Latest news with #Scheepers
Daily Maverick
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Maverick
South African Ferdi Scheepers has an animated working life at Disney's world-renowned Pixar studios
With the release of Elio, Pixar's next original animated adventure, we got the opportunity to interview Ferdi Scheepers, a South African effects artist who has worked on some of the studio's biggest films over the past two decades. South Africans have a special talent for popping up in unexpected places. A beach bar on a remote Thai island. The White House. The headquarters of Pixar Animation Studios — the multi-award-winning and record-breaking Toy Story studio that falls under the Disney umbrella. Effects artist Ferdi Scheepers has been at Pixar for more than 22 years, and has worked on the likes of The Incredibles, Wall-E, Cars, Toy Story 4 and Inside Out, along with the Academy Award-winning short Piper. It's an unlikely career destination, especially when you learn Scheepers worked for five years at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in the field of satellite imagery. This was after studying computer science at the University of Johannesburg, and completing his PhD in Computer Graphics at Ohio State University in 1996. In this interview with Scheepers, arranged by Disney, we learn more about the effects artist's unusual path to working for Pixar, his advice for wannabe animation professionals, how the industry has evolved over the past few decades, and his role in Pixar's latest: original space adventure Elio, in cinemas now. *** How would you describe your title of development and effects artist to a person on the street? Ferdi Scheepers: So I'm an effects artist primarily. As an effects artist, we create various effects, and usually that happens at the end of, or towards the end of, production, after animation is done. We react to what the characters do in animation. A very simple example would be running on a dusty foot path, and with every footfall, there's a little puff of dust, right? So that's an effect we would create. Other effects would be water, fire, smoke, electricity, and we also do some environmental effects — for example, lava, the indication of wind, and so forth. I usually describe effects as movement or changes in relation to things that move; that they're not the acting that animators do with characters. From the design part of it, on this film (Elio), I got the opportunity to work really early on during production with production designer Harley Jessup in creating the character OOOOO, a liquid supercomputer — kind of an emoji-like character — that helps Elio in the Communiverse communicate with the other aliens. My task was to help create this notion that this was a highly intelligent being, and had some energy, and that energy, eventually, we decided, was portrayed by electric signals that move inside the character. That was my contribution to creating the character, and those sort of electric signals were then adopted into the environment and other set pieces in the film. Unlike other times, I've been involved with Elio really from the start, because I was contributing to character design and then, later on, to the effects of the film. It's not exactly an expected career progression to go from growing up in Gauteng to working at the CSIR with satellite imagery systems, to Pixar. How did that last step come about? Before I actually did my PhD in Computer Graphics at Ohio State University, I had an opportunity to attend a computer science conference in 2001, called SIGGRAPH, via the CSIR, in Los Angeles. At this conference, Steve Jobs, the founder of Pixar, was a keynote speaker. At that point — this was in the '80s — he showed the first two Pixar shorts, Luxo Jr and Red's Dream. I was completely blown away by this new animation art form and, at that point, I decided I wanted to work for the company. Now it took 14 or so years for me to eventually get to Pixar, via an advanced computer graphics degree, and then going back to South Africa and working for the satellite application centre because they sponsored my studies. It was kind of a detour, but I eventually got the opportunity. I applied at a computer science conference, called CAF (Computer Animation Festival), which is one of our advanced conferences here, and I got some interviews, which was wonderful. You've been at Pixar since 2002. In that time, is there one thing that you've done that you're especially proud of? I'm proud of everything that I've done, but let me choose one thing. One of the shorts that Pixar did during the time that I was here is called Piper, and I was the effects supervisor on Piper. It was a very, very challenging and difficult short to work on, mainly because of the material: an ocean setting, macro style photography and so on. At the same time, the studio was making Finding Nemo. We needed a lot of effects artists, and we had contention in terms of who can, or who will, work on what and so on. So it was a challenging, but I was very proud of the final result. One of the big, amazing things that happened on Piper is that we worked very, very closely together with the animation department, and I think we struck a great relationship with the animators on that short, which in later years has blossomed into a strong partnership between the effects artists and animators. Piper won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short in that year (2017). That's right, Piper won the Oscar, and it was the first Pixar short since For the Birds way back in 2001 to win that award, yeah. A similar question, but focused on Elio now: apart for your role in creating OOOOO, which you've already mentioned, is there something you contributed to the film that you're excited for people to see? Helping out on the character of OOOOO was a very gratifying experience for me, because something we don't usually do is work very early on in production. But then, on the back end, I contributed to numerous effects in the film. The main one that