[FRAMED]: Luke Drummond-Hay, Visual Development Artist, MTL
[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].
If you could travel back in time, which film would you love to have worked on?
That’s a tricky one because if it’s something I’d like to watch, I don’t generally want to work on it — spoilers! If I had to choose, then I’d probably say the original Blade Runner or Team America.
Which Framestore character do you feel you’re most like?
Pan from His Dark Materials.
The DREAM project would entail:
Working with Denis Villeneuve again.
Your career highlight to date:
Working on Blade Runner 2049.
How do you explain what you do to someone who doesn’t work in VFX?
It’s like watching the weather but instead of a continent with sun and clouds behind the presenter, it’s a slow-motion-exploding-dragon-spaceship-dog-spell-alien.
Describe your career journey into the exciting world of VFX.
I was asked to sleep in our satellite Pinewood Studio office in the mid 90s as the insurance didn’t cover our machines rendering overnight and I happily obliged.
What or who inspired you to pursue a career in VFX?
I was fascinated by the making-of’s of Blade Runner, Star Wars and Indiana Jones, Back to the Future, Ghostbusters and then the CG of T2 and Jurassic Park.
What does the day in the life of a Visual Development Artist look like?
Coffee, task brief, confidence, reality, minor internal freakout, research, endless trial and error, slightly more major freakout, success, satisfaction, celebratory coffee.
Framestore is, to you, in three words:
Home sweet home.
Best thing about your work environment?
Being able to WFH which allows me to work and still be a part of my toddler growing up.
Framestore is great at:
Obviously VFX but also forging great friendships between artists/employees. What’s kept me here all this time (29 years!) is the great people.
Favourite artform?
Movies.
Favourite image?
Any of Storm Thorgerson’s Pink Floyd covers. Fun fact: He also designed my mum’s bands two album covers in the early 70’s!
What’s your favourite movie and why?
The Big Lebowski — no explanation needed, surely? It used to be Blade Runner or Baraka.
What is the last piece of art that inspired you?
The Pink Floyd ‘Their Mortal Remains’ exhibition in Montreal.
How do you unlock your creativity?
I drink a hipster coffee… and then another one.
From where do you seek inspiration?
Trending gifs as they give me an idea of what the world is really like out there.
Who in the industry do you admire most and why?
Runners, I’ve been there.
What tech could you not live without?
At work? The render farm and procedural noise.
In life? Large home appliances such as a fridge, washing machine etc.
What tech deserves the hype?
So many! Clean electricity, lights, WIFI, giphy, faceswap.
What tech do you need that hasn’t been invented yet?
A machine that makes perfect TimTams from thin air which taste the same but don’t make you gain weight.
Luke Drummond-Hay, you’ve been [FRAMED].
