FEATURE | WOMEN I N VFX
AS PART OF OUR SERIES PROFILING THE WOMEN IN FILM AND TELEVISION , WE HIGHLIGHT THE FEMALES WITHIN THE FIELD OF VISUAL EFFECTS. WE TALK TO THEM ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCE IN THEIR ROLES, AS WELL AS THE CREATION OF THEIR FAVOURITE ASSETS
WORDS & RESEARCH CHELSEA FEARNLEY / PICTURES VARIOUS
KIM PHELAN Job title: visual effects producer
design changes initially, but when we did settle on a design, it was wonderful to bring this creature to life. Getting it to move like an insect with canine behaviour, the battle between the roach hound and Yennefer, defining its speed and how it interacts with its master, maintaining its violent nature, yet also making viewers feel sorry for it… these were all fantastic challenges.” She adds: “My advice to women wanting to get into VFX is that you need to be passionate. You need to believe in yourself, be versatile and be willing to pursue various avenues. Use your contacts, offer your services to people whenever you can and get in touch with different relevant companies. Remember your passion, keep learning, keep persevering and do not be put off by rejection.” Remember your passion, keep learning, keep persevering and do not be put off by rejection
After graduating, Kim Phelan worked as a temp for various media companies while trying to pursue a career in film. “I had no contacts or links in the industry, but I was passionate about film; I loved it and I was willing to do any job to get a foot in the door. I got an offer to work on Captain Scarlet , a fully CG kids’ TV series, as a production coordinator. I had no previous experience working as a production coordinator or in VFX. It was a complete crash course into the industry; the most intense learning curve I could imagine, but still one of best experiences and projects I have ever worked on.” From children’s programmes to the mainstream, Phelan now has a large roster of prestigious projects on her résumé, including Angels & Demons , Edge of Tomorrow , The Crown , Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom and The Witcher . “Out of these productions, the sequence I found most interesting and enjoyable to work on was the roach hound sequence on The Witcher , in episode 4. It was fantastic to be involved in creature development and concepting so early on, and I loved the creative challenges we were presented with. We went through a few
42 DEF I N I T ION | MARCH 2020
Powered by FlippingBook