Chris Parks is a 3D artist at Barnstorm VFX. He helped make one of the most iconic shots from The Man in the High Castle using Blender but has also done a lot of post-viz work at Third Floor using Maya, including for Avengers: Endgame & Infinity War, Black Panther, Aquaman, and more. He was also the first person to introduce Blender into the workflow of Stoopid Buddy Stoodios, who creates Robot Chicken.
Well before that, though, Chris was first introduced to the world of 3D after receiving a copy of Blender 2.49b on a flash drive from a friend at a skatepark. Both he and Blender have evolved quite a bit since those days, and Kent sat down with him at BCON LA to talk about his highly entertaining story of bringing Blender to Hollywood. Listen to the full conversation below or wherever you get your podcasts, or continue reading for a quick summary.
Discovering Blender Through Friendship
Chris’s fascination with visual effects began when he saw the behind-the-scenes footage from Star Wars as a kid. This early curiosity laid the groundwork for his future, but it wasn’t until a chance encounter during a skateboarding trip that he discovered Blender. His friend mentioned the free 3D program and gave him a copy on a flash drive. This led to his first experience with Blender 2.49b. Funnily enough, Blender 2.5, with a much improved user interface, had already been released, but Chris was wary of downloading any sketchy software from the internet (Blender’s website was not particularly official looking back then) and stuck with 2.49b for quite some time.
Though difficult to learn at first, Chris was hooked. As he began experimenting with Blender, he pulled his brother into the process, and together they tried their hand at simple animations. But it wasn't until Chris discovered Blender Guru, decided the Blender website was not going to give his computer a virus, and finally upgraded to a newer version that his journey truly began. Blender’s evolving capabilities sparked his passion, and he quickly outpaced his peers in 3D modeling classes once he got to college because of his early experience.
Bringing Blender to Hollywood Studios
After working at a local news station and pursuing his passion for filmmaking, Chris moved to LA, where he spent two years working as a film extra. It was during this time that a serendipitous meeting at a bar with a VFX supervisor from Stoopid Buddy Stoodios, the studio behind Robot Chicken, led to his first VFX gig. While he was initially hired as a compositor and not a 3D modeler, Chris introduced Blender to the studio when they needed some CG shots, and they are still using it to this day.
At Stoopid Buddy, Chris worked on projects requiring both stop-motion and CG elements. For one project, a Galactica-style parody, he and his team used Blender to model and rig one of the main characters, and the final shot was even rendered out using Blender Internal.
Chris’s career took a dramatic leap when he was hired at The Third Floor, a company known for its previs (animated pre-visualization of a film) and postvis work. While initially anxious about working with Maya again after focusing primarily on Blender and not remembering much of it from his college days, Chris quickly adapted. His first project? None other than Avengers: Infinity War.
The job came with its share of challenges. Previs involves creating rough 3D animations and sequences to help directors visualize complex scenes, and Chris had to re-learn Maya’s intricacies in a short period of time. He recalls feeling the pressure to keep up with seasoned Maya users, but his experience with Blender taught him how to brute-force solutions and innovate on the fly. By constantly asking questions and iterating on his work, he eventually got the hang of it.
Now Chris works at Barnstorm VFX, doing animation for movies and tv shows, using a Blender or Maya to Houdini workflow depending on the project.Â
Boosted with Add-ons
One of the key advantages of Blender, according to Chris, is its ecosystem of add-ons. He describes Blender as fairly intuitive out of the box, but add-ons make it even more powerful for professional work. Chris is an advocate of using these tools to streamline workflows and increase efficiency, mentioning favorites like Auto Rig Pro and RBD Lab for their ability to simplify animation retargeting and simulate complex effects like metal bending - tasks that are notoriously difficult in other software.
He contrasts Blender’s add-ons with the custom pipeline tools built by studios for use in Maya, noting that both software require additional tools to reach their full potential. However, Blender’s community-driven ecosystem offers an ever-expanding range of capabilities, allowing artists like Chris to keep up with industry demands while maintaining flexibility.
The Key to Creative Problem-Solving
An interesting aspect of Chris’s journey is his background in improv and comedy. His experience in performing and thinking on his feet has influenced his approach to problem-solving in VFX. In the podcast, Chris draws a parallel between the “yes, and” rule of improv, where performers build on each other’s ideas, and the iterative nature of animation and previs. He explains that the ability to experiment, fail quickly, and adapt accordingly is essential to producing creative work.
This mindset is one of the reasons Chris has excelled in Hollywood’s fast-paced VFX industry.
Whether working on previs for a superhero blockbuster or animating a stop-motion style character, Chris emphasizes the importance of staying flexible, iterating on ideas, and being aware of what “hits” and what doesn’t during review.
Whether working in Blender, Maya, or any other software, Chris believes that innovation comes from persistence. By brute-forcing his way through challenges and learning from each failure, he has developed the skills needed to thrive in the competitive world of Hollywood VFX.
Blender’s Growing Role in the Industry
While big studios will probably never ditch Maya for Blender, Chris Parks’ journey from Blender hobbyist to VFX professional is a testament to the software’s growing presence in some parts of the industry. His success story highlights the versatility of Blender, the power of add-ons, and the importance of a creative mindset in solving real-world problems. As Blender continues to evolve, more artists like Chris are proving that open-source software can stand shoulder to shoulder with the industry’s biggest players.
For aspiring VFX artists, Chris’s story offers valuable lessons: embrace failure, stay curious, and always be willing to innovate. Whether using Blender, Maya, or any other tool, it’s the willingness to experiment and adapt that leads to success.
