Despite it being an area of focus for the wider industry, visual effects remains a male dominated field and only a continued focus and combined effort will that help change that.
Lucy Bailey who is a Senior Software Developer at MPC shared some thoughts about gender diversity in VFX and what inspired her to get into the industry in the first place…
What is your name, job title and how long have you been at MPC?
Lucy Bailey, Senior Software Developer, 12 years.
What and where did you study?
BSc Computing for Computer Graphics UEA (University of East Anglia, Norwich)
Did you always want to work in the VFX industry?
Yes, but didn’t think I would be able to. I mentioned to my adviser I’d look for work locally in a software house but he got me in contact with MPC, and the rest is history!
What inspired you to pursue VFX as a career?
Watching the film Jurassic Park (above) (and later the Matrix). Then I did some work experience during uni where I worked in the same office as some graphics programmers who mentioned Rushes, so I applied to them for work experience and did two weeks there as a runner.
What single piece of advice would you give someone looking to get into the VFX industry?
Believe you can do it!
Find a course more geared specifically towards VFX, I spent the first year listening to people talk what sounded like a foreign language!
Once you are in, take time to learn as you go. Often deadline pressures mean less time to dig into why something works, best to invest time on this early on, as it will become invaluable later.
What particular challenges face women looking to enter into the VFX industry?
Some departments have many more men than women, so you need to be comfortable working in that environment.
The high cost of renting in London can also be a factor as much of the industry is centred there.
What key skills do you need to do your job?
Programming skills, problem solving, translate between artist talk and tech talk.
What excites you most about your job at MPC?
Every day is a different challenge, I have been here 12 years and am still learning. The job never gets boring!
We work on some amazing films, and I still get a thrill from getting a credit (my parents always go to see the films and sit until the end when the cleaners have come in, watching for my name!)
What do you bring to the team you work with?
Experience of the MPC pipeline. Love for MPC.
What’s your favourite VFX movie?
The Matrix (but the visuals in the Jungle Book were stunning!)
How would you describe the culture at MPC?
Friendly, young, trendy.
Which 3 words best describe your job?
Creative, challenging, stimulating.
What do you think the biggest challenges in your role?
You need to code under pressure, with often short time scales.
You need to be able to context switch and cope well with interruptions due to the nature of being in a busy production team whilst navigating the large MPC software stack
What inspires you?
My family
Beautiful architecture, furniture, landscapes
