The Access:VFX Podcast

How do you actually get noticed as a young animator?

In this special episode of the ACCESS:VFX Podcast, Simon and Nene explore Young Animator of the Year UK, the free national animation competition that has helped launch the careers of some of the UK's most exciting emerging talent.

Joining them are Tom Box (Co-Founder of Blue Zoo Animation and Young Animator of the Year UK Lead), Tanya Scott (BAA-winning Director and Young Animator of the Year UK Judge), alongside former winners Josh Palfrey, Amelie Colvin and two-time winner Nishaan Singh.

Together they discuss what judges are really looking for, the biggest myths about breaking into animation, why storytelling matters more than perfection, and how competitions like Young Animator of the Year UK can open doors into the industry.

If you're thinking of entering, entries are free and open to anyone aged 11–22 living or studying in the UK. You can submit 2D, 3D or Stop Motion animation, with finalists showcased at the Manchester Animation Festival. Entries close on 1st September. Find out more and enter at younganimator.uk

This week on The ACCESS:VFX Podcast, we're asking a simple question: Why does nobody talk about advertising VFX?

When people think about careers in VFX and animation, they usually picture blockbuster films, episodic television or games. But some of the most innovative visual effects, animation and creative technology work is happening in advertising, and it's a career path that rarely gets the attention it deserves.

Joining Simon Devereux and co-host Nene Parsotam is a panel of experts spanning animation production, creative technology, CG, robotics and commercial creativity. Together, they unpack the biggest misconceptions about advertising, explore how storytelling changes when you only have seconds to capture an audience's attention, and discuss why commercial work demands just as much creativity, technical excellence and collaboration as film and episodic production.

The conversation also dives into the rapid pace of advertising, the growing role of AI, the crossover of skills between industries, and why careers in branded content and commercial production offer exciting opportunities for artists, producers and technologists alike.

Whether you're already working in VFX and animation, considering a move into advertising, or simply curious about how brands create the campaigns we see every day, this episode offers an honest, behind-the-scenes look at a creative industry that's often overlooked, but full of opportunity.

Featuring Amy Ashton (Freelance Animation Producer and Co-founder of BlackFrame), Tristan Ramsay (Founder and Creative Director of Frantic), Ethan Francis (CG Artist at Black Kite and Co-founder of CG101), Razik Darji (Creative Technologist at VML and Adobe Creative Ambassador), and Eunah Lee (Robotics, Cinematography and Creative Technologist at WPP), bringing perspectives from across commercial production, creative technology, animation and visual effects.

If VFX Doesn't Work Out... What Else Can These Skills Do?

What if the skills you've built in VFX, animation or games were never limited to those industries in the first place?

In this episode, Simon Devereux and Nene Parsotam are joined by an international panel of artists, producers, educators, recruiters and entrepreneurs to explore why creative skills are more transferable than ever. From healthcare and architecture to automotive, property, education and digital experiences, the conversation reveals just how many opportunities exist beyond film and television.

The panel discusses career pivots, transferable skills, storytelling, networking, personal branding, confidence, multiple income streams and why the idea of a single, linear career is becoming increasingly outdated.

Featuring Alannah Belanger from Untold Studios, Tom Feist-Wilson from Union VFX, Lighting Artist and Property Investor Jermaine Rajis, Industry Educator Mark Flanagan, Talent Manager Cat Gulácsy and VFX Artist Inês Coimbra, this is an honest and reassuring conversation for anyone wondering what comes next.

Because your career isn't defined by one industry... It's defined by the skills you take with you.

At 16, most of us thought everyone else had a plan.

Pick the right subjects. Make the right choices. Don’t fall behind.

Except… that’s not really how creative careers work.

In this episode, Simon Devereux and co-host Nene Parsotam bring together artists, leaders and emerging talent from across VFX and animation to answer one question: What do you wish someone had told you when you were 16?

The answers are honest, surprising, occasionally brutal… and probably not what you’d expect.

This isn’t an episode about becoming successful by 21 or building the perfect portfolio. It’s about the things nobody tells you early enough: that careers rarely move in straight lines, that changing direction isn’t failure, that software matters less than you think, and that some of the skills that take you furthest aren’t taught in classrooms at all.

From early career panic to sideways moves, from advice that changed everything to advice that turned out to be nonsense, the panel reflects on the pressure young people put on themselves, and what actually mattered in hindsight.

If you’re 16, know someone who is, or occasionally wish you could send your younger self a voice note…

This one’s for you.

Guests:

Joe Raasch - Head of Training, Pixomondo
Will Noon - 3D Character & Creature Animator & Previs Artist, Framestore
Alex Davy - Storyboard Artist, previously at Blue Zoo Animation
Oktawia Sokalska - Junior Compositor, Viridian FX
Zain Harris - Colourist, DISAUTHORITY
Kara Orapallo - VP Crew Development, DNEG Animation

Listen now! ...and maybe send it to someone who thinks they need their whole future figured out already.

What happens when young people spend hours gaming, editing videos, scrolling TikTok or watching YouTube?

Are they wasting time… or developing skills adults don’t always recognise?

In this thoughtful and refreshingly balanced conversation, we explore the growing gap between how young people engage with digital platforms and how parents often interpret that behaviour.

Bringing together voices from games, animation, education and production, the panel looks beyond the headlines and asks whether gaming, content creation and online communities are building creativity, resilience and transferable skills in ways we don’t always acknowledge.

Across the episode, the conversation explores what parents are really worried about when they think about screen time, the difference between passive consumption and active creation, and why ideas like 'games literacy' may become increasingly important in the future. This roundtable discusses how gaming can develop problem-solving, decision-making and learning through failure, while also unpacking the surprising links between video editing, storytelling, short-form content and modern creative careers.

The discussion also examines how studios are adapting to changing audience behaviours, what creative employers are noticing in the next generation of talent, and whether visual and motion literacy are becoming just as important as traditional forms of communication.

Importantly, the episode doesn’t ignore the challenges. The panel talks honestly about healthy boundaries, digital wellbeing and the moments when parents should step in, while offering practical advice for supporting curiosity without turning every hobby into a career plan.

No judgement. No panic. Just an honest conversation about creativity, technology, learning and whether young people might already be developing skills for a world that adults are still catching up to.

Guests:

Del Walker - Lead Character Artist at Absurd Ventures, Professor of Arts at Norwich University and BAFTA committee member
Marcia Deakin - Co-Founder, NextGen Skills Academy
Grace Lane - Senior Communications Manager at Blue Zoo Animation Studio
Lauren Middleton - Senior Games Production Coordinator at Framestore, Limit Break Mentor and Women in Games Ambassador