[FRAMED]: Amy Smith, Global Director, Recruitment & Outreach

[FRAMED] exists to shine light on Framestore’s most fascinating cast of characters: its people. Presented with a probing list of questions and a demandingly short deadline, this feature puts the hopes, dreams, and desktops of our MVPs on the digital wall, for all to see. Welcome to [FRAMED].

Name: Amy Smith

Title: Global Director, Recruitment & Outreach

Let’s get up close, and a little personal:

What are you guilty of?

Shopping.

What was your last brush with danger?

Trying to get into Chancery Lane station through London’s #BeastfromtheEast.

Your last brush with greatness?

The night I had dinner with Kate Adie.

Your worst character fault?

In typical Brit style, being enormously passive-aggressive.

Your most shining quality?

I suppose it would be my passion and drive for what I do — I love the opportunity to be constantly thinking about how we can make Framestore a great environment to work in, and it matters to me a great deal.

You’re on the run from the law, where are you headed?

Anywhere warm with a secluded beach.

Who’s your partner-in-crime?

At work it would have to be our Head of Production (you know who you are!). We’ve known each other a long time and there are some stories we could tell…

Fantasy cellmate?

Michael Scofield.

Your greatest achievement?

Being invited to a tea party at Buckingham Palace for my work on VFX apprenticeships.

Most valuable skill?

I like to think I’m a really good listener, which is SO important for what I do on a daily basis.

Go on, say something bragging

Did I tell you I was invited to a tea party at Buckingham Palace?

What’s your pet peeve?

Oh I have so many (read ‘passive-aggressive’, as above) — but in a work-related context then it has to be the cover letter that reads ‘I would love to work at Double Negative’…

Ok, getting an idea. Let’s look at your daily grind…

The DREAM project would entail:

I might be crazy but I would love to tackle the entire UK education system when it comes to creative education, as I don’t feel that we are getting it right at ALL.

Career highlight to date?

Taking the lead on the development of, and ultimate getting approval for, our two VFX apprenticeship programmes. It’s really important to me that we continue to look at alternative routes to entry for our industry for young people, beyond just having a degree.

This week I learnt that:

9 out of 10 schools have had to cut back on the amount of creative arts that they are teaching, and there is 25% less uptake of A-levels in creative arts subjects (e.g. art, design, music).

What’s your current view?

Snow! And our wonderful Marketing team of course [who may or may not have coerced this piece]

Give us a desk tour

My laptop, phone, notebook, multiple pens (I’m a stationery addict), and most importantly my chocolate jar, that enables me to be the laziest (and most popular) person in the office as everyone wants to come talk to me at my desk…

What do you need to work, on the daily?

The Internet! LinkedIn, Google for business, and our online recruitment database are our key tools.

Framestore is, in three words:

Innovative, creative and inspiring.

Best thing about your work environment?

Our new office in Chancery Lane is a much more collaborative space, and I love the opportunity to be around all of our different departments on a daily basis.

Framestore is great at:

Always striving to do things better — for our clients, but also for our teams.

Business over, let’s let loose:

Favourite artform?

Dance.

Favourite image?

I’m currently really loving @omarzrobles photographs.

Fictional character you’d like to hang with?

Roland Deschain…I may have just given away a nerdism of mine ;-)

Happiness looks like:

My sofa, my cats, some kind of craft project, and tea.

If not here, then where?

Originally I really wanted to be a volcanologist, and there is still a part of me that wishes I was up a volcano somewhere rather than at a desk!

What do you think of too often?

Everything! I’m a serial worrier.

And not enough?

I don’t stop thinking often enough, and am really bad at relaxing.

Couldn’t live without:

I feel like I’m supposed to say my loved ones, but the honest truth is I couldn’t live without Tabasco…it goes on virtually everything.

If you ruled the world:

This feels like a beauty pageant question — am I supposed to say ‘world peace’? But seriously, I don’t think I would want to rule the world, far too much pressure!

Amy Smith, you’ve been [FRAMED]. Follow Amy’s tireless work to open the VFX industry to all via careers.framestore.com