Inside the Creative World of Visual Effects: Leonid Karachko’s Post-Production Mastery

Discover the fascinating realm of post-production through the eyes of Leonid Karachko, a seasoned professional specializing in visual effects and motion design. Leonid crafts mesmerizing digital creations—robots, monsters, dynamic product animations, and more—that don’t exist in the real world but captivate audiences on screen. This insight delves into the powerful multi-core workstations, workflows, and studio systems that bring these visual masterpieces to life.

What Does Your Work Involve?

My expertise lies in visual effects and motion design, specifically producing projects that bring the impossible to life. Examples include cinematic robots and monsters, TV graphics and intros, or animated products flowing and flying in commercials. Essentially, we create visuals that cannot be captured by a camera or would be too costly or unsafe to film live. Our work empowers directors, producers, and art directors to tell stories and evoke emotions exactly as envisioned. This field is often referred to as post-production, computer graphics, or video design.

We primarily serve film, television, advertising, and music video industries. However, technological advancements have opened new platforms, including online-exclusive videos and content for stereoscopic 3D displays. Integrated multimedia projects also frequently require our specialized skills.

I share personal projects and insights on my blog hosted on WordPress, chosen for its flexible design and structure options. Writing helps me deepen my understanding of various topics.

With over 6-7 years of experience, I started freelancing on regional projects before relocating to Kyiv in 2007 to co-found a multimedia production company. While my colleagues branched into filmmaking, flash animation, programming, and architectural visualization, I focused on advancing in visual effects. Recently, I have worked as an independent VFX producer and recently joined BRAINDRAINTRAIN.

What Does Your Workspace Look Like?

Currently, I don’t have a dedicated home workspace, but that will change once I acquire a laptop or desktop, as my home PC is now in the office, leaving only speakers at home. We use Wi-Fi at home, especially when my partner works on her laptop or browses the internet on her iPhone.

In our industry, the more powerful the computer, the better. My setup, while slightly dated, features a Core i7 930 processor, 12GB RAM, and a robust graphics card. Storage includes 4TB across four hard drives, with two configured in RAID. I use a standard 19” monitor and an older Wacom Graphire graphics tablet. My keyboard is a Genius model with flat keys and multimedia functions. After a long search, I chose the A4Tech X7 mouse, preferring symmetrical designs without excessive buttons. Wireless peripherals don’t suit me due to occasional lag and connectivity issues.

While I now focus less on compositing—the digital process of assembling video, 3D graphics, and images into a final sequence—it remains part of my skill set alongside management and client relations. My current setup suffices for my tasks, but my office neighbors utilize dual-processor Intel Xeon workstations with 24 cores combined, paired with large 27” Dell monitors essential for color grading and film work. Most machines here run on PC, with a few Macs.

Our office features Wi-Fi for laptops and mobile devices, though broadband primarily runs through wired connections. Cables and extensions are neatly secured under desks to keep floors clear. Our server, located in a separate room, is notably noisy.

Regarding mobile devices, I currently use an HTC Touch smartphone running Windows Mobile 6.5 but plan to switch to an iPhone soon due to its superior usability, stability, and quality. I also intend to acquire a powerful laptop to handle increasing urgent tasks without waiting to be in the office.

What Software Do You Use?

My workstation runs Windows 7 Ultimate, which is more modern and versatile than the decade-old Windows XP. I prefer Windows over Mac mainly out of habit, as price differences between comparable Mac and PC configurations are minimal. Additionally, I don’t use certain specialized editing or color grading software exclusive to Mac.

Professionally, I work with The Foundry Nuke and Adobe After Effects CS5.

For office tasks, I rely on Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. I recently returned to Thunderbird for email due to its speed. Firefox is my primary browser. I use Google Calendar extensively for scheduling, appreciating its integration with Google Contacts and other services. Communication tools include Skype and Google Talk, with the latter accessed through the universal client Digsby, which also manages my Twitter account. I keep email and messengers active constantly to stay reachable, preferring to reschedule conversations rather than be unavailable. Occasionally, I use Dropbox for file synchronization and once managed an international project entirely through a premium Dropbox account.

I recently adopted the Getting Things Done system, managing it fully in Evernote. For project management, I use Cerebro, which is tailored for multimedia workflows and offers more specialized features than Basecamp. I track cash flow with Rylstim and develop strategies using MindManager, which suffices for initial planning stages.

Do You Use Paper in Your Work?

I rarely use paper at work or home. I mainly read books, scripts, and lengthy documents on my Kindle 2, which I consider the best e-reader. For notes, meetings, and sketches, I use an unlined Moleskine notebook, preferring the freedom of blank pages over ruled or grid layouts. When Evernote isn’t accessible for my GTD system, I jot everything down in my Moleskine.

What Would Your Dream Setup Be?

I’ll always desire more powerful, portable, and versatile equipment. Ultimately, my dream configuration includes a high-performance desktop workstation, a laptop for mobility, and a modern smartphone. Tablets don’t fully support professional tasks like file management, making them less suitable for my workflow.

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