[FRAMED] Kayla Whitehead, Junior Lighting TD, New York
If you could travel back in time, which film, TV series, advert, or immersive project would you love to have worked on?
The original Jurassic Park.
Which Framestore character do you feel you’re most like?
Geico Gecko
What fictional world or place would you like to visit?
Barbie Land before the Ken disaster.
Your career highlight to date:
One Piece
Who or what inspired you to pursue a career in VFX?
James Cameron’s Avatar
The DREAM project would entail:
Horror, anything horror!
How do you explain what you do to someone who doesn’t work in VFX?
I usually use the Geico gecko as my example. I’d say to people that I make him look like he is actually there in the environment. But somehow people think that I do “graphic design”. LOL
Describe your career journey into the exciting world of VFX.
I started out as a VFX major, Photography minor at SCAD. Worked as a contractor for Aura FX doing environment texture and lookdev. At the same time also worked as a contractor for MarketScaleLLC doing B2B product rendering. Now I’ve got my dream job at Framestore!
What does the day in the life of a Junior Lighting TD look like?
Logging in around 9 am. Comping some shots that were rendered overnight on the farm. Dailies. Lunch. Lighting tweaks on shots. Send to farm overnight.
Framestore is, to you, in three words:
My dream job!
Best thing about your work environment?
Co-Workers, the ability to be in the office.
Framestore is great at:
Creating an environment that feels comfortable enough to grow in
Favourite artform?
Film
Favourite image?
It feels so nostalgic.
What’s your favourite movie and why?
Hereditary. Truly disturbing imagery and story line. Beautiful, raw dialogue.
What is the last piece of art that inspired you?
Finding images of canned sardines inspired me to start painting again. They are gorgeous.
How do you unlock your creativity?
By trying new art forms, styles, etc..
From where do you seek inspiration?
I spend a lot of time on Pinterest and also just having mundane life experiences inspires me.
Who in the industry do you admire most and why?
The New York lighting team, I am constantly shocked and inspired by the amount of knowledge that they all wield.
Share the best piece of advice you’ve ever received:
I struggle a lot with making decisions. My dad once told me to pick one and just stick with it, do whatever you can to MAKE it the right decision.
What tech/innovation could you not live without?
The toilet!!
What tech/innovation deserves the hype?
Bidet
What tech do you need that hasn’t been invented yet?
Why is it taking so long for someone to invent teleportation? I mean come on.
Kayla Whitehead you’ve been [FRAMED].
