The Access:VFX Podcast

ACCESS:VFX
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Government
  • Updated Semimonthly

Discussing inclusion, diversity, awareness and opportunity within the VFX, Animation & Games industries.

  1. 3d ago

    How Do You Actually Become a Leader in VFX and Animation? Part 2

    Getting the leadership title is one thing. What happens when you actually have to do the job? When you become responsible for other people’s careers. When you have to deliver feedback you know someone won’t like. When you’re promoted and quietly wonder whether somebody has made a terrible mistake. Or when you discover that the behaviours that made you successful are precisely the ones you now need to unlearn. In Part 2 of 'How Do You Actually Become a Leader in VFX and Animation?' hosts Simon Devereux and Nene Parsotam reunite with Emma Kolasinska, Executive VFX Producer at Lux Aeterna; Lucy Cooper, Managing Director at Union Visual Effects; Dan Cripps, Animator, Animation Director and Head of Animation at Blue Zoo Animation; Kate Lander, Director, Career Expert and Workforce Development Specialist; and Jon Mason, Founder of Jollywise. This time, the conversation gets even more personal. The panel explores the strange experience of growing into a leadership title, the loneliness that can accompany senior responsibility and why feeling ready often comes long after the promotion itself. They share some of their biggest mistakes, from hiring decisions and financial blind spots to accidentally sending a Disney pitch to Nickelodeon! ...and explain why honesty, accountability and learning from failure are essential to building trust. They also challenge some of the industry’s most persistent leadership myths. Confidence is not the same as charisma. Admitting that you don’t know something is not weakness. Hiring people who are better than you is not a threat. And leadership does not mean having all the answers... it means bringing together the right people to find them. The conversation also looks beyond the workplace. When so much of your identity is tied to your career, what happens when the job changes... or disappears? The guests discuss mentoring, family pressures, burnout, side projects and the importance of building a life that is bigger than your title. This is an honest conversation about imposter syndrome, confidence, mistakes, identity, resilience and why becoming a leader is rarely the polished success story it appears to be from the outside. Because leadership isn’t 'golf and lattes.' As Jon Mason puts it, it’s usually 2am in the morning!

    How Do You Actually Become a Leader in VFX and Animation? Part 2

  2. Sep 1

    How Do You Actually Become a Leader in VFX and Animation? Part 1

    Working hard, becoming brilliant at your craft and earning a promotion should make you a great leader… right? Not necessarily. Being an exceptional animator doesn’t automatically mean you’ll be good at managing animators. Being a brilliant producer doesn’t prepare you for every difficult conversation. And being the most technically experienced person in the room doesn’t always make you the person others want to follow. So, how do you actually become a leader in VFX and animation? In the first of this two-part conversation, hosts Simon Devereux and Nene Parsotam are joined by six leaders from across VFX, animation, production and workforce development to explore what career progression really looks like, and why getting the title is often only the beginning. Dasha Sherman, Co-Founder and Director at KoalaFX, Emma Kolasinska, Executive VFX Producer at Lux Aeterna, Lucy Cooper, Managing Director at Union Visual Effects, Dan Cripps, Animator, Animation Director and Head of Animation at Blue Zoo Productions, Kate Lander, Director, Career Expert and Workforce Development Specialist, and Jon Mason, Founder of Jollywise, share the lessons they’ve learned through building studios, leading teams and helping others take their next career step. Together, they discuss the importance of visibility without self-promotion, building an internal personal brand and demonstrating the 'extra value' you bring beyond your job description. They also explore why progression is rarely linear, how quieter and more introverted people can make themselves seen, and why not everyone needs (or wants) to climb the traditional leadership ladder. From creating opportunities for visibility and navigating non-linear careers to recognising hidden potential and learning when to step back, this is an honest conversation about what leadership really demands, and why success eventually stops being about what you can do and starts being about what you can help other people do.

    How Do You Actually Become a Leader in VFX and Animation? Part 1

  3. Aug 17

    I Followed All the Advice… So Why Am I Still Not Hired?

