Studio conference: Framestore

FRAMESTORE AND ESMA

This is not the first time that the studio has organized a conference for ESMA students. In previous years, presentations were given in person on different campuses. This year, the conference was held virtually, which allowed fourth-year students in the CG Animation and FX Master Degree to participate in the discussion.

And it was a former ESMA student who presented the studio! Lucie Martinetto, who now works at Framestore Montreal as a Rigging TD, graduated in 2016. She presented her workplace and then the department she works in, before answering questions from students.

THE RIGGING

This meeting was an opportunity to give a very comprehensive overview of rigging. The rigging is the “skeletonization” of a character, or an animal, on which points of articulation are placed. On this skeleton, bones and muscles are grafted to give consistency to the character on which controllers are placed. These controllers allow to manipulate the character and to act on the facial expressions and to make it move.

Starting with a reminder of the qualities required in a rigger, our speaker presented the cosmopolitan universe of Framestore’s rigging department. The department is located in both London and Montreal and has employees of over 14 different nationalities.

Lucie then reminded the students of the basics of rigging, such as the Maya software, hierarchy, constraints, and animation controls, which are used to check the attractiveness of rigs.

Lucie went through all the aspects of rigging, comparing the controllers needed for a cartoon character’s facial expression to the controllers used to express a realistic facial expression for example.

She also went over the importance of anatomy knowledge. Since rigging allows the CG animator to manipulate the rig to make the character move according to the needs of the scene, one must be able to understand the anatomy of the character one wants to move. Human anatomy and biomechanics are therefore essential skills for students

“NEVER REFUSE AN INTERVIEW, THAT WAS MY ADVICE FOR YOU GUYS!”

Following this presentation, an exchange with the students started, especially about their future job search. Lucie gave them some advice, such as to be well informed about the studio before an interview. She also advised them to ask someone they know who works in the same position to find out about the tasks required, the constraints and the objectives of the position so that they know what to put forward during the interview. Having a good knowledge of the studio, the position, the recruiter and the working conditions is essential to arrive at an interview with confidence and to succeed.

Finally, she advised them to never refuse an interview! Indeed, any training is good to take and it can help to develop your network. This is relevant advice to get the best start in the professional life of soon-to-be graduated students.

A FEW WORDS ABOUT THE FRAMESTORE STUDIO

The Framestore studio was born in 1986 in the Soho district of London. Subsequently, several branches were opened: New York, Los Angeles, Montreal, Chicago and Mumbai.

The studio specializes in visual effects but also offers services in real time animation, capture lab, virtual reality etc. For the past twenty years, the studio has worked on film productions (Harry Potter, Crossroads, Gravity, Blade Runner 2049, Jingle Jangle, Wonder Woman 1984, etc.), series (Game of Throne, Wanda Vision, His Dark Materials (2nd season), The Witcher, Hunters, The Crown, The Boys, etc.), advertising, and immersive experiences (notably for theme parks).

Framestore has received numerous awards for its work, including the famous Oscars, BAFTA and VES Awards.