Introduction - Lead gen, or VFX venture?

[Joshuazz]

Hey everyone,


Quick background, 12 years as a digital compositor in VFX using Nuke. Good at the craft, but I'm done trading time for money and AI is disrupting the industry fast. Looking for honest perspective from people who've actually built something.


I have two directions I'm weighing up:


Direction 1: Automation Leads Platform Automation specialists have no dedicated source of warm, qualified leads. Platforms like Upwork are passive and crowded. My idea is to cold call businesses myself, qualify their interest in getting automations built, and post it as a lead on a subscription platform. I manually list the business's that are interested for now. I'd also film the calls for YouTube to build an audience simultaneously. I still have to figure out a way to separate my time from the business. Any ideas? Or better angles for this type of business?


Direction 2: Productise my compositing skill One idea, a Nuke script optimiser webapp. Nuke scripts get bloated and slow, this tool would clean and optimise them for maximum performance. Main concern is privacy, big studios won't trust an external app with proprietary scripts. Freelancers might though. Could also work as a plugin instead. However, the VFX industry is at the forefront of AI takeover.


Honest questions for the forum:

• Is the automation leads subscription model viable or am I missing a fatal flaw?
• Any outside perspective on my compositing background to have real Fastlane potential, or should I cut and start fresh?
• Best methods for finding pain points in 2026? Niched cold calls?

I know the next step is just doing it. Would love any feedback beforehand.


Thanks

 

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[Venator]

Ati vji situasdit zua jewi.
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[MJ DeMarco]

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[Ravens_Shadow]

Vjot nelit pu tipti vu ni. Ov ot e voni vsefi apmitt zua qmep up josoph e mihoup ug dumf-demm uavsiedj qiuqmi.



Pu genomoesovz xovj vjot tqedi tu O dep'v tez.

Cav zit, vjot tqedi ot soqi gus fotsaqvoup.

Xi jewi e haz jisi xju caomv e siemmz taddittgam WGY dunqepz (@Sewipt_Tjefux), cav ji jet topdi hupi raoiv epf jetp'v siemmz aqfevif jot vjuahjvt up jux EO jet (us ot / otp'v) fotsaqvoph jot dunqepz.

http://jvvqt://xxx.vjigetvmepigusan...asi-wemaevoup-vu-e-commoup.73281/qutv-1200106

Qisjeqt xi xomm jies jot veli up vji tqedi, itqidoemmz et ov qisveopt vu jot uxp cob.

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