    Improve your reel. Network more. Attend events. Ask for feedback. Build your online presence. Keep creating. Stay positive. But what happens when you do all of that… and you still can’t get hired? This episode of the ACCESS: VFX Podcast began with a message from junior compositor and roto/paint artist Antony Buckman. Antony had sought mentoring, improved his reel, personalised his applications, listened to the advice and kept putting himself out there. Yet despite doing everything he’d been told to do, the opportunities still weren’t coming. And eventually the question becomes much more personal: If I’ve followed all the advice, why am I still not hired? For this episode, Simon and Nene bring together artists currently navigating that reality alongside recruiters who understand what is happening on the other side of the hiring process. Joining Antony are Ashley Obote, CG Generalist; Marie Boisnard, CG Generalist / Environment Artist; and Ilmi Perez Stubbs, 3D Character Animator. Offering the recruitment perspective are Jonny Adamson, Senior Talent Manager at BRAHMA AI (DNEG Group), and Tiffany Feeney, Founder of Talent Outpost and recruiter across feature film, television, commercials, animation, VFX, media and entertainment. Together, they unpack the emotional reality of repeated rejection, burnout while unemployed, recruitment 'ghosting', the overwhelming amount of conflicting career advice and the dangerous moment when 'my work isn't good enough' starts becoming 'maybe I'm not good enough.' The conversation also challenges some familiar industry wisdom. Is endlessly improving your reel actually helping? Is applying for hundreds of jobs really a strategy? How much of getting hired comes down to talent, and how much comes down to timing, project needs, positioning and plain old luck? Tiffany explains why a great portfolio can still be the wrong portfolio for a particular studio or sector, and why understanding exactly where your skills fit may be more valuable than simply sending more applications. Jonny takes us behind the scenes of recruitment: shifting projects, internal resourcing, hundreds of candidate conversations and the uncomfortable reality of the 'no-update update'. And our artists share what it actually feels like to live through the process, including something we don't talk about enough: you can burn out looking for work before you've even got the job. But ultimately, this is an episode about more than getting hired. It's about strategy. Community. Timing. Knowing when to step away. Finding your people. Separating your value from your work. And recognising that your career is unlikely to follow the neat, linear path you may have imagined when you started. Perhaps most importantly, it's about retiring one particularly unhelpful piece of advice: 'Just keep going.' Because persistence matters, but persistence without direction isn't a strategy.

    I Followed All the Advice… So Why Am I Still Not Hired?

  4. Aug 3

    The Career-Launching Animation Competition: Young Animator of the Year UK

    How do you actually get noticed as a young animator? In this special episode of the ACCESS:VFX Podcast, Simon and Nene explore Young Animator of the Year UK, the free national animation competition that has helped launch the careers of some of the UK's most exciting emerging talent. Joining them are Tom Box (Co-Founder of Blue Zoo Animation and Young Animator of the Year UK Lead), Tanya Scott (BAA-winning Director and Young Animator of the Year UK Judge), alongside former winners Josh Palfrey, Amelie Colvin and two-time winner Nishaan Singh. Together they discuss what judges are really looking for, the biggest myths about breaking into animation, why storytelling matters more than perfection, and how competitions like Young Animator of the Year UK can open doors into the industry. If you're thinking of entering, entries are free and open to anyone aged 11–22 living or studying in the UK. You can submit 2D, 3D or Stop Motion animation, with finalists showcased at the Manchester Animation Festival. Entries close on 1st September. Find out more and enter at younganimator.uk

    The Career-Launching Animation Competition: Young Animator of the Year UK

  5. Jul 10

    What is Advertising in VFX.... And why does nobody talk about it?

    This week on The ACCESS:VFX Podcast, we're asking a simple question: Why does nobody talk about advertising VFX? When people think about careers in VFX and animation, they usually picture blockbuster films, episodic television or games. But some of the most innovative visual effects, animation and creative technology work is happening in advertising, and it's a career path that rarely gets the attention it deserves. Joining Simon Devereux and co-host Nene Parsotam is a panel of experts spanning animation production, creative technology, CG, robotics and commercial creativity. Together, they unpack the biggest misconceptions about advertising, explore how storytelling changes when you only have seconds to capture an audience's attention, and discuss why commercial work demands just as much creativity, technical excellence and collaboration as film and episodic production. The conversation also dives into the rapid pace of advertising, the growing role of AI, the crossover of skills between industries, and why careers in branded content and commercial production offer exciting opportunities for artists, producers and technologists alike. Whether you're already working in VFX and animation, considering a move into advertising, or simply curious about how brands create the campaigns we see every day, this episode offers an honest, behind-the-scenes look at a creative industry that's often overlooked, but full of opportunity. Featuring Amy Ashton (Freelance Animation Producer and Co-founder of BlackFrame), Tristan Ramsay (Founder and Creative Director of Frantic), Ethan Francis (CG Artist at Black Kite and Co-founder of CG101), Razik Darji (Creative Technologist at VML and Adobe Creative Ambassador), and Eunah Lee (Robotics, Cinematography and Creative Technologist at WPP), bringing perspectives from across commercial production, creative technology, animation and visual effects.

    What is Advertising in VFX.... And why does nobody talk about it?

  6. Jul 5

    If VFX Doesn’t Work Out, What Else Can These Skills Do?

