[FRAMED] Senior Producer, Lucy Hare, London
If you could travel back in time, which film, TV series, advert, or immersive project would you love to have worked on?
With all due respect to the career I love, if I had the ability to time travel, I doubt I’d use it to get on a project! I’d probably try and get a selfie with a dinosaur to impress my kids.
Who or what inspired you to pursue a career in VFX?
Seeing the stop motion animation “A Grand Day Out” on TV on Christmas day as a child. It was followed by a documentary about how Nick Park locked himself in a cupboard for 6 years at uni to complete it. At the age of 8, I thought that long-term self-incarceration for the sake of one’s art was the most glamorous thing I’d ever heard of.
It’s safe to say I was an odd child.
The DREAM project would entail:
A massive budget
An organised, kind and appreciative client
An incredibly beautiful creative that Framestore would direct
A happy and creatively fulfilled crew
And finally, a totally epic wrap party!
Then… a few months later it would literally clear up at all the awards ceremonies, which I would attend wearing a designer dress that I have magically been able to both afford & look incredible in.
How do you explain what you do to someone who doesn’t work in VFX?
Me: I manage teams that make animations for TV & film
Them: So….. like a graphic designer?
Me: Err…. close enough
Describe your career journey into the exciting world of VFX.
After getting a degree in Computer Animation from Bradford University, I joined a small start-up animation studio, called ‘Darkside Animation’, which I’d continued to help run for over 13 years! Initially, there were just 4 of us, in a hut in East London that smelt strongly of cigarettes and an income that was both pitiful and sporadic. But I had the time of my life and slowly the company grew in both size & stability.
Small companies have no place for specialists, so I did a bit of everything. In addition to client-facing & scheduling, I’d design, model, texture, rig, animate, comp, roto, and also make the tea.
After having my 2 kids, I decided I wanted more structure in my life, so applied to all the big studios — twice. Once as a producer, once as a character animator! I’m pleased to say 6 years ago Framestore hired me as Line Producer on their first immersive dark ride. Since then, I’ve produced beautiful projects in nearly every area of Framestore (immersive, advertising, design & film) before fully finding my groove with the episodic team.
Framestore is, to you, in three words:
Challenging
Supportive
My second home (….technically that’s 5 words I know)
Best thing about your work environment?
The fact that it is so very pink!
Framestore is great at:
Employing wonderful people! I’ve met more incredible and interesting people at Framestore than any other area of my life.
Favourite artform?
Interior design. I love making my home quirky and pretty…..and pink.
With the exception of my son’s bedroom, every room in my house has a large serving of pink.
Share the best piece of advice you’ve ever received:
“I can do anything. But I cannot do everything”
I know that sounds like something you’d see on a tacky hand-painted wooden sign for sale in B&M (which is probably where I got it from) But it is very true & relevant if you manage a large team.
What tech/innovation could you not live without?
My GHD hair straighteners. I look like I have road kill attached to my head without them.
Lucy Hare, you’ve been [FRAMED].
