SAN ANTONIO – A professor from the University of Texas at San Antonio has been nominated for a Video Music Award, according to a press release.
Associate Professor Daniel Saldivar, founder of White Rhino VFX and Hush Beauty VFX, and his team were recently nominated by MTV for the Best Visual Effects VMA for their work on a music video for “F1: The Movie.”
The music video was for Tate McRae’s recent single “Just Keep Watching,” directed by Bardia Zeinali.
When asked what VFX work his team did on “Just Keep Watching,” Saldivar said they worked on around 65 shots, which were completed over two or three days.
The music video was part of the film’s soundtrack. It dropped on YouTube a month before “F1: The Movie” to promote the film’s release, Saldivar said.
“They shot inside one of the F1 training facilities,” he said. “There are tons of bright, shiny surfaces, things that need to look really pristine. So we did lots of cleanup work.”
‘We kind of move between the lines’
Some of this included removing cameras and wires from the set. Saldivar also noted that because this video was shot on 35mm film, it had film artifacts that needed to be removed.
He described these as “blips,” or defects, ingrained in the medium.
Saldivar told KSAT that White Rhino VFX was started back in 2012. The studio has worked on a wide range of projects, including feature films, commercials and music videos.
“We kind of move between the lines,” Saldivar said. “We can go from a commercial to a series … and I love that we’ve established ourselves as one of the premier houses to do that type of work, working globally.”
White Rhino VFX has worked on over 500 projects globally. (Copyright White Rhino VFX)
The studio has worked on over 500 projects, with clients such as Nissan, Disney Plus, Netflix and LISA from Blackpink.
Their most recent work is Doja Cat’s latest single, “Jealous Type.”
You can see more of their work on their social media platforms.
Nomination elevates local film community
Saldivar has been an adjunct assistant professor at UTSA for the past year.
He will be teaching a post-production class in the fall, focusing on visual effects. In the spring, he will teach a music video production class.
Both are designed to be hands-on, he said. There will be opportunities for students to build their portfolios, be a part of workshops and gain internships.
“We [in the industry] believe that Texas is a great place for post-production,” Saldivar said. “So, what we are trying to do is help move the needle forward by elevating the film programs, the students in the state, to match the need for Hollywood.”
Saldivar said that, being from the Alamo City himself, he was motivated to join the university’s film program to mentor and inspire the next generation of students.
“Going back to this MTV Music Video Award nomination, it’s great. But it’s an opportunity for the company to be recognized for the work, and it also helps elevate the local film community and it also brings more credibility to UT San Antonio.”
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