The VFX Festival: Diversity, Talent and Human Skills
A huge thanks to Escape Studios for the opportunity to participate in the VFX Festival at the BFI in London. Together with some of the major players in the industry, we talked about the importance of a more diverse workforce and how, as the world becomes more technologically advanced, our skills need to become more human. We also got to hear from a special Ambassador, on all things Talent.
Our first session saw our founder, Amy Mercer, join the ‘Women in VFX, Animation, and Games’ panel.
Seeing so many men in the audience was great, but this was not a panel we wanted to be on. It’s 2024, and despite minor improvements over the last decade, the industry still fails to keep and retain women. Our moderator for the panel, Hayley Miller from World VFX Day, opened with some rather depressing stats:
Women make up 3% of supervisor roles in VFX
60% of animation students in the US and Europe are women, but only 20–40% of professional roles are held by women
Less than 24% of the UK games workforce are women
Talk highlights:
Diversifying the workforce is proven to improve a company’s bottom line and increase creativity
Everyone on our panel has experienced imposter syndrome and/or condescension, harassment or exclusion in the workplace
Being a mentor or mentee is rewarding for both, but women needed these to be active relationships
With 85% of jobs coming through networking, focusing on this is the best way to find new opportunities, support and have career longevity
You need to toot your own horn – don’t wait for people to see your potential.
We need accomplices, not just allies. This means everyone speaking up, being active and setting an example
It was great to be alongside
Eloise Singer, CEO & Creative Director at Singer Studios
Gina Jackson OBE, Founder of SKILLfull
Elizabeth Hobbs , Animator/Director/Educator. Animated Women UK member
Erin Elliott, Animator/Crowd TD at ILM. Animated Women UK member
The second session, hosted by our founders Amy Mercer and Christina Graham focused on how to navigate tomorrow.
Talk highlights:
Don’t underestimate the importance of developing interpersonal skills, as these are differentiator skills that companies are looking for
As the industry gets more technical, we need to get more human
The interpersonal skills in demand and on the rise are empathy and active listening, self-management and self, curiosity & lifelong, motivation and self-awareness, resilience, flexibility and agility, leadership and social influence
We learn through osmosis, so the best way to develop international skills is by connecting with other people
Half of your success will come from the skills you develop; the other half will be shaped by the relationships you build
Thanks to Saint Walker for being our MC for the session
Lastly, it was brilliant to see our ambassador and founder of PXL Talent, Sophie Maydon, along with Anthony Gregson at Milk Visual Effects, speak on all things Talent.
Our key takeaways:
We’re still feeling the effects of the US strikes
The downturn and layoff have been wide-reaching into advertising and games
Client conversations are beginning to look more positive, but we aren't expecting to see an upturn in hiring until late this year/early next year
Use this time to diversify your skills and network as much as possible to build connections
Jobs are highly competitive right now, so make sure you personalise applications to each role and company to stand out
Join a community to get support, access to resources, build connections and help keep you motivated
Thank you to Hayley Miller from World VFX Day for moderating another brilliant panel.
Summary
The industry seems challenging right now, and there are many changes, yet there continues to be an atmosphere and camaraderie full of hope. As companies, we must be careful that the current market downturn isn’t the reason to regress on improving accessibility to jobs and increasing diversity. As individuals, focusing on deepening diverse connections is the key to gaining support and opening opportunities.
We aim to bring people and conversations together to build a community where we can collectively excel in our professional journeys.
