Which areas of Framestore do you recruit for?

I oversee all recruitment for the Film division at Framestore.

What are the attributes you look for in a candidate that are particularly suited to Framestore?

The ability to handle constructive criticism is really important. We're always pushing the quality bar as high as we can at Framestore, and to do that people have to be willing to receive critique on their work and to want to keep pushing it to be better. Being able to demonstrate your own self-reflection on your work is key at interview stage for us. In addition we're looking for, people who we feel would work well in a team environment, who can communicate effectively both up- and down-stream, and who are incredibly passionate and talented at what they do. So you know . . . not much!

What motivates you to get up and get to work in the morning?

The opportunity to feel like I can make a difference. A lot of my role now involves working with the wider industry on initiatives such as our VFX Apprenticeship Scheme or the NextGen Skills Academy, which are legacy projects that will hopefully make an ongoing difference to education and skills development for the VFX, gaming and animation industries. It's something I really enjoy, and gives me the opportunity to work with other talented and like-minded people, which is always a pleasure.

What's your one guilty pleasure?

Buffy the Vampire Slayer - can't believe I just said that out loud though...

Which areas of Framestore do you recruit for?

London Film: Animation, Art department, Desktop Support, Engineering, Pipeline TD, Systems Administration & R&D

What's the best question you’ve been asked by a candidate?

“How long did it take you to grow that beard?” This is also my most commonly asked question.

What is the most common mistake you see candidates making?

It’s not necessarily a mistake, but nerves in an interview can a big deal breaker for a hiring manager as they won’t be able to see your actual potential and how you’ll fit into the team. Remember we’re just people, we’re going to talk about films and what you do for a living for 30-minutes, it’ll be a laugh a promise.

What are the attributes you look for in a candidate that is particularly suited to Framestore?

A solid communicator. Because of the size of our pipeline, we need people to be comfortable in letting their line manager know they’re on top of things (or not), so there’s never a negative knock on effect to the wider teams or departments.

What motivates you to get up and get to work in the morning?

What gets me up in the morning is a hungry, loud nuzzling cat. What gets me to work is just a love for film and sadly… Recruitment. Offering people dream jobs on once in a lifetime projects is genuinely a lot of fun. Working across multiple departments gives me an overview of different spectrums of the pipeline few other people get to see - and I’m right nosy.

Which areas of Framestore do you recruit for?

Montréal Film: Paint & Roto, Compositing, FX, Creature FX, Modelling, Rigging, Editorial 

What has been your most memorable moment at Framestore?

The opportunity to spend six weeks in the Montréal office was a huge highlight for me, as it was a really fantastic learning experience. The offices in Montréal are amazing, so it was great to see them and the Canadian work culture first hand!

What are the attributes you look for in a candidate that are particularly suited to Framestore?

We have a very collaborative environment, so personality and working style is something we look into. Someone who has good communication skills, and can demonstrate having worked in a collaborative environment, really stands out.

What's your one guilty pleasure?

I don’t believe in guilty pleasures, I have no guilt in my embarassing love for pop music and binge-watch teen dramas on Netflix!

When you're not recruiting, what are you doing?

I am not very sporty and I hate the gym, but I am part of the Framestore softball team, which has meant training on Mondays and games on Wednesdays/Thursdays - making some really good friends in the process! We often play with DNeg and ILM, so it’s nice to have a healthy rivalry on the field.

Which areas of Framestore do you recruit for?

Integrated Advertising, London: TV, Rides, VR, Commercials, Design, Framestore Pictures, Framestore Labs, and Stills.

What has been your most memorable moment at Framestore?

Probably my first talent event which was FMX in Stuttgart. It was incredible to meet that much fresh talent in one place and see some really inspiring talks. Also the spaetzle!

What are the attributes you look for in a candidate that are particularly suited to Framestore?

Communication is crucial - you don't have to be the loudest person in the room, but you do have to be able to talk about your work and what you do with passion. One constant attribute we look for is the ability to take feedback and not take it personally.

What was your first job?

I was a kids entertainer and FOH at a zoo! I was the poor soul who had to dress up in giant animal costumes and entertain/scare children at birthday parties. Free cake & ice cream though, so every cloud!

When you're not recruiting, what are you doing?

I'm a huge foodie! I spend a lot of time exploring London, from trying niche pop-ups to hunting down the best buffalo wings (The Orange Buffalo, Brick Lane, FYI). I'm not the best cook myself but spend a lot of time baking then doing HIIT workouts to burn off all the cake!

Which areas of Framestore do you recruit for?

