The Lola Limelight – Steve White
STEVE WHITE: ANIMATION SUPERVISOR
Where are you from?
London, UK
How long have you worked at Lola?
This is my second time at Lola; previously in 2015 I worked on the Teletubbies reboot(!). I’ve been supervisor here now for 3 months.
How did you get into VFX?
As a kid, I loved watching BTS videos of movies being made and wanted to be in practical effects/animatronics. Had no idea how to get into that side of the industry but found out about a course at Teesside University that was for computer special effects. Loved it so much that I stayed to do an MA in Animation then got a job as a junior and went from there.
What’s the best part of your job?
Being part of a crew – have some intense, fun, often challenging days, but at the end finishing with huge sense of accomplishment.
Biggest career highlight(s)?
Being the first artist to work on animation tests for Venom and having my first lead role on the show.
Advice to anyone starting out in the industry?
Learn from everyone, don’t be afraid to ask questions. Try hard to take ego out of feedback ; take it on board and implement it. Most feedback has filtered through a lot of people to get to you and its your job to deliver it.
Oh, and be nice. This industry is tiny, everyone knows everyone.
What does a typical day at work in the studio look like for you?
Fancy coffee from the Nespresso machine then a mix of calls, scheduling, dailies reviews & rig testing.
What are you learning at the moment?
Really into learning Python via ChatGPT at the minute. Building simple custom tools is something Ive always done but Ive been limited by my lack of in-depth programming skill. Using ChatGPT to plug the gaps has allowed me to make some quite complex tools which I wouldn’t have been able to otherwise.
What’s one of your biggest career highlights?
Being on set for The Mummy and having Tom Cruise tell me Im awesome (there was a group of us he was addressing but I’m still counting it).
What’s your most prized possession on your desk at work?
Bob Ross calendar.
Favourite spot in Soho?
Technically NoHo, but HT Harris on Great Titchfield St – best sandwiches in the world.
Tell us about your hobbies…
Part of my obsession with all things special effects was because I’ve been into performing magic my whole life. I was one of the first ever members of the Young Magicians Club (the junior Magic Circle) and have been a full Magic Circle member since 1998. Yes, I’ve met Paul Daniels.
Working in Hamleys demonstrating Marvin’s Magic just before I got my first animator role, November 2003