Christy Anzelmo: USD, Machine Learning, surprising uses for Nuke and Foundry software and a career VFX software | TVAP EP16

The VFX Artists Podcast

This week we talk with Christy Anzelmo, Chief Product Officer at Foundry and before that Director of Product for the Nuke family of projects.

We take a tour of her career, beginning in the fashion industry before moving in to VFX, her role in leading development on one of the most widely used compositing softwares in the industry, and on the uses of Foundry products outside of VFX in product design, architecture and even car configuration. We talk about the rising importance of machine learning and USD in VFX, interoperability and finally we talk about working in software as a career path for VFX Artists.

Apologies for the occasional echoes in this episode - I had my headphones a little too loud.
Time codes

00:00:00What to expect in this episode

00:01:36Introduction to Christy Anzelmo

00:04:10Career beginning and work in the Fashion industry

00:09:30Foundry Products in product design

00:12:00Use of digital in the fashion industry

00:13:30Starting working on Nuke

00:15:30How Daniel and Christy met at her first client facing meeting

00:17:30The diversity of the Nuke userbase

00:18:30Can Christy use Nuke?

00:20:09The Nuke team

00:21:02Product Management and working in the industry

00:24:30What Foundry does with that long survey they send you

00:26:00A feature added to Nuke as a result of the survey

00:26:40Cara VR and 360 video

00:28:00Unusual uses of Nuke

00:30:00Car configuration with Nuke

00:32:46Different priorities for different companies

00:33:20Shake to disconnect and Apple Shake

00:34:00Improving usability in professional software

00:36:50Looking at rival software and consistency

00:39:00Interoperability and less linear pipelines

00:41:30USD and “The Dream”

00:43:12Copy Cat and machine learning in Nuke 13

00:48:15Pre-trained tools in Nuke 13

00:48:50IP and copyright obstacles to machine learning

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Chapters

1. What to expect in this episode (00:00:00)

2. Introduction to Christy Anzelmo (00:01:36)

3. Career beginning and work in the Fashion industry (00:04:10)

4. Foundry Products in product desig (00:09:30)

5. Use of digital in the fashion industry (00:12:00)

6. Starting working on Nuke (00:13:30)

7. How Daniel and Christy met at her first client facing meeting (00:15:30)

8. The diversity of the Nuke userbase (00:17:30)

9. Can Christy use Nuke? (00:18:30)

10. The Nuke tea (00:20:09)

11. Product Management and working in the industry (00:21:02)

12. What Foundry does with that long survey they send you (00:24:30)

13. A feature added to Nuke as a result of the survey (00:26:00)

14. Cara VR and 360 video (00:26:40)

15. Unusual uses of Nuke (00:28:00)

16. Car configuration with Nuk (00:30:00)

17. Different priorities for different companies (00:32:46)

18. Shake to disconnect and Apple Shake (00:33:20)

19. Improving usability in professional software (00:34:00)

20. Looking at rival software and consistency (00:36:50)

21. Interoperability and less linear pipelines (00:39:00)

22. USD and “The Dream” (00:41:30)

23. Copy Cat and machine learning in Nuke 13 (00:43:12)

24. Pre-trained tools in Nuke 13 (00:48:15)

25. IP and copyright obstacles to machine learning (00:48:50)

26. The ability to bring ML datasets trained out of Nuke into the next version of the Nuke Inference node. (00:51:22)

27. Christy’s new role over all Foundry products - does she have a favourite? (00:52:50)

28. Adobe and consistency between products (00:54:36)

29. Working with plugin developers: Keen Tools, Boris (00:56:30)

30. User customization and what that means for software development (00:58:52)

31. Library updates and custom tools (01:00:00)

32. Less appetite for building customisations (01:02:00)

33. Most exciting upcoming things in VFX technology (01:04:27)

34. Advice for anyone wanting to get into Product Management (01:05:54)

35. Goodbyes and outro (01:08:23)