Produced By - Insight #4 - Eleanor Follows: Focus On This to Make It Into The (VFX) Industry

Episode Date: May 13, 2023

Eleanor Follows is a London-based senior VFX artist with more than a decade of experience in various disciplines but primarily specialising in modelling. Starting as a runner and doing minor tasks such as making coffee, working at reception and other things one wouldn’t expect, she worked her way up to collaborating on a whole range of big Hollywood films. Eleanor shares her experience of working in broadcasting companies, a range of different VFX houses and momentarily pivot into architecture. Being half-American, we discuss VFX in the US, her relationship with the country and potential plans for the future. With more than a decade of experience, Eleanor worked on some exciting projects with interesting assets and opens up about why she loved working on them. Listen to this episode to find out some useful advice for not only VFX starters, hear about the celebrities she met on set and get an important message about the women in the industry.  Connect with Eleanor: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/eleanor-follows-75296579/?originalSubdomain=uk⁠ ⁠https://vimeo.com/user36232024 ⁠ Quotes: “The challenging ones for me have been the most fun because you're problem solving as you go.” “You have a whole different level of appreciation and you're like, wow, that's an incredible model. This is beautiful. That was so well done and it just adds a different dimension.” “You just have to throw as much positive energy into it as possible and make as many contacts as you can.” “That was one of the best shows I've worked on because it had a great atmosphere and everyone was so passionate and excited about it while working on it.” Connect with the podcaster: ⁠⁠⁠https://tomasloucky.com/⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomasloucky/⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/thisistommen/⁠⁠⁠ Follow the podcast: 🌐 Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://produced-by-podcast.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🔗 Links: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/produced_by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠   💬 Contact: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://produced-by-podcast.com/contact⁠⁠ 📷 Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://instagram.com/produced_by_podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  🎥 YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCT5LHnM6YCaeVzIr0WatOsw⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  ✉️ Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[e-mail]⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠  Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/produced-by/id1684669642⁠⁠⁠ 🎙️ About Produced By Podcast: Produced By brings you exciting stories of brave people who set out to build careers in competitive fields despite often challenging circumstances. Whether you are interested in creative industries, personal development or want to have some fun, enter the spotlight along with our guests and get inspired. Listen to people coming from all parts of the world, diverse fields of expertise and different levels of careers. So join us to follow their journeys, learn from life experience and embark on a great adventure. 🤩 If you enjoy listening to the podcast, please, leave a review on your podcast app, subscribe or share it with your friends. You can also send us a message and share any feedback, advice and tips for guests. 📭 Subscribe at ⁠⁠https://produced-by-podcast.com/subscribe⁠⁠ so that you don't miss out! #producedbypodcast #producedby #enterthespotlight  Enjoy! Connect with Tomas:X: https://x.com/TomasLoucky⁠⁠⁠Stan: https://stan.store/TommenLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomasloucky/⁠⁠Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisistommen/⁠⁠Unproduced:Newsletter: https://unproduced.substack.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@unproducednotesSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033Ddo8ibDlLYoaP7FFLIWMore:Links: https://linktr.ee/produced_by⁠⁠⁠Newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://producednewsletter.substack.com/⁠The Podcast Club: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/25420030/Tools & gear that support the show:Metricool: https://f.mtr.cool/HRJBZKRiverside: https://riverside.sjv.io/vDnDodFavikon: https://www.favikon.com?fpr=tommenRa Optics: https://ra-optics.myshopify.com/discount/TOMMEN?rfsn=8803777.591d19JamX: https://jamx.ai/podcasters-offer?ref_id=e02d48af-ef66-4e76-b804-c2e8d282a8bfSome links are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. If you find them useful, using these links helps keep the podcast running. Thank you!  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

As we spoke, we got quite experience from working in different companies. Can you share some advice for someone who would want to become BFX artist? My advice for someone just starting out or wanting to start out is just to make as many contacts as you can, ask as many questions as you can, and write down everything. I have gone through so many notebooks. You need to write down everything so that you never really. repeat a question. I mean, if you're starting as a junior, someone tells you how to do something,

you need to write it down and highlight it and underline it and learn it. People notice when you aren't repeating yourself. That sounds silly. You've got to really make sure you're taking information in that you're using your voice, but you're not being obnoxious, especially if you're a woman, you've got to use your voice and don't apologize all the time. Like I said, yeah, write everything down, Make as many contexts as you can, learn as much as you can, and in your spare time, as hard as it is when you just want to chill, you've got to work on your show reel. Can you think of some interview-related advice?

You can ask questions. Make sure you have questions. Make sure you look up the company you're interviewing, see what kind of work they've done. Do your homework. Yeah, I mean, do your homework. You don't have to study who produced. is and where they went to school or what their blood type is, you just got make sure you know

what kind of work they've done, how you can contribute, how you want to learn from them. Make sure you have at least three questions when they ask you at the end of the interview, do you have any questions for us? Never say no. Even if the questions are about something like, I don't know, what's the food like around, you know, this part of so you've got to show you're interested. But at the same time, you're interviewing them too. You need to make sure that this is a place that's worth it for you. I have once had an interview where the guy was so challenging and he was like, you are going to be crushed in this job.

You are going to be worked. And I'm like, what is this full metal jacket? Like this is much. And I was like, I don't think was this for me. Was it the person who was interviewing you? Yeah, yeah. He was like, on this team, you're going to be worked late. you're going to be worked hard and it's not going to be easy.

And I'm like, I've done my time, you know, a grunt. I don't want to be treated like this. I want to be in a nice environment where I'm supported and where I can support. You've got to make sure the company is right for you. So know that even if the place is making you feel like you're lucky that they're giving you the time of day, you've got to make sure they know your time is valuable and that you're there to help them ultimately. Mm-hmm. Yeah, that makes sense.

I always am so nervous in interviews even now. Now it's completely natural, I would say. Yeah. But it's useful to hear some tips from people who went through some interview, especially in the industry.