With an already impressive CV in the VFX industry behind him including work on Spectre, Aladdin, The Midnight Sky and No Time to Die, the challenges posed by turning to episodic television on Willow gave ILM Visual Effects Supervisor Mark Bakowski the opportunity to use those talents in a different arena, as he explains to Lucasfilm.com.
Willow presented a mix of new opportunities for Bakowski. Not only would he be stepping into episodic television, but into the role of Lucasfilm’s visual effects supervisor overseeing the entire series, including work accomplished by ILM and partnering vendors. This was distinct from his previous roles working with clients within ILM on specific assignments. “As a visual effects supervisor with ILM,” he explains, “a client will come to you with a particular request like a creature or a sequence. Your job is to execute it well, and you bring ideas to it, and that’s fun.
“But working as the head of department is so much more interesting,” he continues. “You’re watching the script evolve as it’s written and rewritten. Problems come up, things happen, and you have all these discussions about what’s feasible. You’re part of the evolution of bouncing creative ideas off each other to find solutions. You can have a lot more creative input. It’s problem-solving, not just on the pixels level, but rather along so many fronts. The reason a lot of us go into this industry is because we love movies, that’s what it’s all about for me. This brings you closer to the feeling of being a filmmaker, being involved, and putting your stamp on it.”