    If VFX Doesn't Work Out... What Else Can These Skills Do? What if the skills you've built in VFX, animation or games were never limited to those industries in the first place? In this episode, Simon Devereux and Nene Parsotam are joined by an international panel of artists, producers, educators, recruiters and entrepreneurs to explore why creative skills are more transferable than ever. From healthcare and architecture to automotive, property, education and digital experiences, the conversation reveals just how many opportunities exist beyond film and television. The panel discusses career pivots, transferable skills, storytelling, networking, personal branding, confidence, multiple income streams and why the idea of a single, linear career is becoming increasingly outdated. Featuring Alannah Belanger from Untold Studios, Tom Feist-Wilson from Union VFX, Lighting Artist and Property Investor Jermaine Rajis, Industry Educator Mark Flanagan, Talent Manager Cat Gulácsy and VFX Artist Inês Coimbra, this is an honest and reassuring conversation for anyone wondering what comes next. Because your career isn't defined by one industry... It's defined by the skills you take with you.

    If VFX Doesn’t Work Out, What Else Can These Skills Do?

  7. Jun 22

    What we wish we'd known as a student at 16!

    At 16, most of us thought everyone else had a plan. Pick the right subjects. Make the right choices. Don’t fall behind. Except… that’s not really how creative careers work. In this episode, Simon Devereux and co-host Nene Parsotam bring together artists, leaders and emerging talent from across VFX and animation to answer one question: What do you wish someone had told you when you were 16? The answers are honest, surprising, occasionally brutal… and probably not what you’d expect. This isn’t an episode about becoming successful by 21 or building the perfect portfolio. It’s about the things nobody tells you early enough: that careers rarely move in straight lines, that changing direction isn’t failure, that software matters less than you think, and that some of the skills that take you furthest aren’t taught in classrooms at all. From early career panic to sideways moves, from advice that changed everything to advice that turned out to be nonsense, the panel reflects on the pressure young people put on themselves, and what actually mattered in hindsight. If you’re 16, know someone who is, or occasionally wish you could send your younger self a voice note… This one’s for you. Guests: Joe Raasch - Head of Training, Pixomondo Will Noon - 3D Character & Creature Animator & Previs Artist, Framestore Alex Davy - Storyboard Artist, previously at Blue Zoo Animation Oktawia Sokalska - Junior Compositor, Viridian FX Zain Harris - Colourist, DISAUTHORITY Kara Orapallo - VP Crew Development, DNEG Animation Listen now! ...and maybe send it to someone who thinks they need their whole future figured out already.

    What we wish we'd known as a student at 16!

  8. Jun 8

    My Kid Loves Games, TikTok, & YouTube... Is That a Problem?

    What happens when young people spend hours gaming, editing videos, scrolling TikTok or watching YouTube? Are they wasting time… or developing skills adults don’t always recognise? In this thoughtful and refreshingly balanced conversation, we explore the growing gap between how young people engage with digital platforms and how parents often interpret that behaviour. Bringing together voices from games, animation, education and production, the panel looks beyond the headlines and asks whether gaming, content creation and online communities are building creativity, resilience and transferable skills in ways we don’t always acknowledge. Across the episode, the conversation explores what parents are really worried about when they think about screen time, the difference between passive consumption and active creation, and why ideas like 'games literacy' may become increasingly important in the future. This roundtable discusses how gaming can develop problem-solving, decision-making and learning through failure, while also unpacking the surprising links between video editing, storytelling, short-form content and modern creative careers. The discussion also examines how studios are adapting to changing audience behaviours, what creative employers are noticing in the next generation of talent, and whether visual and motion literacy are becoming just as important as traditional forms of communication. Importantly, the episode doesn’t ignore the challenges. The panel talks honestly about healthy boundaries, digital wellbeing and the moments when parents should step in, while offering practical advice for supporting curiosity without turning every hobby into a career plan. No judgement. No panic. Just an honest conversation about creativity, technology, learning and whether young people might already be developing skills for a world that adults are still catching up to. Guests: Del Walker - Lead Character Artist at Absurd Ventures, Professor of Arts at Norwich University and BAFTA committee member Marcia Deakin - Co-Founder, NextGen Skills Academy Grace Lane - Senior Communications Manager at Blue Zoo Animation Studio Lauren Middleton - Senior Games Production Coordinator at Framestore, Limit Break Mentor and Women in Games Ambassador

    My Kid Loves Games, TikTok, & YouTube... Is That a Problem?
See All (109)

About

Discussing inclusion, diversity, awareness and opportunity within the VFX, Animation & Games industries.

Information

  • Creator
    ACCESS:VFX
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    109
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © All rights reserved
  • Show Website
    The Access:VFX Podcast