Access:VFX

“If a company says ‘we’re one big family here’… I would run a mile.” A wonderfully honest moment from the latest episode of the @accessvfx podcast featuring Eamonn Butler, @cinesite ’s Head of Animation. We got into the difference between: ❌ performative culture ❌ pizza-and-beer perks ❌ free muffins and fruit bowls …versus the things that ACTUALLY matter in a creative career: ✅ feedback ✅ trust ✅ growth ✅ training ✅ opportunity ✅ fair pay As Eamonn puts it: “It’s not all hugs, beer and pizza on a Friday.” This episode is full of real talk about what studios truly look for in emerging talent, and the myths young people are constantly sold about creative industries. 🎙️ Out now! Show link in bio. #VFX #Animation #CreativeCareers #ACCESSVFX #filmindustry

What do studios ACTUALLY look for in emerging talent? Not perfect grades. Not ‘industry-ready’ teenagers. And definitely not AI-written buzzwords. This week’s brand new @accessvfx podcast goes ‘all in’ on portfolios, burnout, resilience, curiosity, rejection, networking and the myths young people are constantly told about breaking into visual effects (VFX) and animation. Featuring recruiters, educators and studio leaders from across the industry. 🎙️ Out now, wherever you get your podcasts! “There is no behind. Everyone’s journey is different.” @pheyatg Talent Manager at @electric_theatre_collective   “One tough show will school you better than anything else in this business.” Eamonn Butler, Head of Animation Division at @cinesite           “Remain a child for as long as you can.” @rossburges2 Head of Animation & Animation Director at @untold_studios         “Not every project is going to be Marvel… and that’s okay.” Julia Marrone, Head of Recruitment, Canada, at @framestore “Learning how to say no is just as important as learning how to commit.”  Oliver Mag. Gingrich, EngD, MA, Animation Programme Leader at @uniofgreenwich Thanks, as always to co-host @nenejparsotam and our brilliant editor @ste_greaves 🙏 Show link in bio! 🎧 #VFX #Animation #ACCESSVFX #CreativeCareers #EmergingTalent

YAY! THE COMPETITION IS NOW OPEN FOR 2026 👾 Inspired by these works of animated art? Enter the Young Animator of the Year 2026 competition, supported by @bluezoo , @mcranimation , @accessvfx and stop motion categories kindly sponsored by @hueanimation Get your work seen by industry professionals, nominated films are screened at Manchester Animation Festival, win awesome prizes 🔥 We can’t wait to see what you can do! Enter now at younganimator.uk

🚨 NEW ACCESS: VFX PODCAST OUT ON MONDAY 🚨 ‘What Studios Look for in Emerging Talent… and What They Don’t.’ Next week on the @accessvfx podcast, we get brutally honest about the myths, assumptions and bad advice surrounding breaking into Visual Effects (VFX) and Animation. Featuring: 🎙️ @pheyatg - Talent Manager at @electric_theatre_collective 🎙️ @Eamonn Butler - Head of Animation Division at @cinesite 🎙️ @rossburges2 - Head of Animation & Animation Director at @untold_studios 🎙️ Julia Marrone - Head of Recruitment, Canada at @framestore 🎙️ @Oliver Gingrich - Animation Programme Leader at @uniofgreenwich One of our favourite moments from the episode: “Getting into the industry is not all about getting discovered!” Pheya Tribelsky We unpack: ➡️ Why ‘raw talent’ alone usually isn’t enough ➡️ The truth about ‘passion’ and why the word gets overused ➡️ What recruiters actually notice in portfolios and interviews ➡️ The human skills nobody tells students about ➡️ What studios wish emerging talent understood earlier At one point Simon literally says: “I’m so tired of hearing the word passion.” 😅 And honestly? The panel explain why... If you’re a student, parent, teacher, graduate, career changer or someone trying to break into the industry right now… this one’s essential listening. 🎧 Out Monday on Spotify, Apple Podcasts & everywhere else. #VFX #Animation #CreativeCareers #ACCESSVFX #VFXCareers AnimationCareers EmergingTalent VisualEffects Recruitment Podcast CareersAdvice FilmIndustry Students Mentoring

