Randy McEntee

About Randy McEntee

9–5: 1986 StudiosIn 2025, I assumed leadership as VFX Supervisor at 1986 Studios, the in‑house production studio of creative agency Highdive. My appointment reflected a commitment to elevating the studio’s post‑production capabilities and driving innovation across workflows. The studio was founded to rethink how content is produced and how visual effects teams are structured, supported by significant investments in new technologies and pipelines.As VFX Supervisor, I oversee a wide range of responsibilities: from on‑set supervision and final Flame compositing to managing a fleet of Lenovo P8 Threadripper Pro workstations dedicated to Autodesk Flame, generative AI, AI inference, and Burn nodes. I also optimize remote workflows across CG, design, color, audio, and AI departments.I am also the founder of The Department of External Services in Chicago, where for five years I delivered high‑end visual effects services on projects for studios and partners such as Versus, Psyop, Parliament, Preymaker, Framestore, Method, Chapeau, Apple, Google, and Facebook.Prior to founding DXS, I spent 13 years at The Mill in New York and Chicago, seven of which as Head of 2D, leading international teams on campaigns for Verizon, AT & T, GEICO, Apple, Samsung, Nike, ESPN, Allstate, and State Farm. These collaborations continue to shape my belief in delivering exceptional work through exceptional service.5–9: Building and Teaching the Flame CommunityBeyond client work, I am committed to strengthening the Autodesk Flame community. As Chief Community Officer of Logik, I manage forums and a Discord community of more than 700 artists worldwide. In 2020, I founded Logik Academy Pro, an online school for advanced Flame training that now also covers generative AI workflows. I was nominated for the Autodesk Flame Award in 2021 and 2022, and recognized as Autodesk Community Member of the Year in 2022.I studied philosophy and medical ethics at Northeastern Illinois University. At home, I am a husband and father, raising three children—Sam, Ren, and Marilla—with my wife Abby, along with our dog, Dali.

Experience

1. Visual Effects Supervisor

   1986 Studios

   Jan 2025 — Present · Chicago, IL, US

Education

• Northeastern Illinois University

  BA, Philosophy

  2001 — 2004

Skills

• Flame
• Smoke
• Smoke on Mac
• Mocha / Planar Tracking
• Pftrack / Camera Tracking
• On-Set Vfx Supervision
• Pftrack
• Fire Management
• Visual Effects
• Camera
• Mocha
• Vfx Supervision
• After Effects
• Compositing
• Post Production
• Rotoscoping
• Commercials
• Digital Compositing
• Nuke
• Knows 10 Foods That Start with the Letter 'q'
• Giving Tourists Directions
• Flare
• When in Doubt Blur IT Out
• Autodesk Smoke
• Online Editing
• Mentoring
• Motion Graphics
• Color Grading
• Live Action
• Film
• Television
• Video Production
• Film Production
• Video
• Video Editing
• Broadcast
• Hd Video
• Creative Direction
• Music Videos