ITV's promo for the return of their entertainment show, 'Popstar to Opera Star' is so spectacular it will blow you away. Starring the considerable vocal talents of Katherine Jenkins and Rolando Villazon, the duo's rendition of Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody is sung with such gusto that Myleene Klass, who accompanies them on the grand piano, is literally blown away. The promo was directed by Paul Quinn for ITV Creative and posted at Prime Focus, where work was completed in both London and India.

With a tight turnaround time, the Prime Focus 'Global Digital Pipeline' was utilised, allowing the project to be creatively led locally in London, while much of the prep work, such as clean up and wire removal, was completed at the same time in Mumbai.

During pre-prods and with only one day for the shoot, Senior VFX and Shoot Supervisor John Harvey offered advice on what layers to use, what layers he would need in post and how many passes had to be done within the day. On the shoot, John also worked as a second unit; using Canon 5D to shoot effects plates - and many of the elements he shot were used in the final promo.

As an Honorary Society, VES has led the way in promoting the incredible work of VFX artists but so far no one has stood up to lead the way on the business side of our business. No one has been able to speak out for unrepresented artists and facilities – or the craft as a whole – in any meaningful way.

It should not come as a surprise to anyone that the state of the visual effects industry is unsettled. Artists and visual effects companies are working longer hours for less income, delivering more amazing VFX under ever diminishing schedules, carrying larger financial burdens while others are profiting greatly from our work. As a result, there has been a lot of discussion recently about visual effects and its role in the entertainment industry. Many feel VFX artists are being taken advantage of and many others feel that VFX facilities are operating under unsustainable competitive restraints and profit margins. There have been calls for the creation of a VFX union to represent artists' interests while others have pushed to create a trade organization for VFX facilities to better navigate today's economic complexities.