“It is really satisfying when you can see everything that you have been working on come together. In virtual production and VFX, you get to approach problem-solving in a creative way.”
Fiona Fowler is a Virtual Production Volume Technician at our London studio. Fiona started working at DNEG in August 2022, after relocating from Scotland where she worked at Prime Video & Amazon Studios as a Production Assistant in VFX Virtual Production. Keep reading to understand more about Fiona’s journey from studying Game Software Development at University to landing her first role in Virtual Production.
Hi Fiona! What brought you into the world of Virtual Production?
Ever since I was a kid I was interested in films and loved to watch behind-the-scenes material. I specifically remember watching the BTS of Monsters, Inc. and how making Sulley’s fur was a challenge for the crew at the time. I was amazed to see how they solved this through VFX.
Even though I always had a passion for films, I started my journey studying Game Software Development for my undergraduate degree at Glasgow Caledonian University, which I topped up with a postgraduate in 3D Designs for Virtual Environments. I was always interested in technology and art which is why I chose those courses. But since graduating from university over 12 years ago, I haven’t really used the course as I thought I would.
My first couple of professional jobs were in technology companies such as Apple. After working for a couple of years, I decided to explore the world and travelled for 5 years. My favourite places to visit were Melbourne and Vietnam! So, I didn’t do anything with my career for a while, as I was more interested in life and experiences through travelling.
Afterwards, I came back home to Scotland right before the COVID-19 pandemic started and decided to stay put for a while. That is when I started looking into entry-level jobs. At first, I was only interested in VFX which led me to my first trainee role with Amazon. When I got the job at Amazon, I went straight into the Virtual Production team, my first call with Ben Sharp (VP Supervisor) was to have a conversation about whether VP was a good fit after the VP team noticed my background and thought it might be interesting for me – which it was! Now, I feel really lucky to have landed a role in Virtual Production at DNEG, especially at such an early stage in the industry!
Any career highlight(s) so far?
A few yes! Having the opportunity to work in Virtual Production and move to London was really exciting. On the other hand, being able to travel around the world with my job to work on sets for films has been a dream come true for me. I get to see so many places and meet really talented people.
What is the day-to-day like at DNEG Virtual Production?
I am learning something new every day because every day is different. I am generally on set and when I am not I like to be in the studio to see the team and what they are working on. I am still quite new and I need to learn a lot of things so being in the studio definitely helps! For instance, the Content Management Team are training me to work with or operate Unreal Engine at the studio and Tess Rees (Motion Capture TD) is teaching and showing me the ropes of ‘Tracking and Motion Capture’. I shadow a lot of people to gain knowledge and experience!
What do you like the most about your job?
For me, it’s problem-solving. It is really satisfying when you can see everything that you have been working on come together. In virtual production and VFX, you get to approach problem-solving in a creative way.
What advice would you give to someone wanting to pursue a career in the industry?
I would say that they shouldn’t be stuck in the past because there is so much development in the industry, with so many roles that no one expected to exist years ago! Stay open to opportunities that may come along.
Time for some, rapid-fire questions – What’s your ‘special power’ at work?
I’m a quick learner. I tend to pick up processes quite quickly and I am quite good at soaking up everything. I think that is why I love going to the office or working on set!
What are you most looking forward to every day?
I enjoy going to the studio. I worked from home for many years and that made me miss the people aspect and in-person interactions that you get by going to the office.
How did you feel on your first day at DNEG Virtual Production?
I felt very excited and grateful to have the opportunity to join the team. I was amazed that it was actually my job and that I actually got paid to do it. Oh and also nervous.
What is your proudest moment to date?
I think taking the opportunity to start a completely new career which I did with Virtual Production is my proudest moment.
Finish this sentence: DNEG Virtual Production is…
Full of opportunities!
JOIN US!
DNEG Virtual Production, a partnership between DNEG and Dimension Studio, offers filmmakers and content creators an industry-leading, end-to-end virtual production service. To find out more about DNEG Virtual Production click here.
And if you want to join our Oscar-winning team, stay tuned for our next ‘FOCUS’ and click here to find out more about our open positions across our studios in North America, Europe, India and Australia.