Montréal Film: Animation, Lighting, Environment / DMP, Texture, Production, Tracking

What's the best question you’ve been asked by a candidate?

Can I start tomorrow?

What are the attributes you look for in a candidate that are particularly suited to Framestore?

Talented, creative, a team player, keen to learn and passionate.

What was your first job?

My first job was in a cinema, what a coincidence! Fun fact, one night while I was preparing a batch of popcorn, the machine caught fire and everyone in the cinema had to evacuate from their screenings!

What motivates you to get up and get to work in the morning?

Knowing that I just have a five minute bike ride to get to the studio helps! But mainly it's the pretty cool and amazingly talented people that work here and meeting the ones who don't work here, yet!

Which areas of Framestore do you recruit for?

Integrated Advertising: Los Angeles and Chicago, all departments.

What are the attributes you look for in a candidate that are particularly suited to Framestore?

We are always looking for candidates that have experience with photorealistic VFX; and in Integrated Advertising we love meeting candidates who are versatile and can take a bit more of a generalist approach, without losing quality in their work.

What was your first job?

My first real job was working as a server in a donut shop, Honey Dip Donuts in Columbus, Ohio. This was back when you could still smoke in restaurants, so I would come home smelling of a mix of sugar frosting and cigarettes! I never really looked at donuts the same way again.

What motivates you to get up and get to work in the morning?

I love solving the challenge of how we are going to find the team we need to deliver a particular project; it's also about connecting talented people with a job they have been dreaming of, as well as with a company that cares about its employees.

When you're not recruiting, what are you doing?

Cooking, trying new beers (my future husband is a brewer, I'm not just a drunk! Ha!), hanging with my cat, watching TV or films, trying to convince myself that I like exercise...

Which areas of Framestore do you recruit for?

I work globally across all of our Integrated Advertising offices, recruiting across most VFX disciplines but with a particular interest in production and emerging technologies. I also dip in and out of film roles from time to time.

Who is your ideal candidate?

Someone who has the perfect blend of of skills, creativity and cultural fit. Framestore is a company where company culture plays a big part, and the ideal candidate needs to have an openness to learn and the ability to leave their ego at the door.

What has been your most memorable moment at Framestore?

Most memorable (and humiliating) moment was in 2012, on the first day working in our New York office -  I walked into a glass door and ended up in hospital with seven stitches in my lip.

What's the best question you’ve been asked by a candidate?

Most memorable: Do you provide earthquake insurance?

What was your first job?

I was a Production Assistant at a stop motion animation company called Anifex, before any CG animation had even been rendered. This is where I developed my love of the craft of animation and learnt my production and people skills.

Who is your ideal candidate?​
​For me, there's no ideal candidate, I will always look for someone who can truly be themselves, keen to learn and has the ability to express ​their creativity.​ ​

What has been your most memorable moment at Framestore?​
​​When I participated at EffectsMTL in Montreal, which was my first​ recruitment​ event. ​I will remember how happy I was to finally meet new​ ​artists in person​ and to discover all those talents​​. Once in the field, I realized how important our jobs were; not only to talk about ​the company but to advise them as best as we ​can for the future.

What are the attributes you look for in a candidate that are particularly suited to Framestore?​
​There will always be room for someone who loves what they do. Yes, we all have to get up in the morning and go to work but at Framestore, people are passionate and at the end of the day work becomes a fun thing.

What was your first job?
​Cashier in a grocery store

What motivates you to get up and get to work in the morning?
​To be part of the amazing team in Montreal and to chat with people around the world every day. Also, this idea to change someone's life by contacting him/her and to give them the chance to grow professionally makes me really happy.

What's your one guilty pleasure?
​​​I would watch Gossip girl ​over again. XOXO

What has been your most memorable moment at Framestore?
Has to be the work parties and social occasions - although I can't say they are my most memorable!!  

What is the most common mistake you see candidates making?
I have noticed a lot of emails come in from Graduates of media degrees or people who have a 'strong passion' for the media industry but are extremely vague in their descriptions for what they want to become within the industry, candidates need to do their RESEARCH and look up what department they want to get into, whether it be creative, VFX Artist, Producer, Director etc.

What was your first job?
Retail sales job in a department store - that being BHS

What motivates you to get up and get to work in the morning?
My colleagues, and seeing the work they do before anyone else!!

What's your one guilty pleasure?
Watching Police Interceptors and 'Can't pay? We'll take it away'  

When you're not recruiting, what are you doing?
Normally lying in bed watching Police Interceptors or some sort of national service documentary such as 'Ambulance' or '24 hours in A&E with my cat - but when I do get out of bed, I love cooking, attending Boogie Bounce classes and in the summer I'm never far from some sort of Festival or live music shindig.

