[FRAMED]: Max Solomon, Animation Supervisor, LDN

[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 was your last brush with greatness?

I’ve recently been working with Alex Garland and I confess I have a man crush…

Your worst character fault?

I’m not as clever as I think I am!

Your most shining quality?

Somehow I managed to marry a wonderful woman.

You’re on the run from the law, where are you headed?

For some reason Mexico was the first place I thought of!

Name your vice/pet peeve?

I hate dishwashers.

Your greatest achievement?

Still playing football into my 50s.

Go on, say something bragging

I won the dad’s race at my kid’s school summer sports day 2 years running.

The DREAM project would entail

Anything where the director is invested in the show as writer/producer, and engages with us creatively is always fun.

Your career highlight to date?

All the shows where we worked closely with the director — Gravity, Mowgli, and most recently, Men.

What’s your current view?

The sun is shining for what seems like the first time in months!

Give us a desk tour

My desk is very tidy, photos of my wife and kids stuck on the wall along with some pretentious photos of art and obscure Japanese films, my sketch book, a Captain America toy I use to demonstrate movement to animators in gchat, dailies and a plaster mould of my mum’s hand she made about a year before she died.

What do you need to work, on the daily?

A good night’s sleep.

Framestore is, to you, in three words

Where I landed.

Best thing about your work environment? (at home!)?

The peace and quiet.

Framestore is great at

Collaboration — there are very few egos.

Favourite artform?

Hard to choose, but I think cinema is the one I wanted most to be part of.

Happiness looks like

A good meal, a happy wife, watching my kids grow, a good client review.

If not here, then where?

Or maybe even when?! Time travel would be so cool! Seeing the ancient civilisations, OMG too many time/places.

Couldn’t live without

Too many things, my family, my job, food, drink, friends, the arts, sport, my garden.

How are you spending your weekends?

Nothing remarkable, this year was a good year for courgettes on my allotment!

If you ruled the world

I’d mess it up, what a crushing responsibility!

Max Solomon, you’ve been [FRAMED].