From The Internship As A Roto Artist To VFX Supervisor, A Founder’s Story with Kseniia Ivanova

Kseniia Ivanova is the founder of InSoul Effects, a boutique VFX studio that has created various effects for movies and series, including Pennyworth, Santo, Shattered, and Under the Banner of Heaven. Kseniia is also known for contributing to Game of Thrones, Empire V, Leftovers, Love and Monsters, Tomb Raider, Mary Magdalene, John Wick 2, and other films.

Tell us about your childhood and where you grew up

I was born and grew up in Moscow, Russia. In our family, books, cinema, and music were integral to our life. While reading books, my imagination had no limits as I created all these stories in my mind. Apart from cultural leisure, I attended various chess, violin, and art classes. Such a diverse combination provoked critical thinking, a passion for computer games, and a sense of art. In other words, my family instilled a love of movies and literature, yet the times instilled a love of programming. And there I saw a perfect career match: the video effects industry, or VFX. While getting into the VFX industry was challenging, I focused on graphic design and have worked as a roto artist since my second year of university, where I studied filmmaking. Around that time, I discovered the magazine Cinefex, which covered visual effects in films. This was such a rare find, as I had yet to learn how you could create computer graphics; there was nothing written on the Internet, at least in the Russian language. And ten years later, after landing the internship as a roto artist, I became a VFX supervisor.

How did you get started as an entrepreneur?

My creative career was full of adventures, including the experience of working abroad at IIora, which helped me open my studio. During my time at IIuora, I learned that it is more than possible to finish projects before the deadline, anxiety, or stress. And if you make friends during this process, you could enjoy your job and everything you do. Only some companies follow this strategy, and the main reason behind it is industry issues. I decided to implement the same approach in Russia, with smooth project lines and a comfortable working environment. This became my ambitious goal which I fulfilled shortly. When I returned from Australia, I started working as a VFX supervisor for a fantastic project by Anna Melikyan, “Fairy.” This was my first experience playing such a significant role in a project where I met Marina, a co-pilot of InSoul Studio, a boutique VFX studio. Even though “Fairy” was the first project, we managed to build a remarkable sequence of processes as well as the team, and it was done before the deadline, which was breathtaking for everyone. After creating history at “Fairy,” I joined another ambitious studio with a leading project, “Empire V,” where I showed how to manage projects successfully despite all the difficulties and challenges that might appear. The VFX industry is not about pixels on screens. It is about the people around it. When “Empire V” ended, I realized that I was primarily working in Moscow, so there was no point in moving countries and starting everything from scratch. I had a feeling in mind that I could create my studio with all the perks. I found my love in the VFX, and it never ended.

What is one business lesson you would tell a startup founder?

You should trust your intuition; if you think you do not have one, you should develop it. At the end of the day, flip a coin and evaluate your feelings. Go with the flow!