[FRAMED]: Michelle Lee, CG Artist

Framestore
4 min readOct 26, 2018

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[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].

Name: Michelle Lee

Title: FX TD

What are you guilty of?

I’ll trade sleep to play video games, finish a drawing, watch a TV show, etc. I always say I’ll sleep early and it never happens.

What was your last brush with danger?

Almost falling off my longboard (knock on wood).

Your last brush with greatness?

Not the last, but definitely the most memorable — I first went to SIGGRAPH in 2013 while I was still in school. The Keynote Presentation that year featured many filmmakers I admired growing up, like Ron Clements, Pete Docter, Eric Goldberg, and Chris Sanders. It was really awesome and inspiring.

Your worst character fault?

I have a tendency to procrastinate really hard (but somehow it always works out).

Your most shining quality?

I always put 100% into anything I do.

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

I’d go for a tropical island.

Who’s your partner-in-crime?

I think I actually have a few!

Fantasy cellmate?

I feel like Paddington would be a good cellmate.

Your greatest achievement?

Landing a job here after graduation :)

Most valuable skill?

Perseverance.

Go on, say something bragging:

My senior year of college I finished writing a panorama stitcher during plane turbulence 👍🏼

What’s your vice?

Definitely sweets and pastries. I think I’ve tried to quit sweets like fivetimes this year.

The DREAM project would entail:

I would love to work on something from Harry Potter, since I literally grew up with the series.

Your career highlight to date:

So many cool things have happened along my career — from working on diverse projects for clients like Gatorade and Toyota, to speaking at a SideFX panel for young industry professionals, to most recently being selected for The Drum’s 50 under 30 list!

This week I learnt that:

Butterflies drink turtle tears for sodium.

What’s your current view?

Two monitors and a Vive Pro!

Give us a desk tour.

Coffee, water, notebooks, a fidget spinner, mini Twix and M&M’s, AirPods, Houdini, Unity.

What do you need to work, on the daily?

Coffee and good music.

Framestore is, to you, in three words:

Community, innovation, fun.

Best thing about your work environment?

The people! I have learned so much from all my colleagues, both VFX-related and not. There’s also usually a dog or two in the office…

What’s Framestore is great at?

Doing what hasn’t been done before.

To your creative life: what’s your favourite artform?

Nowadays, I think digital illustration. I also really like marble sculpture and hand-drawn animation.

Favourite image?

‘Kamiokande’ by Andreas Gursky.

Fictional character you’d like to hang with?

Noctis from Final Fantasy XV.

Happiness looks like:

Spending time with friends and family. Also solo travelling!

If not here, then where?
Japan or Hawaii.

What do you think of too often?

The future.

And not enough?

Taking more breaks throughout the day and getting enough daily exercise.

Couldn’t live without:

My PS4 and tablet.

If you ruled the world?

Free education and healthcare. We’d have teleportation figured out somehow, and everyone would have a dog.

We’d vote for that.

Michelle Lee, you’ve been [FRAMED]. Michelle was this week announced as one of The Drum’s 50 Under 30 in the US, an amazing accolade acknowledging her career trajectory so far. Read her profile here.

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Framestore
Framestore

Written by Framestore

A global creative studio spanning film, advertising and content. Find more at framestore.com

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