Today we’d like to introduce you to Veronica Ramirez Bustamante.
Hi Veronica, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I am Veronica Ramirez, a Visual Effects artist. My journey began when I was a little kid watching movies; I always wondered how these were made. After a few years of school, I decided to do my bachelor’s in Communication with an Emphasis/ minor in film. I obtained this degree from Javeriana University in Bogota, Colombia. While studying for this degree, I got to work as an intern in a post-production company, Mostaza 3D Films, after which the company hired me as a Junior VFX compositor. In this job, I worked on high-profile international projects that allowed me to showcase my technical and artistic skills. I worked as a VFX compositor on series such as El Rey: Vicente Fernández, The Marked Heart Season 2 for Netflix, and Mariachis for HBO.
After a while, I craved more and decided to start my Master’s degree; I looked around and found SCAD in Savannah, the school I had always dreamed about. I finished my Master’s in Fine Arts in Visual Effects, which has allowed me to grow from the professors, students, and opportunities this university has given me. This includes mentorships with companies like Harbor and The Mill. These studios work with brands such as Bulgari, BMW, Royal Caribbean, Pepsi, and PayPal.
These experiences have shaped me to be a better artist every day. Living in a beautiful city like Savannah has inspired me every day.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
One of the biggest challenges of becoming an artist is finding your voice, especially in TV programs and advertisements. However, working with mentors has allowed me to start looking for my style while keeping professional standards; this means leaving my mark on every plate I touch. It also meant learning that what I have in my mind is not exactly what my art will become.
Another big challenge I faced was embracing being a VFX artist; this career is not well known, especially in Colombia. This meant learning from real artists during my internship and embracing the mistakes I had to make along the way. While I grew, I wanted to know more from the technical side of things; this meant going to another country to do my MFA.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am an artist in VFX or Visual Effects, specializing in compositing. In other words, we are the magicians who make all of the things anyone could imagine in a movie, from a spaceship to a fire. In my role, I take these effects and blend them with the live-action footage so it looks like everything belongs together. I love doing this job because it means creating new universes or expanding the ones we have. I have worked on multiple phenomenal series, such as El Rey: Vicente Fernández, one of the most-watched productions on Netflix, as I mentioned in my story, but expanding on this information. This series marked a milestone for the platform, with over 33 million hours viewed. Shortly after its release, it reached the number-one spot in several Latin American countries: Mexico, Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. It ranked number four in the United States. I was also part of Pálpito (Season 2), a Netflix series nominated for multiple awards as Best Drama Series. It has accumulated over 52 million hours of global viewing and was among several countries’ top 10 most-watched shows.
I am proud to have been part of this series; I also have credits in a series from HBO called Mariachis and Entre Sombras for VIX. Besides that, during my time in Savannah, I have participated in different mentorships from amazing companies such as Harbor and The Mill. I made two amazing advertisements with their guidance on growing and improving my skills, in teams of 4 where I was the compositor. I also had mentors from outside SCAD, such as Alyssa Zarate, an artist who has worked on massive productions such as Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. Working with these people has allowed me to grow immensely and has made me a better VFX compositor.
What’s next?
My plan for the future is to keep compositing and making VFX; I will go away during the summer to do an internship in Charlotte, North Carolina, with Caravan, a Production company where I will be a post-production intern with a VFX compositing emphasis. After that, I want to keep coming and working as a Visual Effects artist for ads, movies, or TV and bring that magic and joy to people who watch everything I make.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://veronicaramirezb.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ver%C3%B3nica-ram%C3%ADrez-6b678024a/
