The Access:VFX Podcast

What happens when an industry depends on communities for connection, confidence and opportunity, but leaves much of the work to unpaid volunteers? In Part 2 of 'Who Builds the Communities That Build Our Industry?', Simon and Nene reunite with Rob Doherty, Founder of Festivus; Djemy Oliveira from Anime District; Debra Coleman from Animated Women UK; Valeriia Konstantinova, Co-Director of Women in Concept Art; and Alwyn Hunt from The Rookies. This time, the conversation moves beyond why communities matter and into the complicated realities of sustaining them. Where does a community builder’s emotional responsibility end? How can communities offer hope during layoffs and uncertainty without making promises they cannot keep, or becoming an unpaid crisis service? And how do the people providing all that support protect their own time, energy and wellbeing? The panel explores the tension between growth and authenticity, including how communities can work with brands without surrendering the trust of their members. They discuss the invisible labour created by Discord servers, direct messages, mentoring and moderation; how to distinguish credible guidance from unsolicited advice; and why access to education, technology, money and professional networks still shapes who gets seen and celebrated. At its heart, this conversation is a reminder that community is not an audience, a mailing list or a set of impressive numbers. It is people supporting one another, sharing knowledge, opening doors and creating the spaces the wider industry has too often failed to provide.

Women hold just 16% of leadership roles across VFX and animation. But what happens to those who do reach the top, and are they genuinely free to lead on their own terms? In this episode of The ACCESS:VFX Podcast, hosts Simon and Nene are joined by Tanya Ferguson, Executive Producer at Untold Studios; Marta Carbonell Amela, Director and Creative Director at Zauberberg Productions; Sophie Bell, Managing Director at Toast; and Sharon King, Producer, Story Producer and Development Producer at Awesome Productions. Together, they explore the different rules women can face across VFX, advertising, television and the wider creative industries. Why are confidence and ambition celebrated in male leaders but so often interpreted as aggression, arrogance or difficulty in women? Do women still feel pressure to soften their voices, seek permission or make themselves smaller before their authority is accepted? The conversation also examines how race, culture, accent and parenthood shape the experience of leadership. Tanya and Sharon discuss the additional calculations Black women are forced to make in professional spaces, while Marta reflects on navigating language, identity and belonging after moving from Spain to the UK. Sophie shares why stepping into leadership meant learning to stop asking for permission, and why shared parental responsibility remains critical to women’s progression. This is an honest conversation about power, representation, positive action, allyship and the importance of seeing people like yourself in senior positions. It also challenges the idea that successful leaders must be the boldest or loudest people in the room, making the case instead for kindness, listening, empathy, authenticity and leadership built around people. Women in the creative industries do not need to be fixed. They need opportunity, sponsorship, shared responsibility... and, as Tanya puts it, more women!

Every industry likes to talk about community. The word appears in mission statements, recruitment campaigns and social-media posts, but genuine community is not built with a hashtag, and it does not magically appear when people need it. Someone has to create the space, welcome the newcomer, make the introductions, organise the event, answer the messages and keep people believing they still belong, even when the industry gives them every reason to walk away. In this episode of The ACCESS:VFX Podcast, hosts Simon Devereux and Nene Parsotam meet five people building connection, opportunity and belonging across animation, VFX, games, anime and concept art. Joining the conversation are Rob Doherty, Founder of Festivus; Djemy Oliveira, Events Content and Coordination Assistant at Anime District; Debra Coleman, Director at Animated Women UK; Valeriia Konstantinova, Co-Director of Women in Concept Art; and Alwyn Hunt, Co-Founder of The Rookies. From a nervous animator gradually finding the confidence to enter a packed Festivus event to an aspiring concept artist deciding to pursue a new career after finding WiCA, the guests share the individual moments that remind them why this work matters. Because without these communities, our industries would lose far more than events and online platforms. They would lose honesty, representation, support, diversity, bravery... and a considerable amount of their heart and soul. Find out more about the communities featured on the episode: The Rookies: https: www.therookies.co Animated Women UK: www.animatedwomenuk.com Women in Concept Art: www.womeninconceptart.com Anime District: www.animedistrict.co.uk Festivus: https://fstvs.net

Getting the leadership title is one thing. What happens when you actually have to do the job? When you become responsible for other people’s careers. When you have to deliver feedback you know someone won’t like. When you’re promoted and quietly wonder whether somebody has made a terrible mistake. Or when you discover that the behaviours that made you successful are precisely the ones you now need to unlearn. In Part 2 of 'How Do You Actually Become a Leader in VFX and Animation?' hosts Simon Devereux and Nene Parsotam reunite with Emma Kolasinska, Executive VFX Producer at Lux Aeterna; Lucy Cooper, Managing Director at Union Visual Effects; Dan Cripps, Animator, Animation Director and Head of Animation at Blue Zoo Animation; Kate Lander, Director, Career Expert and Workforce Development Specialist; and Jon Mason, Founder of Jollywise. This time, the conversation gets even more personal. The panel explores the strange experience of growing into a leadership title, the loneliness that can accompany senior responsibility and why feeling ready often comes long after the promotion itself. They share some of their biggest mistakes, from hiring decisions and financial blind spots to accidentally sending a Disney pitch to Nickelodeon! ...and explain why honesty, accountability and learning from failure are essential to building trust. They also challenge some of the industry’s most persistent leadership myths. Confidence is not the same as charisma. Admitting that you don’t know something is not weakness. Hiring people who are better than you is not a threat. And leadership does not mean having all the answers... it means bringing together the right people to find them. The conversation also looks beyond the workplace. When so much of your identity is tied to your career, what happens when the job changes... or disappears? The guests discuss mentoring, family pressures, burnout, side projects and the importance of building a life that is bigger than your title. This is an honest conversation about imposter syndrome, confidence, mistakes, identity, resilience and why becoming a leader is rarely the polished success story it appears to be from the outside. Because leadership isn’t 'golf and lattes.' As Jon Mason puts it, it’s usually 2am in the morning!

Working hard, becoming brilliant at your craft and earning a promotion should make you a great leader… right? Not necessarily. Being an exceptional animator doesn’t automatically mean you’ll be good at managing animators. Being a brilliant producer doesn’t prepare you for every difficult conversation. And being the most technically experienced person in the room doesn’t always make you the person others want to follow. So, how do you actually become a leader in VFX and animation? In the first of this two-part conversation, hosts Simon Devereux and Nene Parsotam are joined by six leaders from across VFX, animation, production and workforce development to explore what career progression really looks like, and why getting the title is often only the beginning. Dasha Sherman, Co-Founder and Director at KoalaFX, Emma Kolasinska, Executive VFX Producer at Lux Aeterna, Lucy Cooper, Managing Director at Union Visual Effects, Dan Cripps, Animator, Animation Director and Head of Animation at Blue Zoo Productions, Kate Lander, Director, Career Expert and Workforce Development Specialist, and Jon Mason, Founder of Jollywise, share the lessons they’ve learned through building studios, leading teams and helping others take their next career step. Together, they discuss the importance of visibility without self-promotion, building an internal personal brand and demonstrating the 'extra value' you bring beyond your job description. They also explore why progression is rarely linear, how quieter and more introverted people can make themselves seen, and why not everyone needs (or wants) to climb the traditional leadership ladder. From creating opportunities for visibility and navigating non-linear careers to recognising hidden potential and learning when to step back, this is an honest conversation about what leadership really demands, and why success eventually stops being about what you can do and starts being about what you can help other people do.