vfx

Animated Women UK launches Mentorship Programme

Animated Women UK launches Mentorship Programme

AWUK reveals a new mentorship programme for its members in the VFX and animation industries, pairing seasoned professionals with emerging female talent. 

Animated Women UK is pleased to announce a mentorship programme in partnership with Disney UK & Ireland for its members. 

This mentorship programme will focus on fostering connection and engagement with female veterans of the VFX and Animation industries, pairing them with the next generation of female talent.  

AWUK members who are interested in participating in the mentorship programme will be asked to fill out a questionnaire describing their industry experience. 

Powered through the Prospela professional network website, mentors will be paired with a mentee seeking advice and support.  

Through the use of a chat channel on the Prospela website, mentors and mentees will be able to exchange communication when it suits them best and in their own time.  

We have a great team of Mentors engaged and ready to start a meaningful mentorship with keen mentees.  Could this be you?  We hope so!

Louise Hussey, Co-Chair, VFX, Animated Women UK, commented: “AWUK is very excited to be offering a mentor scheme, and have been able to do so by Disney’s sponsorship. We love the way that this scheme, hosted by Prospela, and pioneered by Access VFX works. It enables communication through a digital platform that allows for Mentors to be able to respond as and when their schedules allow.  In these times, support and help are welcomed by us all, so please do sign up!”

For more information, or to apply, visit http://www.animatedwomenuk.com/mentoring/.

Annual membership of Animated Women UK costs just £30.

http://www.animatedwomenuk.com/membership/

Posted by Lucy Cooper in Homepage, Mentoring, News, 0 comments
International Women’s Day 2019 | How can we positively impact gender balance?

International Women’s Day 2019 | How can we positively impact gender balance?

#BalanceforBetter #IWD2019

Animated Women UK | ACCESS:VFX | Animation UK

According to recent diversity statistics from UK Screen and Animation UK the VFX (27% female) and Animation industries (40% female) still have a long way to go to reach gender balance.

The night before International Women’s Day 2019 Animated Women UK, ACCESS:VFX and Animation UK have teamed up to host a panel at The Mill to discuss these statistics and the challenges faced trying to address them with the aim of formulating a plan for change.

Doors will open at 18:00 and the panel chaired by Alana Foster will be held from 6.45 – 8pm.

Our panel is being chaired by Alana Foster from IBC 365

With thanks to The Mill for hosting us.

The Panel:

  • Noreen Connolly – MD of Beam
  • Simon Hughes – Creative Director / VFX Supervisor, Union
  • Natalie Llewellyn – Head of Development, Jellyfish
  • Ross Urien – Creative Director, The Mill
  • Tom Box – Co-founder, Blue Zoo
  • Helen Piercy – AWUK Board Education Advisor / Animation Lecturer at University of Norwich
  • Andrew Brassington – Head of Strategic Projects, Escape Studios
Posted by Lucy Cooper in Events, Homepage, 0 comments
Animated Women UK Host Keyframe for Success at BFX Festival

Animated Women UK Host Keyframe for Success at BFX Festival

Animated Women UK were delighted to be invited by the BFX Festival to host a panel. BFX has been held annually by Bournemouth University since 2012 and is the UK’s largest visual effects, computer games and animation festival with innovative techniques and research being showcased to ‘inspire new talent and educate the next generation of practitioners’.

The Animated Women UK panel hosted leading women from the animation and VFX industries and aimed to provide tips on how to navigate the often complex waters through personal anecdotes of how they got to where they are today and a question and answer session where they shared their views on gender in the industry today, the progress that has been made throughout their careers and their top tips on getting into animation.

LoveLove Films’ Managing Director / Producer Georgina Hurcombe organised and hosted the panel bringing together Natalie Llewellyn, Head of Development at Jellyfish Pictures; Lizzie Hicks, creative producer at Blue Zoo; Chloé Deneuve, artist at Blue Zoo; Hannah Elder, Junior Production Manager at the Walt Disney Company; and Natalie McKay, Acquisition and Animation Coordinator at the Walt Disney Company.

Sharing their insights next to Bournemouth’s beautiful beaches, the overall outlook of the interview was very optimistic.

THE PANEL

Natalie Llewellyn is a development executive at Jellyfish Pictures tasked with growing a development slate of original content primarily aimed at the kids’ market. Natalie has over 20 years of experience in roles including Head of Global strategy at kids’ production company Platinum Films and assistant producer on CBeebies’ Everything’s Rosie at V&S Entertainment.

Lizzie Hicks is a Creative Producer at Blue Zoo – a role she earned by doing a placement and working her way up through junior animator, animation director and project manager.

Chloé Deneuve is a character animator at Blue Zoo. She studied animation in France before moving back to the UK with one goal in mind: to work at Blue Zoo, which she achieved.

JoAnne Salmon is an animator at LoveLove Films. JoAnne’s first director’s role at LoveLove Films allowed her to tell the story of her journey since graduation – Chin Up, an animated documentary was funded by MoFilm.

