[FRAMED] Roto Lead, Saurabh Srivastav, Mumbai
If you could travel back in time, which film, TV series, advert, or immersive project would you love to have worked on?
The Harry Potter series.
Which Framestore character do you feel you’re most like?
Paddington.
What fictional world or place would you like to visit?
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Who or what inspired you to pursue a career in VFX?
I owe it all to Harry Potter once again!
The DREAM project would entail:
One where I get the chance to collaborate with an amazing production crew, plan the visual effects and visit a stunning location I have never been to before.
How do you explain what you do to someone who doesn’t work in VFX?
I would simply say that if you understand the basics of what goes into making a film, including the VFX and CG portions, then you get a fair idea of how exciting it is to be doing what we do on a daily!
Describe your career journey into the exciting world of VFX.
I began my career journey with Prime Focus. I was working on the stereo Roto at the time. Then, a few years later, I joined Pune-based Anibrain — where I truly got to learn about VFX, what we are doing and why. After which, I joined Framestore and have been working here since 2021.
What does the day in the life of a Roto Lead look like?
The first thing I do when I come into the office is meet all my colleagues and ask them about their previous day — how it went, if they did anything exciting etc. Then I go ahead and make myself a cup of coffee and start my work day. I first do a quick catch-up with my team before the daily targets meeting with Production — just to check if we’re on track with everything. During my rounds, I discuss dailies, problems encountered, targets to be met, and what shots are due to be reviewed with our supervisors. If an artist has any problem, I help troubleshoot that so they can continue to work without any hassles. Most of this work goes on till after lunch, post which I proceed to work on some of my own shots while continuing to help my team wherever needed.
Framestore is, to you, in three words:
Quality, Discipline and Work-Life Balance.
Best thing about your work environment?
Being able to connect with people across multiple departments and the mental peace I have working here.
Framestore is great at:
Building a healthy work environment and a well-structured pipeline.
Favourite artform?
Writing — I love penning down my thoughts!
Favourite image?
The School of Hogwarts.
What’s your favourite movie/ series/ advert/ immersive experience and why?
The entire Harry Potter series.
What is the last piece of art that inspired you?
It keeps changing, but I absolutely love music of any kind — it really speaks to my soul!
How do you unlock your creativity?
First, I need a clean space to work in without any distractions. And then I need to be sipping on a warm beverage to get those creative juices flowing (preferably coffee in the morning and tea in the afternoon).
From where do you seek inspiration?
I get inspired by people’s journeys — especially those who have struggled a great deal, yet survived every situation by holding onto a hope that one day things would get better.
Who in the industry do you admire most and why?
All my mentors — they have helped me push past all my boundaries!
What tech/innovation could you not live without?
Currently, it’s my mobile phone.
What tech do you need that hasn’t been invented yet?
Teleportation.
Saurabh Srivastav, you’ve been [FRAMED].
