Get to Know | Zach

In this release, we are pleased to introduce Zach, Production Manager at FOLKS Toronto, who shares insights about his role and experience in the VFX industry.

WHAT IS YOUR ROLE AT FOLKS?
I work as a production manager, so that means managing the floor, updating schedules, running meetings, and communicating weekly targets to the team. A big part of my job is communication, so working with the supervisors, production, and artists to complete the work and stay on time and budget. My day to day can fluctuate, but I always start off by checking emails, creating a to-do list, and following up on priorities.

HOW DID YOU DEVELOP AN INTEREST IN WORKING IN VFX AND IN YOUR DEPARTMENT?
I went to school for film and television production. I joined FOLKS 3 years ago as a production manager. Ultimately, I developed an interest in production because of the challenges and overcoming those challenges every day. It’s like, how can I improve today over yesterday? What can I do to make things easier on this project vs the last project?

THE FIVE MAIN VALUES OF FOLKS ARE CREATIVITY, COLLABORATION, EXCELLENCE, SIMPLICITY, AND KINDNESS. WHICH ONE DO YOU MOST IDENTIFY WITH?
The value I identify most with is collaboration. I constantly strive to collaborate with my team to ensure our action items are handled smoothly and everyone knows what to do. A significant part of my role involves communicating with various departments, making it essential to be open-minded, build trust, and actively listen.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO SOMEONE WHO IS CONSIDERING A CAREER IN VFX?
If I had to give one advice, it would be: be adaptable to change. Things constantly change, and you need to be open-minded to new ideas, workflows, feedback, and challenges. Some days you may be hyper-focused on a task and then have to jump into a meeting to go over notes, or you may need to readjust schedules based on shifting priorities. So being adaptable to change and learning to react quickly, positively, and efficiently is important. Ask questions and continue to learn and expand your knowledge in VFX. Also, eat, sleep and remember to drink water!

IF YOU WERE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO TRANSFER TO ANOTHER PITCH BLACK COMPANY LOCATION, WHICH ONE WOULD IT BE AND WHY?
I would choose Montreal. Everyone I have worked with in the Montreal office has been great, the office is in such a beautiful city, and it would push me to work on my French.

OUTSIDE OF YOUR WORK IN THE VFX INDUSTRY, WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR HOBBIES OR INTERESTS?
I love to travel. I've been to Iceland, France, Netherlands, and this summer, I traveled to Germany and Malta. So far, Iceland is one of my favorite trips. Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon was something else. It's on my bucket list to go back one day. It's a beautiful country, and the people were very nice.

IS THERE A FOLKS PROJECT YOU PARTICULARLY ENJOYED?
I really enjoyed working on Spider-Man: No Way Home. It was such a treat to watch all of our old heroes and villains return to the big screen. It was my first project at FOLKS, and I knew all the spoilers but couldn’t talk about it. It was really cool; we got to work on the rooftop scene, the one where all three Spider-Mans meet for the first time. Everyone did an excellent job on that project!