http://vfxsummit.com/portfolio_page/laura-livingston/
Look into animation business management.
Managing Directors.
I spoke to Laura over the skype call and asked her how important it is for a student to take a study abroad year out on placement instead of a work placement because I have plans on studying business. She told me that it would be great if I wanted to go into a more managing role in animation and that I could look into places in Atlanta and give her a heads up. I admire her persistence and positivity as she discussed moving to america to achieve her main goal of becoming a VFX producer. At first, she didn’t have the required skills but she stayed and worked a normal job at a bar and learnt new skills and kept getting back in touch with the people who interviewed her. Now she’s working at ILM…..
Notes from talk:
From Armagh, went to Dublin to go to college DAT course- communications film and broadcasting. Half practical, half theory. Enjoyed practical film making aspect. Had to make a public short film every year. Tried every aspect to see which path she’d like to go down and ended up producing.
Course didn’t qualify them but there was a local production company. Worked as a production assistant. Went to Spain and Germany and worked on productions in Europe where they needed an English speaking production assistant. Took an internship in Los Angeles. Only got paid if the film got made. Went to San Francisco broke and got a bar job and started to work in the industry there. Discovered VFX and had to work for Pixar or ILM. She rang both and hounded them for an interview. Interviewed for an executive assistant job in ILM. They made it clear that it would not lead to a job in production. Went to film school in San Francisco- academy of art. Learnt fundamentals of compositing and was hired to work on Iron Man for ILM.
Worked for Atomic Fiction.
Worked for Zoic- a lot of episodic television. Faster, better, cheaper.
Work with entropic now. CG that she is doing is for companies like apple.
Always check in on artists who you look up to. Ask for advice. Find mentors. Ask for opportunities to shadow or work for them. Look into LinkedIn. See if they attend events and email beforehand to ask to talk etc.
When you are a graduate it is easier to get J1 visa to work in the USA. 18 month J1 where you can go out looking for a job and don’t need one before going over to explore.
Find Laura on Linked In and look into more animation studios in Atlanta etc or wherever I get placed in case she has any connections. Contact the people in charge on those companies to see if I can shadow them.
Best places for companies to find out: be honest with our regards to skill. Look for an entry level job. Make a google doc of all the companies I want to work for and emails. Keep getting in touch.
Necessary skill to have that may be overlooked: awareness of other software and their pros and cons. Even if you know the merits of them and why they wouldn’t work. Be flexible. Be aware of the industry trends.
Internships are better when you are a student or a recent graduate. Every spring, summer etc. ILM and Pixar. Be aware than San Francisco is expensive to live in.
Abigail Gelston 