London VFX Industry Launches U.K. VFX Apprenticeship Program

LONDON -- The VFX industry is launching two new VFX specific apprenticeships in autumn 2016, the first of its kind in the UK. The roles of Junior 2D artist and Assistant Technical Director will be open to EU citizens who are school or college leavers and do not plan to study on a degree course; encouraging inclusive, diverse and accessible recruitment within the industry. Amy Smith, Global Head of Recruitment at Framestore, was integral to the launch of the scheme; carving out the standards and assessment plans and taking a leading role on the apprenticeship content.

With the UK’s VFX and post-production industries leading the global marketplace, this sector is still one of the fastest-growing in the UK. London boasts not only large-scale Hollywood post production services, but also boutique VFX studios and commercial-specific production companies.  

Five world-renowned studios will be offering the apprenticeships in this first year; Framestore, Double Negative, Jellyfish, Lexhag and The Mill, who are currently working on a range of creative projects for Film, TV, advertising and digital.

The world of VFX and post-production took over Soho in the 1980s, with a talent base largely trained in-house. These hands-on roles were available to students and graduates with the much-needed raw skills in math, sciences or the arts.  This scheme is a return to the “on the job” approach to recruiting junior roles, in addition to existing graduate entry. This also feeds into the newly launched NextGen Level 3 qualification designed by the industry, for the industry; as successful students are well placed to move onto an apprenticeship when graduating.

“The idea for apprenticeships in visual effects came from an industry wide desire to further develop the talent pipeline here in the UK,” commented Smith. “There is a long history of visual effects companies collaborating with higher education but by that stage it is often too late to encourage women and young people from diverse racial and social backgrounds to consider this industry. By developing our Level 3 qualification and now our Level 4 apprenticeships we hope to open the door to a wider pool of talented individuals and to ensure that this fast-growing industry continues to be successful, innovative and cutting-edge.”

Source: Framestore