Natasha Nader on the Art of Keeping VFX in Motion
AX: Tell us about what you’ve been up to this summer, both work and life-wise.
NN: This summer’s been a great mix of work and inspiration. On the professional side, we’ve been busy at Alkemy X, diving into some exciting projects that are really pushing our creative muscles. It’s been rewarding to collaborate with such talented teams and see ideas come to life.
Outside of work, I spent a week at San Diego Comic-Con, which was an incredible experience. It’s always energizing to immerse myself in the latest trends, upcoming shows, and the pulse of pop culture. Being surrounded by that much creativity and fan enthusiasm really reminded me why I love working in this industry.
AX: How would you describe your role to someone who doesn’t know anything about visual effects?
NN: As a VFX Coordinator and Associate Producer, my role is to ensure the visual effects process remains on track for movies, TV shows, or commercials. You know all those moments where you see a spaceship flying, a city exploding, someone getting shot, or even something small like removing a microphone from a shot? A big team of artists and technicians works together to make that look real. My role is like being the organizer for all of that work. I don’t create the effects myself, but I make sure the right people have what they need, the deadlines are met, the client is happy, and the work flows smoothly from the artists to the final screen.
AX: Are there any recent tools, techniques, or workflows that you’ve found especially impactful in your role?
NN: The AYON pipeline platform has been especially impactful recently. It is an open-source alternative praised for its robustness in VFX, supported by a strong developer community, which has been a real game-changer for us.
AX: Which project at Alkemy X has been the most memorable for you so far, and why?
NN: Our most recent project, The Hunting Wives, which was my first time fully in the VFX Producer role, comes to mind. The show was super well-received, quickly ranking among Netflix’s most-watched, topping U.S. charts, and maintaining a presence in the English-language Top 10. The first week following the premiere generated over 2 billion viewing minutes; 5.2 million views in the U.S. alone.
AX: What is the most challenging project you’ve coordinated recently, and how did you overcome those hurdles?
NN: For The Hunting Wives, we were brought in mid-project to save the work on key shots. The team did an amazing job on a tight deadline, but effective communication was the key to success; it would have been impossible otherwise.
AX: How do you keep a project organized when multiple vendors or external partners are involved?
NN: Great question, this gets to the heart of what makes this role so critical. When multiple vendors or external partners are on a project, my main job is to make sure everyone is working toward the same goal without duplicating efforts, missing deadlines, or getting lost in miscommunication.
AX: What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned since starting your career in visual effects?
NN: The biggest lesson I’ve learned in visual effects is that communication is just as important as creativity or technology. When I first started, I thought success was mostly about tools, software, and artistry. But over time, I’ve seen how projects succeed or stumble based on how clearly information flows between artists, vendors, and production. Even the most talented team can lose weeks if they’re working from unclear notes or misaligned expectations.
AX: Outside of your own work, what shows or films inspire your creativity and help you bring fresh energy into projects?
NN: Outside my own work, I pull a lot of inspiration from projects that push boundaries in different ways. For example, Fallout and The Sandman remind me how seamlessly VFX can blend with practical elements to create believable worlds. Shows like Arcane inspire me with their stylization, while some episodes of Black Mirror show how subtle effects can ground a story in realism. Even something like Sinners, with its bold use of color and visual language, sparks new ways for me to think about tone. I find that drawing from both VFX-heavy and non-VFX projects keeps my creative energy fresh and versatile.
AX: AI is powering automations like rotoscoping, cleanup, and object tracking. What tools are you seeing make the biggest difference in your day-to-day workflow?
NN: Recently, the AI tools that have had the biggest impact on our workflow are CopyCat and Stable Diffusion, both fully integrated in our pipeline. They helped speed up quick-turn projects and creative passes.
AX: What’s the most rewarding part of collaborating with so many different artists and departments on a project?
NN: The most rewarding part of collaborating with so many artists and departments is seeing how each person’s expertise transforms the project. My role puts me right in the middle, helping ideas flow across departments, and it’s inspiring to watch how collaboration elevates the work. The best moments are when we hit a challenge and solve it together, because when the final result is on screen, you know it’s truly the product of teamwork.