What a great cause, a great honor, a great evening, filled with great people. @accessvfx provides such an important platform for so many to discover what the VFX industry involves, from its intricacies, challanges, pathways, and ultimately providing guidance through the mentorship programme. This fundraising event was extreemly special, being a guest speaker and having a platform to share my journey, experiences, and views, was a huge privilege. Hopefully this shed some light on how beneficial the mentorship programme is to so many, from both sides of the coin; mentee and mentor. Absolutly blown away by the turn out, the positive energy that everyone brought to the event, and how the community came together to exceed the nessesory funding to keep AccessVFX afloat . Thank you Simon Devereux (He, Him) Nene Parsotam for letting me be a small part of this event. I loved every moment of it, even being grilled on the mic 🎤. It was a pleasure sharing the floor with @pheyatg and @oshaughnessymatthew at @electric_theatre_collective #dreamteam 💪 If anyone’s on the fence about being a part of the programme, take a leap of faith and give it a go. You never know who you may inspire or how your guidance could shape someone’s career path into the industry. Link:

The community truly showed up last night 💜✨ Last night we hosted our ‘Keep ACCESS: VFX Mentoring Free & Global’ fundraiser event at Electric Theatre Collective, and honestly, I’m still taking it all in. I was completely blown away by the turnout, the generosity, and the genuine love in the room for what @accessvfx stands for. To see so many people come together in support of opportunity, inclusion, and the next generation of talent was incredibly moving. A huge thank you to every single person who attended, donated, bought raffle tickets, shared kind words, or simply showed up to back the cause. You made the night what it was. Special thanks as well to our brilliant panelists from @electric_theatre_collective - @tomharrison_vfx @pheyatg and @_matthewoshaughnessy_ for giving your time, honesty and insight. And congratulations to all of our raffle prize winners 🎉 And finally, thank you to my partner in crime, @nenejparsotam for always being in the trenches with me. The most emotional part of all? Because of the donations made over the past few months, the GoFundMe support, and additional sponsorship still to be announced, we haven’t just reached our target… We’ve surpassed it. We are now close to raising £14,000. That means ACCESS: VFX mentoring can continue until May 2027. A free, global mentoring programme, kept alive not by one company, but by a community that believes in lifting others up. That’s powerful. I’m so proud of what we’ve built together. This programme belongs to the people who use it, believe in it, and fight for it. You really are the real ones 💜 Simon #ACCESSVFX #Mentoring #VFX #Animation #Community Photo credit to @boyangeorgiev 📸

“We’re going to die as an industry if there’s no space for juniors.” That was one of the biggest reality checks from @catarinamg (Cat Gonçalves) on the latest episode of the @accessvfx podcast: Is VFX a ‘Safe’ Career? Stability, Pay & Reality Checks! We got into a tough but necessary conversation about what happens when junior opportunities disappear, seniors are forced to accept lower-level roles, and the industry stops investing in the next generation. If there are no clear routes in… If training keeps shrinking… If short-term thinking keeps winning… What does the future of VFX actually look like? Cat raised a powerful point: this isn’t just about careers. It’s about whether the industry can sustain itself long-term. This clip also features brilliant insights from @mrtombox and Courtney Pryce. Real talk only... 🎧 Listen now: LINK IN BIO! 🎧 #ACCESSVFX #VFX #Animation #CreativeCareers

Excited to see everyone tomorrow at the @accessvfx fundraiser 😁 We’re bringing the VFX and Animation community together at @electric_theatre_collective to support keeping our global mentoring programme free and accessible. 🎟 A few tickets are still available if you’d like to join us! LINK IN BIO! Don’t miss out on the opportunity to win one (or more) of the following AMAZING raffle prizes on the night! 🖥️ A place on @escapestudios ‘Producing for VFX’ (worth £2,525) 🖥️ A 1-year Nuke license (worth £4,500) 🖥️ A 1-year Mari license (worth £2,400) 🖥️ A 1-year Houdini FX license (worth £4,000) 🖥️ A 1-year Houdini Core license (worth £2,000) 🎓 One of 5 ‘Generative AI for VFX’ courses with @victorperez_official 🗣️ A 1-hour mentoring session with Victor Perez 🖥️ Places on ‘Professional Compositing Techniques’ Vol.1 and 2 by @aitor.echeveste.vfx 🖥️ @hugocguerra ’s Nuke Compositing course 🖥️ Two courses of your choice from @cave_academy 📖 A year of @beforesmag (digital only) 💝 An @ilmvfx goodie bag 🗣️ A coaching session with @debra.coleman.coaching Of course, if you can’t make tomorrow’s event, you can still donate to our gofundme at the link in our bio. #ACCESSVFX #VFX #Animation #KeepMentoringFree #MentoringMatters CreativeCareers VFXCommunity AnimationCommunity Fundraiser