Hannah Elder is a junior production manager at the Disney Company. She’s often referred to as a ‘puppy wrangler’ due to her current project – 101 Dalmatian Street, based on the novels and original Disney films.  Following a TV Degree at Bournemouth University, Hannah did an internship at the Disney Company, before a move to HIT Entertainment followed by a return to Disney to work on 101 Dalmatian Street.

Natalie McKay is an Acquisitions and animation coordinator at the Disney Company who also did an internship with the Walt Disney company. Natalie started out at Woodcut Media working in factual a couple of days a week before finishing her TV Degree at Bournemouth University and returning to work with Disney.

After the introductions, Georgina Hurcombe led the panel through a series of questions to provide an insight for audience members in how to get their first jobs and navigating their way through the complex media and animation industries.

WHAT CHANGE HAVE YOU SEEN DURING YOUR TIME IN THE INDUSTRY?

When asked what had changed in the industry during their time in it, Chloe Deneuve stated that there are already more female role models who she can look up to, and through the Helen North Achieve Programme run by AWUK, she has met with many women who can inspire her. Georgina Hurcombe noted that companies are seeing the importance of female voices and are taking the opportunity to celebrate them. Natalie Llewellyn observed that thanks to there being more non-gender-specific activities for young people to be creative and an encouragement of creative activities, there is less inequality for those coming into the industry now. JoAnne noticed that there was a great spirit at female-focused events of supporting each other and celebrating each other’s achievements. Natalie McKay has found seeing women in a range of different roles at Disney, including management ones, very inspiring for her.

WHAT WOULD YOU SAY HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE?

Not having a clear direction following education was a common theme.  Chloe highlighted her difficulty in getting companies to see her in person, rather than just through emails. To combat this she stayed with a friend in Paris for a week and told companies that she was there for just a few days and keen to meet them – this got the companies’ attention, and got Chloe into actual meetings with the companies.

Natalie studied at a time when there were no media degrees available, but she knew she loved stories and wanted fiercely to move into that kind of space. Natalie did a number of internships for different companies and proved her passion and interest to them.

Lizzie suffered from imposter syndrome – a feeling that you’re not as good as other people are at work – which two-thirds of women suffer from in the UK (Forbes, 2018). Lizzie felt as though someone would “find her out”, but knowing that she deserved her place at Blue Zoo was a big step for her.

“My boss always says that the most you should want from a conversation is another conversation.”

Natalie McKay – The Walt Disney Company

The AWUK Panelists

WHAT MATERIALS DO YOU THINK YOUNG PEOPLE NEED TO SHOWCASE WHEN LOOKING FOR A JOB?

Answers for this varied depending on the roles, with Natalie McKay and Hannah Elder highlighting the importance of good, natural emails and following up after a conversation.

Natalie said that she sometimes spends hours on an email, because that becomes the first impression when it lands in an inbox, so each one should count for something.

All of the panel stressed that research is key – know the company you are emailing or sending a showreel to and tailor everything specifically to them.

Lizzie Hicks said that she looks at a showreel straight away, so students should put their best work first, not spend loads of time animating their name at the beginning and showing story based work rather than just animation exercises.

Georgina told the story of one of her staff members, Joe, who put together an animated cover letter when applying for his job. He then went on to do a placement at LoveLove Films, and a permanent role was created specifically for him because of his hard work and eagerness to learn.

“Don’t get too upset if someone doesn’t like your stuff – so much of the industry is about personal taste.”

Lizzie Hicks – Blue Zoo

WHAT CAN INTERNS OR PLACEMENT STUDENTS DO TO STAND OUT?

Much of the advice for interns was similar from all of the women on the panel: be friendly, know what you want to get out of the experience and don’t be afraid to ask questions. Natalie noted that a can-do attitude and passion are key and that doing something that you love can be a springboard for a great future. Chloe and Hannah said that writing things down impresses them and is something they did themselves to keep track of everything they were learning. Natalie added that knowing what you’re good at, and how you want interviewers or employers to remember you is great for interns.

WHAT ARE YOUR TIPS ON GETTING INTO THE INDUSTRY?

Natalie began by highlighting the importance of getting on with people in a natural way in the media industry. Natalie said, “my boss always says that the most you should want from a conversation is another conversation.”

Hannah also talked about the importance of meeting people and keeping in contact – events like those held by Animated Women UK are a great way to get to know people in the industry. Hannah also stressed that students should use their time wisely and gain as much experience as they can. Hannah finished by telling the audience not to give up – “the industry can be competitive but persevering is worth it.”

JoAnne had some wise words for the audience: “enjoy what you are doing and meet other people who love what they do. Keep learning, ask questions and be nice to people as it’s how you get where you want to be in the industry.”

Chloe said that networking – not just inside the industry – was super important for her.

“Networking with people in other industries can open up your mind and help you to learn even more.”

