Diarmid Harrison-Murray is Head of Commercials at world renowned post house Framestore London. With an ocean of experience behind him, we thought we’d catch up with him to learn more about his voyage into the world of VFX. And despite being a very busy man, having recently finished a CG Supervising job on Skyfall, Diarmid was more than happy to reflect with us.

Before joining Escape, jumping aboard one of our courses back in 2005, Diarmid was working in the realm of photography, dabbling in some of his own while also working as a photographer’s assistant and digital re-toucher.

He confesses to having had itchy feet in this profession, and being frank, didn’t see any long term stimulation deriving from this career path, when upon an honest word from a friend in the CG industry, who, identifying his transferrable skills, informed him that the right level of dedication would put him in good stead for work in the world of CG.

An old friend of mine who worked as a CG supervisor at the time mentioned CGI as a possible career path. He said that it was a huge subject to try and learn, but that if I stuck at it, and had some talent, there were jobs on the other side. I don't know how serious he thought I was, but I took him at his word and started teaching myself CG. This was the beginning of the winding road that led me to where I’m sitting now.

Having thrown caution to the wind, Diarmid made his way to Europe’s most prolific CG Academy, Escape Studios, to hone his skills as a CG artist, and hone his skills he did!

The success of our escapees speaks volumes when it comes to reaffirming the learning culture we have here at Escape, so naturally, we asked Diarmid about his time with us, and what he remembers the most about the learning process…

I guess the thing that I remember most fondly is just being in a supportive learning environment in which I could just explore and experiment with both creative and technical ideas. Surrounded by really smart tutors, most of whom had come directly from the industry, and other like-minded students, really meant it was a time of accelerated learning.

Diarmid has gone on to work on projects with BMW, Pepsi, Nokia, LG, and Coca Cola oh, and did we mention Diarmid was the CG supervisor for the opening Bond sequence? A subject we are looking forward to discussing with him in more depth in our upcoming live interview.

It was a great experience and a real honour to work on something with such a legacy. It has always been a dream of mine to work on a Bond title sequence,
and being the CG Supervisor for the project. It was very hands on!

With such a stellar portfolio on his hands, it’d be rude not to ask for some golden words of wisdom, from the man who has climbed this proverbial VFX Mountain…

Stick at it. Make sure you gain a good understanding of all areas of 3D, and then start to focus your mind on the area that really interests you. It's a huge subject and you can't do all of it. Also make sure you learn around the area that you wish to master. If you're into ZBrush and sculpting, then why not sign up for a real clay sculpting course? If you're into rendering, then make sure you learn about real cameras and movie cameras as well. You really need to try and develop a skill base that is broad and more abstract that just learning a bit of software. Software will drift in and out of fashion, and if you just learn a bit of software without considering the underlying principles you run the risk of the same thing happening to you.

Creature TD at Double Negative

“Some of the most talented CG artists work in London and its great to be working along side them"

Sophie Robinson was inspired to become an artist from an early age and it was traditional forms of art like model making and set design that held the most appeal for her. However the idea of also being able to sculpt and create digitally excited her. It made her think about the endless creative possibilities that were available to her in a 3D world. So she decided to take a look at some courses and here she is, a few credits later, with the likes of Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, Inception & Fantastic Mr Fox under her belt.

Let’s start at the Wimbledon School of Art where Sophie studied her degree. “Even though I was modelling 3D physically on a daily basis, I became intrigued by the idea of also being able to creating these models digitally. I’d heard about the CG industry and I thought it would be good to have another set of skills and tools”. After some research Sophie came across the Visual Effects course at Escape Studios. “The opportunity to learn the skills directed at a specific occupation, like visual effects, was so appealing”.

Remembering the 18-week Visual Effects Course, she explained how impressed she was with the quality of what was taught. “The course was so intense and I’m sure most students have said this, but you really have to want to become a VFX artist. It’s a pretty hard-core course and there is so much to take on board. Not only are you getting to grips with new software but you have to think technically and creatively at the same time. The tutors’ knowledge is really helpful though – it wasn’t just theoretical, but practical hands-on advice with tricks on how to do stuff’.

Sophie left Escape Studios and started out as a Matchmover at Double Negative. “Although I didn’t use the Recruitment Service at Escape, the guys were always hugely supportive and it was great to know that you had them on side if you needed advice about your showreel. What I love most about this industry is that there is so much to learn and do, and you could specialise in one particular area or keep things open and become a generalist. The opportunities are huge and the projects are really exciting. Escape Studios helped me take my artistic skill to the next level and I can’t thank them enough for that”.

Junior Texture Artist –Cinesite

“I suppose my story proves that you can start a career in VFX whenever you want. I studied Geography at Uni but found Escape and started the career I’d always dreamt of”.

Catching the CG bug

Getting into trouble for printing out reams of paper on Pixar at school was the result of being hooked on Toy Story 2 aged 12. When most people her age were watching films, Emma was checking out behind the scenes documentaries on how Toy Story was made and busy telling people that it was what she was going to do when she grew up. “I couldn't believe people did that for a job - it was so creative and I just wanted to know more!”. Inspiration for becoming a CG artist didn’t stop there. Lord of the Rings had a big impact on Emma and proved to her that no matter how fantastical the idea, CG could make it possible. However, when Emma left school she stopped following the dream for a while, thinking that CG was a thing ‘they only did in Hollywood’. How wrong she was.

Escaping

“I never lost interest in CG – it was always something I was passionate about, even when I was studying my degree in Geography”. So, after checking out some of the latest work and talent on post house MPC’s website, Emma found a link to Escape Studios. Deciding to take the plunge and find out more about Escape Studios, Emma found herself on one of our Open Days. “What really struck me wasn’t just the quality of work the students produced but also the links Escape had with the industry”. Emma was also excited by the prospect of being taught by industry professionals, she felt reassured by the fact that they had such extensive knowledge of an industry that was totally new to her. It just goes to show that no matter what you study before hand or what career you embark on, it’s never too late to begin a career in VFX.

Emma had wanted to become a VFX artist for so long that she jumped straight in to study our 18-week VFX Professional course.  As she put it “I was so hungry to learn as much as possible”. The course was challenging for Emma, there’s no doubt about that – it’s intensive and really does require a lot of dedication. But was it worth it? “When I look back and see the quality of work I was able to produce in such a short period of time, I’m amazed”. Emma had heard about the likes of Maya and ZBrush, but had no idea that she would be using them so intensively throughout the course. “Escape isn’t about the theory; it’s about hands-on practical tuition”.

Making that reel

It’s not just about finishing a course at Escape – your showreel is the key to getting a job in the industry.  If you don’t have one, and a good one at that, you just won’t even be considered. “The recruitment team were great at showing me the nature of the industry and also preparing me for it. They helped me get my showreel up to scratch: explaining what companies are looking for, how best to illustrate my skills and what I could do to improve it”. Emma is sure that without the wisdom of the Recruitment Team her reel wouldn’t have been half as good. “If just over a year ago someone had said to me that I was going to be a VFX artist at Cinesite, I wouldn't have believed them. What I get to do for a job now is just wonderful!”