[FRAMED] Dom Hellier, Joint Head of 2D, Melbourne

If you could travel back in time, which film, TV series, advert, or immersive project would you love to have worked on?

From a nostalgic perspective, it would have to be the original Tron. I loved it as a kid, and the thought of being on the bleeding edge of VFX technology at that time excites me as an adult.

Which Framestore character do you feel you’re most like?

Baby Groot!

What fictional world or place would you like to visit?

Wonka’s Chocolate Factory.

Your career highlight to date:

The response to our work on Game of Thrones Battle of the Bastards, and representing the Melbourne comp team to accept our VES award for it was a huge privilege.

Who or what inspired you to pursue a career in VFX?

As mentioned above, the original Tron film!

The DREAM project would entail:

I love solving challenges based around the limitations of photography, and “invisible” fx — tricky plate stitches, projections and integration of environments.

How do you explain what you do to someone who doesn’t work in VFX?

Photoshop with moving images!

Describe your career journey (into the exciting world of VFX).

I studied media arts in university with, like everyone else, the hope of becoming a director, but was exposed to animation and VFX through one of the modules and was really drawn to the process and craft of it. I was lucky enough to meet someone working at Iloura [the Melbourne-based VFX and animation studio that would ultimately become part of Framestore] on the set of a short film I was volunteering for, and she suggested I come in to interview for a position in the tape room. That was 20 years ago, and now here we are!

What does the day in the life of a Comp Supervisor look like?

Depending on the state of a project, it can vary a lot. At the start of a show, there can be lots of testing/R&D, setting up templates and prepping briefs/documentation for the 2D team. As the show ramps up, reviews tend to take priority as well as tracking continuity of colour and approaches/matching shots etc. As shots get approved that then gives way to tech checking. Mix in with that helping to troubleshoot shots with artists, or picking up shot work, depending on how busy the department is.

Framestore is, to you, in three words: Passionate, professional, and collaborative.

Best thing about your work environment?

If you’re referring to the Melbourne team environment, we have always tried to maintain a calm, relaxed and hopefully fun atmosphere in comp, a department that can be subject to very stressful deadlines. Our team has a great sense of humour, but also great camaraderie to help each other out in the face of a tight deadline. If you’re asking about my wfh environment, it’s being close to my wife and kids to be more involved in their lives, free reign over music selection and volume, and also having the dog to keep me company during the day!

Framestore is great at:

Collaboration — this encompasses so many aspects of vfx and filmmaking — I first observed this when Method Studios got to work on Christopher Robin, and was one of the many things I was excited about when we became part of the Framestore team.

Favourite artform?

Outside of film, music is my favourite artform.

Favourite image?

The iconic corridor interior from 2001: A Space Odyssey.

What’s your favourite movie/ series/ advert/ immersive experience and why?

As I write, I am preparing for a trip to California and have booked in to see Darren Aronofsky’s “Postcard from Earth” in the Las Vegas Sphere which I am extremely excited for, so I’m preemptively putting that here as an immersive experience!

What is the last piece of art (e.g. music, film, TV, writing etc.) that inspired you?

It’s not that recent but I was blown away by the visuals of Dune on the big screen — I haven’t experienced that sense of awe and scale of visuals in a film for some time. I am always inspired by live music, especially if it’s a really engaging live show, or accompanied by striking live visuals/light shows, the most recent of which was Idles in Melbourne.

How do you unlock your creativity?

Headphones on, listen to music loud, and a deep dive into exploring reference images or art.

From where do you seek inspiration?

All avenues of visual art, reading really thought-provoking stories, and well-crafted music.

Who in the industry do you admire most and why?

I admire many, many artists but to pick one, I would say I admire the versatility of Alfonso Cuarón. How he has visited many genres over his career, and excelled at them all.

Share the best piece of advice you’ve ever received:

Try to find the art in every pixel!

What tech/innovation could you not live without?

To say I couldn’t live without it might be a bit dramatic, but having a camera constantly in my pocket has definitely changed my life hugely- always being able to get images for reference and inspiration and being able to capture spontaneous images.

What tech/innovation deserves the hype?

Anything that allows creativity to flow unencumbered. Obviously, there are a lot of developments in that direction with the rapid rise of AI-supported programs or plug-ins. Any of these that remove the manual hurdles that slow down or impede creativity are definitely worth the hype!

What tech do you need that hasn’t been invented yet?

Image capture with embedded scene depth information, that can be combined with deep renders, essentially out of the box.

Dom Hellier, you’ve been [FRAMED].