Animal Logic Academy

The Master's course was invaluable to me because I had no formal training in the industry, I had no contacts in industry, I came from a very different background so my undergrad was in Applied Physics. I needed the support system. It was fun to learn how a pipeline works and how we all get divided up into teams and see how all of our shots move through the different teams. Because it is a simulated studio environment, it's very easy to transition into work. As a CFX artist, I usually do any sort of effect related to a character. Magician's Elephant was the first project I ever worked on. For Leo, I got to upgrade my skills a little bit, building entire setups for a character. If you do do this course, it's a great opportunity. It made the transition into industry work really easy.

The focus on the practical aspect of the Master's was probably the most beneficial for me, especially in that the tools and the skills that you're using are so similar to those being used in industry. Even in my current role I've found it so transferable. It's really rewarding to come from a self-taught background and then be able to have such engaging conversations with people who are interested in the exact same things that you are. The collaborative experience is some of the best parts of the Master's. It really boosts your confidence when working with others. It's still early but I'm working on a project right now that's coming to the screen and I'm really excited, it's been awesome learning the pipeline and the requirements of clients, and training myself as an artist. For anyone who's considering doing the Master's, I think that it requires commitment but that whatever effort that you put in will be rewarded and it's a great environment for that.

The Master's course prepared me by putting me into dynamics I had never been in before. I was just able to find a drive to get me into the industry, which is what I've always wanted. It's a great place for you to hone in on your skills, learning how to work in a studio environment in a very tightly simulated situation. Life of a surfacing artist, we get a grey model and the concept art and we try to match it as closely as possible to what lighting we'll need. My first project that I worked on was Marvel's What If on season two and a bit of season one. I did lighting on Magician's Elephant at Animal Logic. It's great being around people who are so like-minded. People don't realise that even though this industry is so introverted, how social you need to be sometimes.