He is currently the Owner, VFX Artist, Supervisor & Creative Director at HOUSE OF SEVEN in Santa Monica and is available for both freelance as well as outsourced work.
If you’d like to check for information and availability, please reach out via any of the social links on the footer of this page or send an email.
Verdi has that rare blend of talent and experience in all branches of Post Production. A teacher and a geek as well as a perfectionist, he always seems to find a way to improve visuals beyond what’s expected and is just as comfortable Set Supervising and 2nd Unit Directing as leading a VFX Team and Finessing Finals with a room full of clients.
It has been said that
“IF IT LOOKS HARD OR IMPOSSIBLE, VERDI CAN PROBABLY DO IT.”
and he certainly tries to live up to that reputation.
A WEALTH OF EXPERIENCE
Verdi has a deep history in the world of Post Production and has covered many a role. He is happy to share his experience creating world class visual effects and his knowledge is at hand to help at all stages of any project from conceptualizing, shooting and editorial through to the final stage of completion.
It’s very often he is asked to radically change visuals from what they looked like in front of the camera. Were it not for some before and afters it’d be hard to detect what work went into getting to the final result.
Below is a breakdown of various techniques at hand for those not entirely familiar or just interested to see what the work behind the scenes can entail.
ANIMATION
Animation can come in many forms but it always gives a particular ‘look’ to a project. Typical examples are character animation from Monty Python cut-outs and Aardman’s clay-mation to full CGI animation in the style of Pixar. Verdi actually started his career as an animator himself and that experience helps tremendously in a collaborative environment where multiple facets of Post Production need to come together seamlessly.
BEAUTY WORK
Though make-up artists have adapted very well to ultra high resolution having become standard, either time constraints or exceptional demands call for extra work in post. This could be a selective blurring effect or something much more subtile but more time consuming that can be defined as ‘digital make-up’.
Beauty work is not restricted to people. Food products are known not to cooperate on set and getting cold or melt before it’s their time to shine. Cars, phones and other glossy objects are known to attract fingerprints or worse, even with careful handling.
Verdi’s experience with a variety of techniques make sure everything looks as good as possible.
CLEANUP
Many a time there are things visible in shots that should not be there for legal or creative reasons. This vanishing trick does need a certain amount of magic and Verdi often goes to great lengths to make sure that everything is picture perfect and that annoying road sign, pesky animal, competing product or person that did not sign a release form all go away without a trace !
CGI
Most of the Computer Generated Images in his work falls in the category of realistic simulations: A lot of the times you’ll never notice it’s there ! There are many specialities in the field of 3D realism and they range from particle and crowd simulations to photo-real cars and architecture. Verdi’s experience as 3D animator makes him a great collaborator on projects and he continues to enjoy the craft.
FINAL COLOR
Color correction hardly ever ends with Telecine, especially when compositing is involved. The final result after an edit assembly could be stylized or subtle but it should always be cohesive. Not only is he very familiar with this but Verd’s passion and flair for color is something that many clients have come to trust.
COMPOSITING
Compositing is the staple fare with the challenge to blend various takes, element/background shots, 3D generated material or 2D design layers into a cohesive result that looks like it belongs. There are many different techniques at play from the very simple to the ridiculously complex. Some of the compositing nodal workflow is mind-boggling ! Needless to say, Verdi is a master of the school and has the track record to back up that claim.
GRAPHIC DESIGN
Graphic design is a huge playing field and similarly to realistic 3D has a wide range of specialists that play to a a particular style. Besides his own ability to tend to many a title-design he frequently collaborates on these specific projects.
MATTE PAINTING
Matte painting has it roots at the very early days of film and has an ability to give tremendous scope to an otherwise simple shot. The range is from a complete alteration of environment to removal or addition of elements in a shot. Depending on the complexity of the shot itself a 2D or 3D solution is applied and the results are often spectacular. Verdi loves this branch of VFX and is always happy to apply his artistic ability.
RIG REMOVAL
Due to safety concerns or otherwise impossibility of practical shooting, rigs have been a staple of VFX production. From removing wires to combining multiple plates shot with Motion Control, Verdi has a proven track record of excellence in the industry. This often blends aspects of matte painting, compositing and 3D and he is well versed with all of those.
SET SUPERVISION
Post production can be a tremendously time consuming affair if proper attention has not been given to shoot preparation and Verdi is always happy to help plan as well as attend a shoot to make sure the post production stage remains manageable. More than just providing a ‘safety net’ Verdi has also been deeply involved to the point of directing 2nd camera units to ensure all the proper plates and elements have been shot to produce a seamless result.
DISCLAIMER
The work displayed on this site spans a long career and a portion has been worked on by Verdi while at previous companies. These include Rushes (London), R!OT, The Syndicate, Social VFX, No6 and CABIN.