Chloe also highlighted the importance of listening – really listening – to what people are telling you, and showing an interest.

For Natalie a sense of humour is key: “You will meet wonderful, creative and ‘interesting’ people.  Be nice to people, because you never know when you might meet them again. Be kind to yourself, but be realistic about your skillsets and open to learning from those more senior than you.”

Georgina discussed the value of networking, going to film festivals in the industry that you are interested in and taking volunteering opportunities such as the CMC volunteering if possible. Branching outside of film festivals to other types of festivals is also useful as you never know who you will meet.

Georgina mentioned one of her favourite mottos – “if you don’t ask, you don’t get”, stressing the importance of seeking out opportunities in the industry.

Lizzie Hicks finished with one important piece of advice – “don’t forget to be creative!”

The panel also took questions from the audience.

The overall message from the panel was very positive, discussing the new opportunities available for women, and how inspiring it is to see women in a range of roles in Animation and VFX. One audience member stated “Inspiring words for next gen female animators, film students and passionate digital creators. (@TraceyMayHowes).

3D ARTIST MAGAZINE

Before the panel, the women were interviewed for 3D Artist Magazine, by journalist Bradley Thorne.  

Look out for the article in an upcoming issue.

Posted by Lucy Cooper in Events, Homepage, 0 comments

Member Profile | Bimpe Alliu | Art Assistant at ILM

We caught up with Bimpe Alliu, Art Assistant at Industrial Light & Magic and one of the 2017 Achieve Programme alumni to ask her about her career path so far and thoughts on the challenges facing women in our industry.

Personal art project © Bimpe Alliu

Personal art project © Bimpe Alliu

What inspired you to get into VFX?

I’ve always loved feature animation and films (some good and some very questionable), but as comic lover, seeing the growth of the Marvel Cinematic Universe really got me thinking about how I wanted to be part of that development process. It genuinely made me excited to take steps to working as an artist professionally – which was something I hadn’t thought was previously possible, but at least I now know!

Personal art project © Bimpe Alliu

Personal art project © Bimpe Alliu

How did you make it a reality?

After some very kind words from friends, and a bit of faith, trust and pixie dust I decided that I was just going to go for it. At the time I was working in social media for Sony Music UK and started researching university courses as I knew I was lacking both the technical knowledge and skill set. I saved for just over a year before I applied to and was accepted to do MSc Animation and VFX at the University of Dundee, Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design (Great course, great uni, great city), and not to be cheesy, but it really was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

What would you say is the biggest challenge facing women the industry?

Establishing a work life / home life balance. Especially when you’re at the beginning of your career and trying to develop like I am, it can be very easy to fall into the habit of all work all the time. This can leave very little time for anything else which can have a massive knock on effect on everything else in your life.

But also establish a balance within yourself – gaining and retaining confidence and trying to stay as true to yourself as possible.

Personal art project © Bimpe Alliu

Personal art project © Bimpe Alliu

Were there ever times where you felt like being a woman may have impacted your career, or have you ever felt professionally excluded because of it?

Sadly this does still happen and it is something we need to keep working to overcome, but I am definitely grateful as I’ve never felt that my career has been affected as a result. There hasn’t really been anything that I’ve willing allowed to stunt my own progression.

Did you have mentors or support networks throughout your career that really helped push you forward?  Feel free to give a shout out.

I’m still at the beginning of my career in VFX so I’m sure there will be PLENTY of names to come, but as of now I’m definitely grateful for DJCAD and Phillip Vaughan for accepting a VFX newbie onto the course, as well as my ridiculously talented and supportive course-mates (Especially Natasha Dudley, who I’m still learning from even now). Also my friends who helped give me the extra confidence to take this leap and ‘start again’ (Esther Roberts and Abigail Balfe!). But also my current colleagues – the ILM Art Department here in London, who are always willing to look, listen and teach me new things – but also have a great supply of biscuits and green tea.

Personal art project © Bimpe Alliu

Personal art project © Bimpe Alliu

How do you plan to help advance the idea of more women in the industry?

As someone at the beginning of their career I want to show the same support that has been given to me.

What advice would you give to women wanting to enter the industry?

Trust yourself and take that step. Be excited about your growth and development and all the opportunities that will come.

Bimpe Alliu

Bimpe Alliu

You took part in AWUK’s Achieve Programme.  How do you feel it benefited you?

Ah I loved this programme. The opportunity to share experiences with and gain advice from other women in the industry has been invaluable, and has definitely impacted the way I view and approach certain scenarios. It also gave me the confidence boost to start discussing my own career development.

But probably most importantly for me it helped me begin to really understand and value the importance of balance and mental wellbeing when working in any industry – knowing when it time to leave work behind for the day and really look after yourself.

Definitely worth applying for.

If you were hosting a dinner party who would you invite and why?

It would have to be a dinner date with Maya Angelou – to thank her for everything I’ve learnt in the last couple of years about personal growth and perseverance.

Posted by Web Master in Profiles, 0 comments