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

May 13, 20230 comments♥ 0
00:02 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,
00:37 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?
01:16 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
01:36 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.
02:15 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.
02:31 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.
03:00 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.