Who is your ideal candidate?
I love to meet people who are transparent and honest. When I ask a question, I would rather get an honest answer than a perfectly articulated answer memorised from Google. I also encourage candidates to represent their true selves in an interview - yes, an interview is arguably one of the most artificial constructs known to man, but primarily an opportunity to shine.

What has been your most memorable moment at Framestore?
I've only been here a month- can't think of anything stellar right now!

What's the best question you’ve been asked by a candidate?
A candidate asked me what I would change about the company, if I had the chance.

What is the most common mistake you see candidates making?
I find that candidates do not use the opportunity to ask questions during an interview. Questions are the best way to inform your decision as to whether you actually want to join the company - although don't ask questions that you can find answered on our website.

What are the attributes you look for in a candidate that are particularly suited to Framestore?
Ability to critique their own work; team player; and honest about their abilities.

What was your first job?
My first job aged 16 was babysitting the cutest little boy in the world - sadly, his first word was not my name.

What motivates you to get up and get to work in the morning?
I would describe myself as the stereotypical ‘people person’, and I love my job because I get to meet such interesting people. I may wake up feeling like a moody zombie, but usually leave work skipping down the road like Fred Astaire.

What's your one guilty pleasure?
​I have so many guilty pleasures but lately it has been watching Peppa Pig - I watch it even when I'm not babysitting my nephew.

When you're not recruiting, what are you doing?
Reading about WW2, or obsessing over some obscure musical genre that no one else relates to.

What has been your most memorable moment at Framestore?
The first time I put on a VR headset in the studio to experience our projects. I totally forgot where I was, and that there were people working around me.

What's the best question you’ve been asked by a candidate?
The funniest question was when a candidate asked me how she could become a recruiter. She thought my job looked fun and she was considering changing career during the interview!

What is the most common mistake you see candidates making?
Not changing the name of the company you are applying for in your cover letter or email. We know you might be applying somewhere else, but no need to tell us where you submitted your resumé.

What are the attributes you look for in a candidate that are particularly suited to Framestore?
The ability to collaborate with your team, and great technical skills. This is what is behind the quality of work at Framestore, I think.

What was your first job?
I was a swimming instructor in my first job, and I absolutely loved it. I did that for nine years part-time while I was a student. My employer never knew, but I would have done that job for free without any problem.

What motivates you to get up and get to work in the morning?
The people I will be spending my day with.

What's your one guilty pleasure?
Sour candies. The more acidic they are, the better.

When you're not recruiting, what are you doing?
Moving. It's very important for me to be active, and I enjoy yoga sessions, climbing mountains or playing tennis during my free time.

Please list the office/division/departments (as appropriate) you are responsible for recruiting for?
Virtual Reality department for the Montréal office.

Who is your ideal candidate?
It’s more about having the right mix of positive attitude, competency and mindset.

What has been your most memorable moment at Framestore?
Watching the Oscars with all of my colleagues at Framestore, and seeing their joy of accomplishment after being announced as the winner for the 2018 Visual Effects award!  

What's the best question you’ve been asked by a candidate?
What is it that still makes you want to work here?

What is the most common mistake you see candidates making?
I would say it’s when the person is showing poor energy or lacking enthusiasm, by not giving some signs of interest. Always do some research beforehand, and express some excitement about the company you’re interviewing for.

What are the attributes you look for in a candidate that are particularly suited to Framestore?
Being an effective communicator is important at Framestore. Since it’s a team-based production, it’s important to be able to work well with others by being collaborative.

What was your first job?
My first job was as a banquet waitress, which I absolutely loved because every event had its own unique concept.

What motivates you to get up and get to work in the morning?
Well, as Laura Lippman would say ‘I’m a morning person, which is a hideous thing to be. No one likes morning people, not even other morning people’. But knowing that I get to work with nice and amazing people makes my day easier.

What's your one guilty pleasure?
I guess listening to cheesy ‘80s-’90s songs? I have loads of others, but that would be the least embarrassing one that I’m willing to share :)

When you're not recruiting, what are you doing?
Besides spending time with my friends and family, I love taking pictures. The act of taking a picture and putting myself in a creative zone is my form of meditation.

Please list the office/division/departments (as appropriate) you are responsible for recruiting for?
Montréal Film: Environments/DMP, Texture, Tracking, Paint & Roto, Groom, Modelling and Crowds.