James Blevins has been involved in pretty much every step of the filmmaking process, from driving vehicles to virtual production. Films he’s contributed to include Waterworld, Armageddon, Pleasantville, and, most impressive of all, Space Jam. He’s also worked at some of Hollywood’s biggest studios, including Disney, Netflix, Amazon, and LucasFilm for virtual production on The Mandalorian.
In this podcast, James delves into some funny stories from behind the scenes of movies, including Crimson Tide, Armageddon, and Pleasantville. He also gives an interesting perspective on the emergence of AI and talks about MESH, the virtual production consultancy company he set up. He also goes into detail about the Hollywood Professional Association and its Tech Retreat — which is where Chris recorded this podcast.
Links:
0:05:11 The plywood palace
0:07:57 The overnight 5- to 10-year plan for success
0:15:30 Favorite first moments in VFX
0:19:06 Going to Dreamquest
0:24:39 James' journey into virtual production
0:31:05 The dawn of MESH
0:34:09 What virtual production can and can't do
0:40:16 Photorealism in virtual production
0:43:06 AI and the industry
0:49:11 Artistic expression and personal information
0:54:58 What the Hollywood Professional Association is and what it does