Since he was a little boy Luke Frampton has been interested in making things, so it was no surprise that he ended up in the creative industries and became a winner at 2021’s Young Animator of the Year.
“I’ve always had a passion for making things since I was little but then my tastes turned towards animation. I love the art of movement,” Luke explains.
What is more unusual though is that he was almost entirely self-taught until he did a ScreenSkills-backed summer school animation course called 3DAmi at University College London, which helped land him what he calls his “dream job”.
Luke started out by using 3D computer graphics software Blender as a hobby and was given advice from other users. He also learnt more techniques via watching YouTube videos and through contributing to the open fan-made project Bionicle: Masks of Power, based on the popular Lego series.
Although he studied maths, computer science and product design for his A Levels at school in Northwood School in Middlesex, it was his own drive that led to him contacting people working in animation to find work experience.
That resulted in him finding out about a ScreenSkills-supported young animator two-week course at UCL, which he took part in in 2018 and for the three subsequent years. It was via the teacher there, Peter Kemp, that he was recommended for the Young Animator of the Year competition.
The competition, supported by ScreenSkills, awards prizes for the best short animations across different styles and age ranges.
Luke created a short film called Flight of the Odonates, using an experimental hand-drawn style and in November 2021 he won the Animator of the Year Best 3D Animator aged 15-18.
That in turn led to him winning his “dream job”: joining the 3D animation department at the London office of prestigious international VFX and creative studio The Mill.
“I’d been in contact with Paul Templeman from The Mill for a while so after I made Flight of the Odonates I told him about it. He contacted The Mill to get me in for an interview,” Luke explains.
At the same time he was also being offered apprenticeships via another organisation called Access VFX but The Mill offered him a job and he joined in January 2022.
Wise beyond his young years, his advice to others looking to get into the industry via ScreenSkills’ courses and competitions is: “Suck up as much information as you can and keep in contact with people you meet.
"Keeping in contact with Paul helped get me my job… I can’t overstate how important a network of contacts is in this industry - it’s competitive but also cooperative, you’re part of a team and you need friends.
“And put yourself out there. I made the mistake sometimes of under-selling myself. There’s a difference between confidence and arrogance but being outgoing will get your name out there.
He adds: “Also look for a break like YAY. It gives you a focus and perfect showcase for your work to put forward your talents.”