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Stan Szymanski — President & Founder of StanleyVision

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If recruiters are the unsung heroes of the VFX industry, Stan Szymanski is Superman. This huge film fan began in graphic design and post-production but quickly worked up the ladder into recruitment, via movies including Virtuosity, Independence Day, Starship Troopers, and Hollow Man.

Today, Stan’s company, Stanleyvision, has become a go-to source for the perfect talent for companies including Crafty Apes, MPC, The Mill, and Method, as well as PlayStation, MSG Sphere Studios, and TurboSquid. Stan reveals what it takes to be a recruiter in the VFX world, from maintaining up-to-date expertise on new technology to understanding how people will fit in at certain companies. If you’re job hunting or headhunting, it’s worth staying with the podcast to the end, where Stan gives crucial advice on how to market yourself in the VFX industry.

Links:

StanleyVision >

Stan Szymanski on LinkedIn >


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0:04:20 From stop-motion to Nike commercials: Stan's story

0:08:40 "Virtuosity," "Independence Day" and joining Sony Pictures Imageworks

0:14:50 Chris' perspective on being recruited by SPI

0:19:23 Who Stan hired and why

0:24:23 Discovering talent and running roadshows

0:29:38 Establishing Stanleyvision and consulting for MPC

0:34:16 New production methods and moving into gaming

0:39:18 Dealing with the pandemic

0:44:28 How Stan stays on top of pop culture

0:48:04 How the industry has changed since Stan started

0:55:53 Machine learning and shifts to remote working

1:04:50 Advice for people who want to get into the industry

1:09:22 How to reach out to people on LinkedIn and essential skillsets 

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About the author

Christopher Nichols

Chris is a CG industry veteran and Director of Chaos Labs. He can also be heard regularly as the host of the CG Garage podcast which attracts 20,000 weekly listeners. With a background in both VFX and Design, Chris has worked for Gensler, Digital Domain, Imageworks and Method Studios. His credits include Maleficent, Oblivion and Tron: Legacy.

Originally published: June 5, 2023.
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