[FRAMED] Lead Animator, Pete Warbis, London
If you could travel back in time, which film, TV series, advert, or immersive project would you love to have worked on?
Don Bluth’s The Secret of Nimh. Great characters, wonderful animation, a little bit dark. Love it.
Which Framestore character do you feel you’re most like?
Maybe Winnie-the-Pooh? Well-meaning but a little clumsy and always hungry.
What fictional world or place would you like to visit?
It’s got to be the Star Wars universe. Space ships, force powers, lightsabers! Vvvvwwiiiiing.
Your career highlight to date:
Animating on Tom and Jerry. A lot of animators would give their right leg to work with those characters.
Who or what inspired you to pursue a career in VFX?
I always thought I would work in features, but after working in VFX there’s a certain therapeutic element to the craft of making animation look as real and as believable as possible.
The DREAM project would entail:
Musical numbers, it would be character-heavy, with a dark tone and preferably stylised animation. Bat Boy the animated musical?
How do you explain what you do to someone who doesn’t work in VFX?
We’re a bit like virtual puppeteers.
Describe your career journey into the exciting world of VFX.
While studying animation I got a foot in the door at Framestore Bournemouth as a matchmove artist, later moving into animation in London. I’ve been around the block (ILM/MPC) but settled at Framestore as a Lead Animator.
What does the day in the life of a Lead Animator look like?
It’s a mix of animating, reviewing work, testing rigs and liaising with other departments.
Framestore is, to you, in three words:
Performance, Flexible, Home.
Best thing about your work environment?
Easily hybrid working. As a recent father, I can’t imagine what it must have been like before the pandemic. I would never see my son!
Framestore is great at:
Fantastic character shows. We are incredibly lucky to get to work on some amazing projects here, so much so that it’s really difficult to express a preference because they’re all so good!
Favourite artform?
It has to be the hand-drawn, animated musical. The ultimate collaboration of visuals, storytelling and music.
Favourite image?
Tricky one. I’ll go with this piece from Niel Nelson that hangs on our dining room wall.
What’s your favourite movie/ series/ advert/ immersive experience and why?
Another toughie. If we’re including games in the bracket of immersive experiences, perhaps the Resident Evil series. Item management and being chased by invincible monsters. What’s not to love?
What is the last piece of art that inspired you?
The BBC Newscast outro. Sounds mad but there was something about Chris Mason’s vocal performance that begged to be animated.
How do you unlock your creativity?
For personal projects, get excited, inspired, and work quickly. It’s really easy to get stuck in a rut, so take advantage of any bursts of creative energy before they end up in the bottomless pit of unfinished projects.
From where do you seek inspiration?
Genuinely, anywhere and everywhere. You never know what observations you’ll make in your day-to-day life. People passing you in the street. People on their daily commute. It’s all valuable inspiration for an animator.
Who in the industry do you admire most and why?
It has to be Glen Keane. The man’s an animation God.
Share the best piece of advice you’ve ever received:
Don’t be precious about your work. Be passionate, but not precious.
What tech/innovation could you not live without?
The dishwasher. I’ve lived without one in the past but I’m not sure I could bring myself to do it again.
What tech/innovation deserves the hype?
Virtual Reality, particularly for horror games.
What tech do you need that hasn’t been invented yet?
The teleporter. Though I do worry about what happens to the original you when you come out of the other side…
Pete Warbis you’ve been [FRAMED].
