by Yin Wu
Before moving to Australia, I had already spent time building my career in New Zealand and getting to know the local VFX industry.
My time in New Zealand was an important part of my career. The growth of streaming brought more VFX work into the country, and I had opportunities to work on different productions and meet people across the industry.
At the same time, much of the work available to me was project-based. I moved between short-term contracts, which meant I often had to look for the next opportunity after a project ended.
This taught me how to adapt and make the most of different projects. After some time, I wanted more stability and the opportunity to work on longer-term projects. This was one of the reasons I started looking at Australia.
My Time in New Zealand
I lived in Auckland, and during my first year in New Zealand, I travelled to Wellington at least once a month for industry events and networking.
In my second year, I travelled to Australia three times for industry events. These trips helped me meet more people in the Australian industry and learn more about the market.
I was later offered my longest contract in two years, which lasted six months. Eventually, I was sponsored to Australia and became an employee, giving me more stability and the benefits that came with it.
There are differences between the New Zealand and Australian markets, including the size of the industry and the amount of production. But I can only speak from my own experience.
For me, Australia offered the opportunity to build a more stable career and continue developing my skills.
What Drew Me to Australia
The first event I attended in Australia was a MoMo [Masters of Motion] event in Melbourne in June 2025. A few months earlier, I had attended the Wellington event after reaching out to Matthew [Packford], who later invited me to the Melbourne event.
It was a good introduction to the Australian VFX industry. I met people from Netflix Animation, ILM, Framestore, DNEG, and other studios. I also had the chance to speak with people about their careers and experiences.
These conversations helped me understand the Australian industry better and gave me an indication of the opportunities available.
A few months later, I returned for the larger annual MoMo conference, where I met Ryan from my current studio. I also returned to Sydney for the VES nomination awards.
Not every conversation led to work, but the connections I made through these events became useful as I continued exploring opportunities in Australia.
I also found the Australian VFX community welcoming, and some of the professional connections I made became friendships.
Meeting People and Building Connections
Working in New Zealand taught me that networking was about more than looking for a job.
Going to events gave me the chance to meet people, learn about the industry and hear about different career paths.
Some conversations led to new connections, while others simply gave me a better understanding of what was happening in Australia.
Over time, these relationships became useful when I started looking more seriously at moving to Australia.
An Unusual Career Path
My career has not followed a straight path.
I originally studied astrophysics before changing direction and studying film and digital media. I entered the industry through production and on-set roles, including working on Devs and The Mandalorian Season 2.
My time in China was another important part of my career. At The Mill Shanghai, I worked as a 3D generalist on commercials and cinematic projects. I was initially hired for my Blender experience, but I taught myself Houdini while working there to expand my skills.
That experience showed me the importance of continuing to learn new tools and adapt to different types of work.
I continued to build on that in New Zealand, moving into lighting and environment work and contributing to productions including Zombies 4 and M3GAN 2.0.
Making the Move to Australia
Working in New Zealand gave me a strong foundation, but moving to Australia meant building relationships in a new professional community.
One of the challenges was becoming known to people in Australia while still living in New Zealand.
A reel can show what you can do, and a CV can show where you have worked. But meeting people also gives them a chance to get to know you and understand how you approach your work.
That made attending events and spending time in Australia useful for me.
How the Opportunity Came Together
Over time, the relationships I had built and the experience I gained through visiting Australia helped lead to an opportunity.
I am now based in Brisbane and continuing to build my career in Australia.
The move was the result of several smaller steps, including attending events, meeting people, learning new skills and looking for opportunities.
What I Would Tell Other Artists
For artists in New Zealand thinking about moving to Australia, I do not think there is one formula for doing it.
My advice is to start building relationships before you need them.
Go to events. Talk to people. Show your work. Keep your reel current. Learn new tools. Find out what studios are working on.
If possible, spend some time in the market you want to enter.
Being there does not guarantee a job, but it can lead to useful conversations and a better understanding of the industry. Some of the most useful conversations I had did not lead directly to work. They gave me information, introduced me to other people or helped me understand the market better.
Looking back, moving to Australia was a gradual process. I travelled for events, met people, continued developing my skills and explored different opportunities.
For me, the move was about taking the experience I gained in New Zealand, the United States and China and continuing to develop my career in a new market.
Check out more about Yin here.
