Prep/Paint Artist.
Prep Artists, also known as Paint Artists, work with composers to help them integrate all elements of an image, including CG and live action, to create visual effects movies. They remove unwanted objects from plate such as cables, rigs, crew, mocap people and tracking markers. Artists use specialized VFX software to clean up records. There are many processes that are used to perform this cleanup.
They remove unwanted dust and scratches from the frame. Artists eliminate dropped frames when a camera was unable to capture all the frames in a given time, resulting in small jerks in the action. Prepare the artists, clean up the backgrounds of the live images so that the composer can overlay the effects
In the workflow, after master edits, the plate is handed over to that prep artist, or the prep artists work with the compositors and hand over their plates to the artists to begin work. They also work with Roto artists who cut objects and help clean up plates. In small companies, the work of the prep artist and the roto artist are combined
Prep/paint artists usually use Roto Paint to clean up, so they need to be good at drawing and know how to use a graphics tablet and pen to clean up. They must have a sharp eye patch so they can edit even the smallest details so that no one can figure out that they have been working on the scene. Painters should also be familiar with programs such as Maya, Photoshop, Houdini and Nuke.
In this video, he brakes down the role of a Prep Artist and what is the workflow like. (Sorry it is in Hindi, I couldn’t find a video in English)
While working as a prep artist, opens a lot of doors as the job is an entry-level job it is better to understand the compositing department’s work and climb up the ladder. It is very important to know what you want to be before joining any department. I would love to work as a prep artist, I like how we can make wires, rigs, crew, mocap people, and tracking markers go away and this always use to fascinates me. While applying to the college I made a video where I used rigs removal, I will add the video below.
PixelSpark Studios (2018), What Is A Prep Artist in Visual Effects? – VFX QUICKIE [HINDI] YouTube[Online Video]. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyTmHG43aVE&ab_channel=PixelSparkStudios [ 16th February 2023].