[FRAMED] Sarah Van Alstyne, Lighting TD, New York
If you could travel back in time, which film, TV series, advert, or immersive project would you love to have worked on?
Interstellar. I still remember the awe I felt seeing it in theaters the first time. I can’t imagine what it’s like working on the black hole and finding out years later it’s actually pretty close to the real thing.
Which Framestore character do you feel you’re most like?
Momo (Avatar the Last Airbender): curious, mischievous, and always up for travelling the world with friends.
What fictional world or place would you like to visit?
Lyra’s world from His Dark Materials. It’s my favorite book series and I’ve always wondered what my dæmon would be like.
Your career highlight to date:
Working on the live-action Avatar the Last Airbender. I grew up with the animated show, so it was really special to be part of the team bringing Momo and HeiBai to life.
Who or what inspired you to pursue a career in VFX?
The behind-the-scenes of Finding Nemo. We watched it in a career class in middle school, and I was fascinated by the artists describing how light was used to create the feeling of being underwater.
The DREAM project would entail:
Outer space, sea creatures, and lots of technical challenges.
How do you explain what you do to someone who doesn’t work in VFX?
I say I spend all day moving lights around in a tiny 3D world on the computer and then give an example like the ever-famous Geico gecko.
Describe your career journey (into the exciting world of VFX).
I considered my love of math/science and art/film and decided to combine them by studying visual effects at the Savannah College of Art and Design. During my junior year, I landed an internship at Framestore in New York–which I now jokingly call my only “normal” summer in the industry before covid lockdown hit the same day I graduated college. Luckily I was welcomed back at the end of 2020 and have been at Framestore ever since.
What does the day in the life of a Lighting TD look like?
It starts with prepping lighting comps for dailies, followed by addressing notes and solving technical problems, and finally praying to the render gods that everything makes it through ok for the next morning.
Framestore is, to you, in three words:
Teamwork, gifs, and magic.
Best thing about your work environment?
Truly learning something new every day.
Framestore is great at:
Bringing talented people together.
Favourite artform?
Stop motion animation. I was obsessed with the movie Coraline growing up!
Favourite image?
Currently, this picture I took with a disposable camera while snorkelling in Oahu. The film ended up getting damaged by heat and/or airport security (whoops!)… but it’s interesting to think how this couldn’t have been captured the same digitally.
What’s your favourite movie/ series/ advert/ immersive experience and why?
The Disastrous Life of Saiki K (anime). It never fails to make me smile.
What is the last piece of art (e.g. music, film, TV, writing etc.) that inspired you?
Probably 3 Body Problem (Netflix). Spoilers, but the sequence with the boat shredding left me speechless…
How do you unlock your creativity?
A good night’s sleep with a challenging problem on the mind.
From where do you seek inspiration?
Travel, nature, and long searches down the Google rabbit-hole.
Who in the industry do you admire most and why?
There’s too many to name one! I’m super grateful to work with a number of people I can look up to and have learned a ton from over the years.
Share the best piece of advice you’ve ever received:
Do it scared.
What tech/innovation could you not live without?
My fancy gooseneck electric kettle for making perfect teas and matcha.
What tech/innovation deserves the hype?
Python! It’s fun, challenging, and makes my job so much easier.
What tech do you need that hasn’t been invented yet?
Teleportation. I would give anything to see my long distance friends more often.
Sarah Van Alstyne, you’ve been [FRAMED].
