Interview with the director and VFX Artist Val Nabilskiy, Award Winner for the Music Video ‘My Melody’

Hi Val! ‘My Melody’ has been recently awarded Best Visual Effects at the New York International Film Awards. Could you tell us more about this project?

First of all, I want to thank your festival for the award; I truly appreciate it. My Melody is a short musical film in the fantasy genre. Stylistically, I conceived it as an illustrated story, as if it came from a book of fairy tales. I had long wanted to create something like this, and as soon as I had the time, I immediately began to implement this idea. The idea was quite ambitious and difficult to execute, but I am very happy that I managed to do it.

Tell us a bit about your background. When did you decide you wanted to work in the film industry?

At the moment, I work quite a lot as a visual effects artist. I have taken part in more than eighty projects for cinemas and streaming platforms, some of which are quite famous. I also have directing experience, but it is not as impressive as my experience working with visual effects. I love cinema; I love immersing myself in the stories that films tell. What could be better than being involved in their creation?

The director Val Nabilskiy and the official poster of ‘My Melody’

What did you enjoy the most about working this project?

Every time I start a new project, I envision it in my head, but at the same time, I always understand that the result will differ from my fantasies. This is what creates intrigue; I am always interested in what the final outcome will be. My Melody is a technically complex project. Each frame required many hours of painstaking work in post-production, and I had to do a lot of things myself, which complicated and slowed down the process. But it was exciting; I had to find creative solutions for how to implement the project within a reasonable time frame.

Do you have any on set stories you would like to share?

There was one funny moment while we were filming knights for a battle scene. One of the stuntmen was so exhausted from the weight of the armor and the weapons he was wielding that he simply couldn’t continue filming. A keyboard player volunteered to replace him, donned armor for the first time in his life, and did a fantastic job. In the credits, he is listed both among the musicians and the stuntmen.

What keeps you inspired to continue working as a filmmaker?

I deeply love cinema as an art form: many say that cinema is a business. Yes, partly it is, but at the same time, cinema is also an art. If the story unfolding on the screen isn’t interesting, the viewer won’t watch it, and there will be no “business.” I enjoy the process of creating films; it is a truly exciting activity. I especially love the smell of the set in the morning.

What’s the best piece of advice that was ever given to you? And what’s the best advice you would give to a student vfx artist?

VFX is a challenging profession to master, requiring perseverance and attention to detail. Very often, you must return to the same shot repeatedly to make it as beautiful and believable as possible, which demands a great deal of patience and practical experience. On large projects, you will often receive notes and have to correct various minor details over and over again. For some, this can become an insurmountable barrier. As technologies constantly evolve, you must continuously improve your knowledge and skills to remain competitive. You need to truly love what you do; this is the only way to keep moving forward and developing as a professional. The main advice is: if you really like VFX, you should definitely give it a try. There are many specializations in VFX—choose the one that suits you best.

Do you have a dream project or someone you would like to work with one day?

I am currently working on a film script. This is my dream project at the moment, and I am eager to bring it to life. I want to collaborate with people who genuinely love cinema and are passionate about the creative process. When someone truly loves what they do, it positively impacts both the process and the final result. I am deeply motivated to work with people who share a sincere passion for their craft.

What’s next for you? What are you working on right now?

I am currently working on my next sci-fi fantasy short film, which is now in the middle of post-production. It will serve as a proof of concept for the feature film I am writing.

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