I think I worked on probably the longest was the lava. Lava is sort of, in the case of Elio, partly an environmental effect. The main antagonist has this lair, this room that he hosts Elio in, and the idea of the lava is that it creates this dangerous, slightly scary environment for somebody to come and visit. So I designed the look of the lava, as well as created all the environmental effects in two or three sequences. And then there's a chase scene that also involves lava that I worked on. What's your elevator pitch to convince people to head to cinemas to see Elio on the big screen? What makes the film stand out? I think, personally, when Pixar takes on certain genres, they always have a little twist. In the case of Elio, the characters that you get to meet as aliens are way different from the aliens that we usually see in sci-fi movies. They're beautiful designs, with amazing variety, and they're really characters that are funny and quaint and interesting to look at. I think audiences would love that. Then Elio interacts with these characters in a very interesting and unique way. They misunderstand his identity, and they think he's the leader of Earth, and there's some comedy around that. In the end, I think the main thing that I would say is if you feel alone in the world, that's Elio. He feels alone in the world, he goes on this journey, and he discovers that to get a sense of belonging, you need to make connections. If people understand that, they might get something very, very positive out of the film. Making animated films is especially collaborative. Could you talk us through how that works at Pixar? What's a typical day or week like, especially in your department? For me and in the effects department, we get to work a little bit on our own. Then, as soon as you have something to show, and usually that's very quickly, you show it in a group context to the effects department. Supervisors are in there, a couple of leads, and all the other effects artists, and you show your work, and then they critique it. They say, 'Well, this doesn't quite work,' or 'Have you thought about this idea?' and so on. And then you go back and you work on your own again, and improve your work. At some point, you get to a point where it feels really good, it works — it tells the story, as we say. Then you get to show it to the director, who is the final, final go-ahead for an effect. They call once they're satisfied with you, with the work; they say 'Final', and then you're done with that particular task, and you move on to the next one. Typically, an effect can take a couple of days, a week or maybe a few weeks, depending on how complex it is. How have you seen the animation industry transform over the past 20+ years? Well, quite drastically. If you compare the visuals these days to the visuals of, say, the original Toy Story or A Bug's Life, today's are just stunning, very detailed, beautiful. And, sometimes, fairly realistic — not necessarily photorealistic, but realistic in the sense that it's very believable. The industry now seems to be moving, pulling back from that a little bit, with this notion of stylisation. The driving question is how do you create more interesting visuals, but that don't look all that realistic? Pixar is certainly exploring some stylisation in some of our films, and especially upcoming films. That's going to be very interesting. Then there's the technology. It's obviously improved tremendously over the 20 years that I've been working here. But, as I usually say, when technology improves, you can do more in the same available time than you had before. You have the opportunity to do more, and so you just do more. The gains that you get with improvement in technology, you spend on creating more and more interesting things, and introducing more complexity, and so on. What's your advice to any wannabe animators or other aspiring industry professionals out there? The one thing I always say is just try your best; try, try, try, and never give up. Show what you do, whether you're experimenting or learning. Show what you do as quickly as you can and as often as you can, and listen to how people respond to what you're doing, then make adjustments. And, just never give up in pursuing that goal. DM Elio is now in South African cinemas. The film is screening in 2D and 3D.
The Citizen
14-06-2025
- The Citizen
7 arrested in eMalahleni factory bust
Seven people were arrested after a factory producing toilet paper and steel wool was discovered allegedly operating illegally in eMalahleni yesterday. According to Clr Maureen Scheeepers from Ward 20 the factory is believed to have violated municipal, labour, and environmental regulations. Scheepers reported the matter to the municipality after residents alerted her about a thick white liquid polluting a nearby stream. The municipality's Environmental and Waste Management, Scientific Services, and Law Enforcement agencies pounced on the factory and discovered that there were allegedly no permits or legal compliance to operate such a facility. Breaking news at your fingertips … Follow WITBANK NEWS on our website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or TikTok Chat to us: info@ At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The South African
16-05-2025
- Sport
- The South African
High-profile players excel at recent Bowls SA Women's Open
