Spotlight Series: Conrad Lewis - Trainee Junior VFX Artist

Continuing to shine the spotlight on our Trainee Junior VFX Artists, we hear from Conrad Lewis who shares an insight into his work life at, and leading up to, Aardman.

What is it like working in the CG Team at Aardman?

It's great! Everyone is lovely, and we all share similar or unique interests. Each week feels different and eventful, and I feel incredibly lucky to be part of the team.

Describe your typical day…

I’m greeted by the lovely JoJo at the front desk—she sets the mood and tone for the day. I then settle at my desk, start up my PC, and check which shots I need to work on. Later, we have dailies to review and critique the shots completed so far.

Around lunchtime, we might have a random encounter with the elusive Peter Lord! After lunch, we dive back into work and continue until the end of the day.

What new skills have you learnt or are learning during your traineeship?

I used to use After Effects for compositing, so the biggest new skill I'm learning is how to use Nuke.

Coming from a background in illustration, concept art, and storyboarding, I'm learning how to adapt my 2D art skills to compositing.

Most importantly, I’m learning how to work as part of a team, share skills, and distribute workloads effectively.

What are your career ambitions?

I'm not entirely sure anymore! Initially, I wanted to be an illustrator, then a concept artist, then a storyboard artist. I’ve even thought about trying my hand at directing one day.

Now that I’m in VFX, I’ve realised I’m happy as long as I’m in a creative environment, doing something artistic, learning new things, and growing as a creative individual.

What was your study route, and which course or training did you take?

My start is an unusual one. After leaving school, I studied automotive body repair at college. I did quite well at that, but in my free time, I taught myself to draw and built a portfolio. That portfolio got me into Staffordshire University for an Art & Design foundation year.

I then pursued a bachelor’s in Illustration. My first industry experience was as a graphic design and photo retouching intern for a high-end shoe designer. After that, I gained work experience at Stone’s Throw Media, where I learned to animate using After Effects. During this time, I was also attending language school to learn Japanese—though I still don’t understand a word of it.

Eventually, I decided to go back to university to pursue a master’s in Concept Art at Teesside University. My first job after that was as a storyboard artist at Charactershop Animation Studio for a few years. However, finding consistent work as a storyboard artist became challenging, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to make illustration and concept art my career. Because it kind of killed the enjoyment of drawing. 

How did you start out in the industry?

After a period of unemployment, I saw a job posting for a storyboard artist in my hometown of Birmingham. I applied immediately and decided to hand-deliver my application in person. This left a strong impression. Although I didn’t get the storyboard artist role, Chris Randall at Second Home Studio offered me a post-production position for their new stop-motion TV show, Tweedy & Fluff.

I adapted quickly to the role thanks to the diverse skills I had gained up to that point. It was an amazing experience to be part of my first TV production.

When Tweedy & Fluff ended, I spent my downtime learning Nuke and Blender, refining my 2D art portfolio, and applying for jobs. I also attended FMX, a VFX conference in Germany, to ask as many questions as possible to help me figure out my next step.

One day, Aardman called me for an interview. I had about a month to prepare, so I focused entirely on learning Nuke and brushing up on Aardman’s history (a lot of cartoons were watched!). I even returned to Second Home Studio to shadow Lucy Wallace, my VFX supervisor on Tweedy & Fluff, to learn more about Nuke. It all paid off—I got the job!

If you could give one piece of advice about getting started in the industry, what would it be?

For most people reading this there isn't going to be a direct route into the industry, there are going to be a lot of twists and turns, but the skills you pick up on the way will make you unique and a valuable part of the team with a different way of approaching problems. 

So, I'll say be flexible, ask A LOT of questions, be persistent and don't stop being creative. 

What do you like most about working at Aardman?

Everyone is incredibly kind and always willing to start a fun conversation. I also love Aardman’s commitment to maintaining a healthy work-life balance. The atmosphere here is truly one of a kind. 

Who is your favourite animated character and why?

This is the hardest question. The first character that comes to mind is Spike Spiegel from Cowboy Bebop because he’s just too cool, and maybe Ai Tanabe from the anime Planetes because of her strong optimism and belief that love is always the answer... to be fair that's a common trait in most anime characters.