[FRAMED]: Kathleen Ruffalo, Recruitment Manager, U.S.
[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].
What are you guilty of?
Saying “y’all” more frequently.
What was your last brush with danger?
Danger? Oh, no thank you. Safer at Home.
Your last brush with greatness?
Going to the 67th Annual Houston Cat Club Charity Cat Show. There were some pretty impressive cats there….
So you’re a dog person? Your worst character fault?
Impatience. I can never wait for nail polish to dry or for a meal to be finished cooking (I am very prone to spoiling my dinner due to snack attacks).
Your most shining quality?
I consider myself to be genuinely empathetic, and I’ve always been a hard worker.
You’re on the run from the law, where are you headed?
My mom’s house…. I would be a terrible criminal.
Who’s your partner-in-crime?
My cats. Again, I would be a terrible criminal.
Fantasy cellmate?
Hermione Granger.
Your greatest achievement?
I suppose it would be what I have accomplished in my career thus far. I moved to LA with no job prospects, no apartment, no car… but I never gave up on my dream. I feel lucky that I can say I love what I do for a living, even if it wasn’t exactly what I imagined as a kid… but I mean, I was never really going to be a zookeeper, was I?
Most valuable skill?
A good communicator in both my ability to listen to others and to express myself clearly.
Go on, say something bragging:
I make a killer breakfast sandwich and my pizzas are getting pretty damn good, too.
Now we know who to call when we’re hungry. Name your vice/pet peeve?
Vice: Cheese. Pet peeve: People who bite into string cheese rather than peeling it (I’ve got a theme and I’m sticking to it).
The DREAM project would entail:
Staffing a project that requires a diverse range of skills, but having the TIME to properly source the best talent for each role. I would also really love to work on building stronger relationships with US universities and engaging more with the next generation of talent entering the VFX industry.
Your career highlight to date:
It is the culmination of seeing people I have hired over the years achieve greatness. There is no better feeling than giving someone an opportunity they have dreamed of and then seeing them succeed. The achievements of my colleagues mean more to me than they will ever know.
This week I learnt that:
The victims of the Jonestown massacre actually drank Flavor-Aid and not Kool-Aid. Grape flavored. (Yes, I am in fact the living cliché of a thirty-something-year-old white woman that listens to true crime podcasts…)
We’ll steer clear of both, to be safe. What’s your current view?
I have been working from my home in Houston, TX for nearly three years now, so my immediate view currently is of my cat sleeping on the bed in our spare bedroom/my office. I have a window open to let in natural light and can see other apartments and trees in the park across the street.
Give us a desk tour:
Laptop with external monitor and keyboard, planner/notebook with three different colored pens (currently pink, green, and blue) to write my daily “to-do list”, a calculator, a pack of peppermint gum, my cell phone with a hands-free headset.
What do you need to work, on the daily?
The internet.
Framestore is, to you, in three words:
Innovation. Inspiration. Collaboration.
Best thing about your work environment?
My cats, Dumdum and Gouda, though they are terrible assistants. Also, my commute can’t be beat.
Framestore is great at:
Inspiring greatness.
How are you spending your weekends during the COVID lockdown?
Cooking, going on walks in my neighborhood, drinking Sigma beer (shameless plug for my husband’s brewery!), and watching movies/tv. Honestly, it is a lot like my non-quarantine weekends, and I don’t know if that should make me happy or sad?
What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned about yourself during this ‘stay at home’ period?
I love being busy and really thrive when there is pressure to get things done. Oh, and I should have started doing virtual happy hours with my long distance friends and family ages ago!
Include a pic of your work station
Favourite artform?
Installation art or photography.
Favourite image?
Gregory Crewdson’s Twilight series from 2002.
Fictional character you’d like to hang with?
First I wanted to say Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and then I was like, “Oh my God, vampires!” So let’s go with Liz Lemon.
Much safer option. Happiness looks like:
Knowing that everything is going to be alright, even when that seems impossible. Or simply lying in a cuddle puddle with my husband and my cats.
If not here, then where?
Sequoia National Park — it is the most magical place I’ve ever been.
What do you think of too often?
What I’m going to eat next.
And not enough?
I don’t have this problem.
Couldn’t live without:
My husband.
If you ruled the world:
Everyone would have access to free quality education and four day work weeks would be the norm.
Kathleen Ruffalo, you’ve been [FRAMED].
