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Remember when you were a child at an early age? When you would lie in the middle of your backyard and your imagination would wander off about shooting stars falling from the sky and landing at your feet. Or about cute little aliens with big beady eyes that would make it rain candy and chocolate treats from the sky? (Ok, so, um, it could have been when I was a young child at an early age or it could have been yesterday when I was biking down Dundas West on my way to work).....Regardless, here’s my point: Meet Patrick Coffey. His job is making the impossible look possible. For Patrick, it is recreating this very imagination that drives his work. His aim is to evoke emotion and enable us, for minutes or hours at a time, to live out these fantasies. Patrick and the team at 567vfx is who we turn to in hopes of taking us out of the mundane and making us believe - if even for a split second. It is his craft that is able to capture us and make us feel like anything is possible. Visual effects is hard work. It is a labour of love motivated by the drive to produce something beautiful. In the post editing sequence, visual effects is one of the last things in the creative process for the picture, but is part of the initial stages of planning. 567vfx is a visual effects studio described as a small shop that does big work. It is more of a boutique style collaborative feel that produces big studio results for their clients. Their work is not stagnant, but rather fueled by process and a more personal approach to involve and educate clients along the way. It is this constant reminder of process and progression (reflected in the 567 of their name) that continually enables them to meet and exceed expectations. 567vfx often works collaboratively and independently from their studio-mates, Relish (post editing) and Tendril (visual design and illustration). Even when they aren’t working on projects together, there is always a constant flow of creative energy that is shared igniting inspiration and innovation in their work. As a graduate of computer science at Western University, Patrick didn’t always know he was going to be a visual effects artist. “I had a good understanding of software so I started on more technical jobs using flame, and slowly drifted to the production side of things.” We’re glad that he did. Throughout his career, Patrick has worked on feature films, music videos, and commercial projects. Most notably he has worked on the remake of Dawn of the Dead where he worked alongside Zack Snyder and led an army of zombies to bring out their most prodigious renditions of zombie-like actions. Patrick and 567vfx has recently worked with Canadian band Young Empires on their music video for ‘White Doves’ where they used the capabilities of Facebook Connect to integrate the audience into their music video using photos from their profile. If you have ever wanted to be in a music video, 567vfx and Young Empires have teamed up to make this happen. Check it out at www.whitedoves.me. To learn more about the challenges of this creative project you can find it at www.567vfx.ca/YOUNG-EMPIRES-White-Doves. www.567vfx.ca | twitter @567vfx |
