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Roto / Prep Artist

Rotoscoping and prep work for compositing in UK facilities or on-set VFX support — facility deals and survey cards vary.

Duties

• Read the call sheet and sides before arriving
• Maintain radio/set etiquette and H&S
• Hand over notes/kit status at wrap
• Roto and cleanplate prep
• Meet lead notes
• Publish for compositors

Reports to

Compositing Supervisor / Coordinator

Works with

Compositors, Matchmove, Coordinator

Career path

Trainee → Roto/Prep → Junior Compositor

Day to day

Roto shapes; cleanplates/prep; organise for comps; maintain consistency across frames.

Call times

Facility artists follow studio hours with pressure near delivery. On-set Supervisor/Data Wrangler match unit call. Overnight renders/QC near finals are common.

What to wear

Smart-casual in facility; blacks/PPE on set; comfortable layers for long desk days.

Tools & kit

Facility workstation; personal calibrated tools if used; on-set: grey/chrome balls, HDRI kit for wrangler.

Tips

Confirm title, agreement, budget band, prep/wrap and kit fee on the deal memo before accepting. We never invent Bectu figures — check bectu.org.uk ratecards / your branch.

Software

• Nuke / Silhouette / Mocha
• AI-assisted roto only under facility licence/NDA
• Nuke / After Effects / Flame
• Maya / Houdini / Blender (CG)
• ShotGrid / ftrack / RV / Frame.io
• ChatGPT for briefing/checklist drafts (Supervisor signs off)

Related roles

VFX Compositor

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