Uncover more about The Academy as we reconnect with the graduates who developed their skills into first-hand experiences working on some of the most VFX intensive projects within our studios.
This episode introduces Freya Betts, Animation Artist at MPC in London who looks back on the Animation course, talks dream projects, student advice, her MPC career journey and the projects she has worked on.
Journey us through your time at Technicolor Group
I joined The Academy in February 2021 and at the end of the 8 week course I was offered a contract with MPC as an Animator. I started at MPC in May 2021 in the layout department and worked as a layout artist for 7 months before moving into animation where I have now had the opportunity to animate on two films and a TV series.
What advice would you give someone looking to join The Academy?
I know I benefited a lot from The Academy towards improving my animation skills. I would advise people looking to apply to take full advantage of the chance to learn as much as you can from the materials provided, the instructors and the peers at The Academy as it’s a range of experience and knowledge that is a great addition to your network. It was brilliant having guests across Technicolor Group, like Head of Departments or Supervisors come in and give talks about what they do, talk projects and offer feedback on the work you are doing at The Academy.
How would you describe The Academy in 3 words?
Engaging, helpful & motivational
Explain what you do to someone who has never heard of it
An animator creates the movement of the non-real elements in TV shows or films, with a focus on the performance of character working in a similar way that a puppeteer does but in drawing or on a 3D computer model.
A career highlight so far?
I think I will always remember the nice little excitement of seeing my first animation shot go through the final comp, knowing that it is the final look for the film and the part I played in it.
What was the first project you worked on at MPC?
The first project I worked on was The Little Mermaid in both layout and animation which was a unique chance to see different stages of the pipeline, and how they work together whilst picking up techniques that are useful to both areas.
What piece of advice would you give to your younger self?
I would encourage my younger self to take more opportunities to get feedback on work and not to have been so worried about it. As the views of others propel the progression of shots and particularly when coming from other animators.
Your DREAM project would involve
I have always had a love of mythical creatures so any projects that involve animating a creature like that, I know I will like.
One thing you learned this year
In general, I have greatly improved some of my methods and workflows for animating in a scene and learned directly about how to work with rotoscope animation and other information from sets and how best to combine my animation with these elements.
Favorite animated character and why?
Buckbeak was always a favorite character of mine as I loved the Harry Potter books as a child, and the love of magical creatures has always remained since then.
Your favorite MPC project to be a part of and why?
My favorite MPC project so far is Snow White, the team and project is one of the most enjoyable I have worked on so far. It has a technical side that I have yet to work with before, which I’m looking forward to learning.
The Technicolor Academy is a stepping stone for talented junior artists looking to break into the Visual Effects industry, explore our free virtual VFX courses to apply today.
