[FRAMED] Environment Artist, Hayley Leonard, Melbourne

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

Aliens! I always wanted to be a props or miniature model maker. I loved the character Ripley — the woman who saves a cat, that no one listened to! What a lesson.

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

I would say The Niffler, Fantastic Beasts. A British beast who loves anything glittery. Extremely clumsy and can wreak havoc if left indoors for too long. I once found my mother-in-law’s diamond earring that had been lost for hours at the bottom of the sea bed.

What fictional world or place would you like to visit?

Pandora, although would I survive longer in the rainforest or on the tropical reefs?

Your career highlight to date:

Being a part of the Framestore family and moving to Australia.

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

I’ve always been obsessed with sketching and painting the world around me. When I realised this could be a career I was determined to make it happen.

The DREAM project would entail:

I love to research historical places as I’m a massive history buff. My dream project would involve digging into the story of a place and creating a world around it.

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

I digitally build environments — from creating worlds that don’t exist to enhancing ones that already do.

Describe your career journey into the exciting world of VFX.

I studied graphic design at Central Saint Martins, London. From there, I ventured into a motion graphics career for a few years. I had always wanted to get into VFX and I was fortunate enough to be chosen for a full scholarship from the Film Council, UK, to train in VFX at Escape Studios — the best thing that ever happened to me. This gave me the opportunity and skill set to get into the film industry, and the rest is history!

What does the day in the life of an Environment Artist look like?

I start the day with Australia’s ‘rocket fuel’ coffee. I can then cartwheel 10 laps around the park before settling into morning catch-ups with fellow artists, leads and heads of Departments. We discuss our shots and make a plan for the day. I like to put on music whilst building my CG worlds — Fleetwood Mac is the perfect company. The rest of the day I’m blocking in the sets, creating assets, set dressing or digitally painting, ensuring I have real-world references around to inspire me.

Framestore is, to you, in three words:

Inspiring, ground-breaking and collaborative.

Best thing about your work environment?

Being surrounded by extremely talented artists and learning from the best.

Framestore is great at:

Capturing imagination. Fooling the audience. Making the unbelievable seem believable.

Favourite artform?

Film and photography! I do love visiting a gallery, often the building it occupies is just as exciting as the art inside.

Favourite image?

So many to choose from so this is really difficult. I find that Nadav Kander’s Diver has always stuck with me.

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

Withnail and I. A British classic that takes me back to my art student days watching this with friends in scruffy student accommodation in London.

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

Just visited the Kandinsky exhibition in Sydney which was wonderful. Film-wise, I loved Saltburn and I thought the cinematography to support the story was beautiful. I also have to say I was greatly inspired watching Furiosa — Certainly one to be proud of!

How do you unlock your creativity?

Jogging, cycling and walking. Getting out to a nice park or some countryside and letting my mind wander.

From where do you seek inspiration?

Visiting galleries, sketchbooks, Pinterest, art stations, Instagram, taking photos and passing and receiving artwork from friends.

Who in the industry do you admire most and why?

Some matte painters who I’m inspired by are Igor Staritsin, Dylan Cole, and Tamas Gyerman to name a few. I’m also loving directors Emerald Fennell and Greta Gerwig at the minute.

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

To swap ‘You alright?’ with ‘How’s it going?’. It took me a year to figure out why I was getting strange looks when greeting Australians — this doesn’t translate, Brits! …On a more profound note, I was once told to find your niche, play to your strengths and work hard.

What tech/innovation could you not live without?

A sat nav. I am constantly getting lost. I once tried to drive from Liverpool to Leeds which is practically a straight line…I ended up in Wales! Having said that, even a sat nav doesn’t help me with those hook turns in Melbourne. Getting into the left lane to turn right blows my mind. I refused to turn right in the CBD for an entire year.

What tech/innovation deserves the hype?

Smartphones. I love being able to look things up instantly, access all the music and most importantly set Siri timers. I’ll never burn another pie ever again!

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

Teleportation or a super high-speed flight from the UK to Australia so that I can see my family more.

Hayley Leonard, you’ve been [FRAMED].