This month, we have the great pleasure of tagging along with the brilliant Michael Cozens (Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3), animation supervisor at Wētā FX, who moved back to Vancouver after spending 17 years in New Zealand. He says, “We moved back home to be closer to our parents and to give our kids some time to be closer to their cousins … I continue to work with filmmakers to develop characters, character performance, choreography and storytelling.”
The daily commute in Vancouver. I like to cycle because it’s good to connect with the outside world before spending the day in front of a computer — and it reminds me of life back in New Zealand. [Ph: Ganesh Lakshmigandan]
My day usually starts with dailies with my team, reviewing the work we’ve got on and work-in-progress shots.
After working in Wellington for so many years, I’m really connected to the team there. Since moving back to Canada, I’ve enjoyed getting to know the team here in our Vancouver hub — they’re a great bunch to work with.
If I’m not at my desk, you’ll often find me around a mocap stage. I like to take a hands-on approach to solving the performance of our characters — occasionally I’ll even jump in a mocap suit! (We’re working on a scene featuring Groot!)
It’s back to my office to review the material from the day, making sure the choreography is working and the storytelling beats are clear.
Working out realistic photography techniques that reflect the footage shot on set helps to immerse the audience in the story.
One of the simple joys of being back in Canada — Cozens cousins!
The reason for the big move — family. I love
to unwind with my parents and siblings
whenever we can get out in nature.
I finished work on Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3 earlier this year. [Image ©Marvel]
