM
I have covered presidential politics for 40 years. This was the most juvenile display by a President and Vice President I have ever seen. Other presidents treated their enemies with more respect. This is a low point and a dark day for the US. Totally embarrassing.
Reposted by James McPhail
SE7EN & How 35mm Scans Lie to You
SE7EN & How 35mm Scans Lie to You
YouTube video by WatchingtheAerial
www.youtube.com
February 25, 2025 at 1:49 AM
SE7EN & How 35mm Scans Lie to You
Reposted by James McPhail
look at all this "minimal CGI" 😐
i'm sure all those influencers will now correct their videos and posts
youtu.be/TkJGWFuWlOw?...
i'm sure all those influencers will now correct their videos and posts
youtu.be/TkJGWFuWlOw?...
February 1, 2025 at 12:24 AM
look at all this "minimal CGI" 😐
i'm sure all those influencers will now correct their videos and posts
youtu.be/TkJGWFuWlOw?...
i'm sure all those influencers will now correct their videos and posts
youtu.be/TkJGWFuWlOw?...
I spent a good portion of 2024 working on season 2 of Silo at ILM. I'm most proud of the work I did on the FX simulations for the paper helicopter sequence. The shots are a mix of full CG helis or a blend of practical & CG. As a fan of the first season it was a joy to work on.
January 20, 2025 at 7:02 PM
I spent a good portion of 2024 working on season 2 of Silo at ILM. I'm most proud of the work I did on the FX simulations for the paper helicopter sequence. The shots are a mix of full CG helis or a blend of practical & CG. As a fan of the first season it was a joy to work on.
Reposted by James McPhail
Saying a specific movie "relies on visual effects" to tell its story is like saying another specific movie "relies on costumes" to tell its story.
December 20, 2024 at 6:16 AM
Saying a specific movie "relies on visual effects" to tell its story is like saying another specific movie "relies on costumes" to tell its story.
Some otters showed up in pond next to my place yesterday. I've only seen them there a couple of times before. This time I got some footage of them having lunch. www.youtube.com/watch?v=cq8K...
Otters Eating Salmon
YouTube video by James McPhail
www.youtube.com
December 18, 2024 at 5:45 PM
Some otters showed up in pond next to my place yesterday. I've only seen them there a couple of times before. This time I got some footage of them having lunch. www.youtube.com/watch?v=cq8K...
Reposted by James McPhail
Happy #SkeletonCrew Day!
Who wants to hear some facts about the visual effects techniques ILM uses to bring our beloved Neel to life? Along the way, we’re gonna debunk clickbait junk headlines like this. ⬇️
#NeelNation
#StarWars
A 🧵.
(Cont.)
Who wants to hear some facts about the visual effects techniques ILM uses to bring our beloved Neel to life? Along the way, we’re gonna debunk clickbait junk headlines like this. ⬇️
#NeelNation
#StarWars
A 🧵.
(Cont.)
December 10, 2024 at 5:30 PM
Happy #SkeletonCrew Day!
Who wants to hear some facts about the visual effects techniques ILM uses to bring our beloved Neel to life? Along the way, we’re gonna debunk clickbait junk headlines like this. ⬇️
#NeelNation
#StarWars
A 🧵.
(Cont.)
Who wants to hear some facts about the visual effects techniques ILM uses to bring our beloved Neel to life? Along the way, we’re gonna debunk clickbait junk headlines like this. ⬇️
#NeelNation
#StarWars
A 🧵.
(Cont.)
Reposted by James McPhail
I've said it before and I'll say it again
If any slashfilm/screenrant/shovelblog shitty website says an element in a newly release movie "isn't CGI" THEY LITERALLY HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT
If any slashfilm/screenrant/shovelblog shitty website says an element in a newly release movie "isn't CGI" THEY LITERALLY HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT
December 4, 2024 at 12:27 AM
I've said it before and I'll say it again
If any slashfilm/screenrant/shovelblog shitty website says an element in a newly release movie "isn't CGI" THEY LITERALLY HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT
If any slashfilm/screenrant/shovelblog shitty website says an element in a newly release movie "isn't CGI" THEY LITERALLY HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT
District 9 was one of the first films I worked on. I was a Jr FX Artist at Image Engine and one of the highlights was getting to do the fluid sim for the peeing alien. This shot is still on my reel to this day. I'm really proud of the work we did at Image Engine bringing the aliens to life.
November 28, 2024 at 12:01 AM
District 9 was one of the first films I worked on. I was a Jr FX Artist at Image Engine and one of the highlights was getting to do the fluid sim for the peeing alien. This shot is still on my reel to this day. I'm really proud of the work we did at Image Engine bringing the aliens to life.
Reposted by James McPhail
Every time someone repeats the totally incorrect myth that "CGI" is cheaper than practical effects—it's not and that's a ridiculous statement—'because "CGI" isn't unionized,' they're unwittingly giving ammunition to studios who are arguing that unionization would be bad for the industry (it's not).
November 21, 2024 at 4:24 AM
Every time someone repeats the totally incorrect myth that "CGI" is cheaper than practical effects—it's not and that's a ridiculous statement—'because "CGI" isn't unionized,' they're unwittingly giving ammunition to studios who are arguing that unionization would be bad for the industry (it's not).