Today we’d like to introduce you to John Woolley
Hi John, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
In the very beginning my original intention was to be a magician. I had gotten my first magic trick when I was 3 years old at a magic shop in Las Vegas. It culminated at age 14 when I was accepted into the Magic Castle’s youth program in Hollywood after a grueling sleight of hand audition. It was a huge honor for me. At the same time growing up I also had an interest in art. I started illustrated journaling when I was 9 years old after reading a book called the Moonlight Chronicles. Not long after, I created over 250 different art pieces, many of which were displayed in art shows in California and the New York Art Expo by the time I was 11. During this time I became the youngest member of the San Diego Museum of Art Artists Guild, and was featured in Art Business News Magazine. Overall I made a modest income with my art and am happy to have donated some art pieces to charity.
When I got to high school I didn’t have much time to spend on those interests. So in 9th grade I joined the Fine Arts Film Program at school and that became my main interest. The class collectively created one show per week and was viewed by the school each Friday. This film program cemented my passion for filmmaking. I loved the creative environment that the class generated. Originally I wanted to get a film degree, but I decided to combine my passion for art and film and go into VFX, choosing the Gnomon School of Visual Effects in Hollywood. While there I achieved Best of Term twice, once for Matte Painting and the other for Compositing. I graduated in September 2020, during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic. Luckily I was hired by The Third Floor, a VFX company in Hollywood to work on the Disney Plus series Loki remotely. They were happy with my work and I continued on with them, contributing on Hawkeye, Moon Knight, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, The Marvels, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire and Damsel. I’m currently working remotely in San Diego for Proof Inc. on a project that will be announced later this year.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I feel very fortunate for the 26 years I’ve lived so far. Though I grew up in a family with limited income, my parents have been married 27 years, laugh a lot and are still very happy together. Because I’m an only child they had extra time to spend with me and to help me recognize what potential talents I had. My parents also loved movies and we watched literally hundreds of them when I was growing up. It is largely through their constant support in everything that I was able to get to where I am today. That being said, the last few years of the VFX industry has been in a tough place financially and I along with many other artists have been hit hard by that. It has affected our quality of life as the search for work grows wider and wider, but I take it one day at a time, and I feel these things will smooth out soon enough. To widen my possibilities in the film industry I’m creating a VFX business, and have applied to the Masters program in Directing at the American Film Institute in Los Angeles and am awaiting their response. I believe the more opportunities I seek out the better chance I have to continue my passion for working in this creative industry. I’m also hopeful to have an art gallery at some point in San Diego.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
The last few years I’ve worked as a Visualization Artist, which is a combination of 3D camera tracking, matchmove, rendering, and compositing. For example, when I worked on Damsel and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (both on Netflix) I made rough visual effects shots for the editors so they could see what the movies looked like before finalizing them for the big screen. Also oftentimes on the Marvel productions I’ve been involved with the story will change or new shots will be added to a scene. These types of things are then visualized by me and my team to make sure they work with the final edit of the film. I’m particularly proud of Loki as that was the first project I was on and the first on screen credit I received.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
My advice is to seek out people who share a common interest and are as passionate as you are about it. I’ve made connections and friends from work, school, and online. Find good teachers in the topic you’re interested in and they’ll help fill that mentor role so your skills can progress forward.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.woolleydigital.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/woolleydigital
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/woolleydigital