OUT NOW: Is VFX a ‘Safe’ Career? Stability, Pay & Reality Checks! “Sometimes you stop waiting for the opportunity… and create one yourself.” On the latest episode of The @accessvfx Podcast, Courtney Pryce shares a brutally honest take on why he stepped away from the traditional studio path and chose freelancing instead. For Courtney, it wasn’t about rejecting studios, it was about reclaiming control. Control of his time, his income, his progression, and his life outside of work. He talks openly about a reality many artists feel but don’t always say out loud: VFX can be bottom heavy, with lots of talented people competing for a limited number of senior, supervisory and leadership roles. Rather than waiting endlessly for the next rung on the ladder, Courtney chose to build his own path. The result? ⚡ Higher earning potential ⚡ Time off on his own terms ⚡ More family time ⚡ No draining commute ⚡ Ownership of his career direction It’s not a route for everyone. Freelancing has its own risks and uncertainties. But Courtney’s message is powerful: career security doesn’t always come from employment status, sometimes it comes from agency. A must-listen for anyone asking whether stability in VFX comes from the company… or from the choices you make. Show link in bio. #ACCESSVFX #VFXPodcast #VFXCareers #FreelanceLife

🎙️ OUT NOW: The @accessvfx Podcast! Is VFX a ‘Safe’ Career? Stability, Pay & Reality Checks! Recent closures, layoffs, restructures and uncertainty across the industry have sparked a bigger question: Can you actually build a life in Visual Effects and Animation? This week, Simon Devereux and @nenejparsotam bring together artists, leaders, founders and freelancers for one of the most honest conversations we’ve had yet. 💥 Freelance vs staff 💥 Burnout vs passion 💥 Pay, pensions & progression 💥 Why ‘safe career’ might be the wrong question entirely Because maybe no career is safe anymore. But some are still worth chasing. @fm_animator - VFX Team Lead at @fixvfx “Talent matters. Persistence matters more.” @mrtombox - Co-Founder of @blue_zoo “The people who adapt survive. The people who cling struggle.” Cat Gonçalves - VFX Lead Artist at @untold_studios “If juniors don’t get opportunities, the industry eats itself.” @issyhineart - Concept Artist, @women_in_games_wigj Ambassador and Founder of @womensconceptartassociation “Waiting to be discovered is not a strategy.” @realbrookemcgowan - Personal Development Coach & Mentor “If you don’t value yourself, the industry won’t do it for you.” Courtney Pryce - Nuke (Studio) Artist, Post-Production & VFX Consultant & Creative Director “Freelance gave me control over my time, income and future.” 🎧 Listen now, link in bio! #ACCESSVFX #VFX #Animation #Careers #Podcast

“You can message 10 people… you only need one to reply.” That’s the advice from Issy Hine in next week’s episode of the @accessvfx podcast. Because let’s be honest… Sliding into someone’s DMs? It’s terrifying. Do I sound professional enough? Am I being annoying? Should I even send this? @issyhineart hears it all the time from students and juniors, and her answer is simple: If they want to reply, they will. If they don’t, you move on. And you keep going. Because this industry doesn’t open up from waiting. It opens up from reaching out. From asking. From trying. From risking that ‘awkward’ message. You don’t need everyone to respond. You just need one. 🎧 Is VFX a ‘Safe’ Career? Stability, Pay & Reality Check drops on Monday, wherever you get your podcasts. #VFX #Animation #Careers #CreativeCareers #Networking

We’re counting down to our fundraiser to help save the @accessvfx e-mentoring programme, and there are still a few tickets left. For a donation of your choosing, you’ll not only be supporting a programme that’s helped thousands break into the industry… You’ll also be in with a chance to win some seriously good raffle prizes on the night! 💝 An @ilmvfx goodie bag, donated by @amybackwell 🖥️ ✨ A one-year Nuke license, donated by @foundryteam 🖥️ ✨ A one-year Mari license, donated by @foundryteam 🖥️ ✨ One of 5 free vouchers for @victorperez_official ’s ‘Generative AI for VFX’ course 🗣️ A one-hour mentoring session with VFX Supervisor @victorperez_official 🖥️ ✨ @hugocguerra ’s Nuke Compositing online course 📖 A one-year digital subscription to @beforesmag magazine, donated by Ian Failes 🖥️ ✨ Two @cave_academy courses of your choice, donated by @jahirul__amin 🖥️ ✨ A one-year Houdini FX license, donated by @sidefxhoudini 🖥️ ✨ A one-year Houdini CORE license, donated by @sidefxhoudini 🗣️ A free a one hour coaching session with @Open Frame Coaching, donated by @debra.coleman.coaching Don’t miss it. Grab your ticket, and help us keep mentoring alive! LINK IN BIO 🎟️ #ACCESSVFX #VFXCommunity #MentorshipMatters #SaveMentoring #SupportTheNextGen