This past weekend, Championship Sunday at the Bowls SA Women's Open didn't disappoint once again as the leading players battled their way into contention with the hopes of being crowned South Africa's best for 2025. South Africa's newest Open Singles champion is Bridget Herselman, who took some time off on Mother's Day to edge 21 year old Leila Snyman in a true spectacle of a finale. Herselman,, herself only 27 and a mom of little one, rose to the occasion in a match that looked like it could go either way throughout the contest. Eventually, it was Herselman who managed to prevail in the race to 21. Snyman showed her good form once more in the final and was up at the halfway stage but quite never far enough to make Herselman doubt her drawing abilities. Herselman, who has been something of a stalwart in the national setup, will now get to test her skills in the World Champion of Champions after finally relegating her young opponent 21-18. Another top South African performer Anneke Scheepers managed to ensure another gold medal return. Scheepers was eliminated by Snyman in the last eight of the Singles and lost in the semi-finals as a skip in the Fours leaving her Pairs campaign as her last chance. A 24-7 win over Esme Kruger and Lara York laid the platform for a resounding 27-6 over Claire Cowan and Elma Louw – ironically, the remaining members of Scheepers and pairs partner Megan Ferreira's Fours side. Those big wins sent Scheepers and Ferreira into the final full of confidence and it showed on the greens at Dellville Germiston as a comfortable 22-14 win followed in the final. Anneke Scheepers and Megan Ferreira won the Pairs title Remarkably, the Women's Fours final featured the two teams that faced off for gold last year. And once again, it the team skipped by Tracy Meyeridricks with Taz Bright at third and Charlotte Rossouw and Colleen Marshall in the front that managed to be the last team standing after a 22-18 win over South African international Esme Kruger and her team of Lara York, Ina and Rolinda Fourie. Ina Fourie replaced Nan Roos in the only change to the silver medallists. The attention now turns to Port Elizabeth as the Men's competition begins on Saturday, 17 May. Women's Fours Gold: Meyeridricks, T / Bright, Taz / Rossouw, Charlotte / Marshall, Colleen (Sedibeng Rolbal/Bowls / Henley on Klip) Silver: Kruger, Esmé / York, Lara / Fourie, Ina / Fourie, Rolinda (Eden Bowls / Hartenbos) Women's Open Singles Gold: Herselman, Bridget (Sables Bowling Association / Leases) Silver: Snyman, Leila (Sables Bowling Association / Krugersdorp) Women's Pairs Gold: Scheepers, Anneke / Ferreira, Megan (Western Province Bowling Association / Goodwood) Silver: Mostert, C / Gardiner, Verinia (Ekurhuleni Bowls / Benoni) Women's Veteran Singles Gold: Pretorius, Denise (Bowls Gauteng North / PHSOB) Silver: Mills, Cherry-Ann (Ekurhuleni Bowls / The Lake) Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
The Guardian
11-04-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
‘Toxic cocktail': almost 200 pesticides found in European homes
Almost 200 pesticides have been found by a study examining dust in homes around Europe, as scientists say regulators need to take 'toxic cocktails' of chemicals into account when banning or restricting the use of pesticides. Scientists say their research supports the idea that regulators should assess the risks posed by pesticides when they react with other chemicals, as well as individually. They say this should apply to substances already in use, as well as those yet to be approved. In preliminary findings from the largest study of its kind, scientists examining household dust from homes in 10 European countries in 2021 detected 197 pesticides in total. More than 40% of the pesticides found in the dust have been linked to highly toxic effects, including cancer and disruption of the hormonal system in humans. The number of pesticides in each home ranged between 25 and 121, and farmers tended to have higher levels of pesticides in their dust. Prof Paul Scheepers, at the Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Sciences, said: 'We have many epidemiological studies showing that diseases are associated with mixtures of pesticides.' He said the pesticides in dust found their way into our homes on our shoes, and could be brought in by cats and dogs. 'If we don't take off the shoes at the doorstep, then we take in a lot of dirt from outside. Pets are also a source,' Scheepers said. 'There are many studies indicating that animals collect certain contaminations, also including pesticides, from outdoors. Another group are the consumer products that we bring into our homes … any pesticides that we buy in the shop for certain reasons, and an important source is flea and tick treatments for pets.' Though the concentrations for each pesticide in the dust in homes were small, the mixtures of dozens of chemicals could have an impact on health, as well as increasing exposure to pesticides when they were also often encountered in higher concentrations on fruit, vegetables and fresh flowers. The study also found that the toxic pesticide DDT remained in the environment despite having been banned in some countries in 1972. Scheepers said those authorising the use of products should take environmental persistence into account, and that even if products such as Pfas were banned now, they would probably remain in the environment. Pfas are known as 'forever chemicals' because they do not break down in the environment. They are used in a wide range of consumer products and industrial processes, and some have been linked to serious diseases in humans and animals, including cancers. Sign up to Down to Earth The planet's most important stories. Get all the week's environment news - the good, the bad and the essential after newsletter promotion Scheepers said: 'Products like DDT that have been banned for a long time are so persistent that they accumulate in the environment, so they are constantly circulating … Now we have also the problem with Pfas that's exactly a repeat of this. 'Maybe regulators can consider the persistence of chemicals – let's say chemical stability means persistence in the environment and also accumulation in the food chain, we are likely in the future to discover similar problems with other persistent chemicals.' The researchers said their study revealed which mixtures of pesticides had been found in the environment, so regulators could test these as well as the combinations produced for commercial use that they already tested. The discovery of DDT also meant risk assessments of newer pesticides might need to consider interactions with older ones, they said.
