Content That Connects: Mike McGee’s Greatest Risks Led to the Greatest Rewards
Any piece of content for a brand means little if it never manages to connect with its target audience, a statement to ponder in this new interview series from Comcast Technology Solutions and Little Black Book.
Over the course of this series, we’ll be speaking to some of advertising’s most respected production leaders to delve into how emerging themes in production, such as data-fuelled production, more lo-fi shooting technology, remote filming, and evolving feelings towards the value of production all feed into creating content that matters to customers and works for brands.
Someone who can speak with a whole lot of authority on content that truly connects with audiences is Mike McGee, the co-founder and CCO of Framestore, the multi-award winning creative studio known for its arresting VFX work. This spans the iconic spot ‘Surfer’ for Guinness, a menagerie of creatures for the Harry Potter franchise, and Oscar-winning VFX for 2013’s ‘Gravity’ and 2018’s ‘Blade Runner 2049’. Additionally, Mike is personally responsible for the culture-shifting music video for AHA’s ‘Take on Me’, BBC’s groundbreaking ‘Walking with Dinosaurs’ series, and 2008’s ‘Nanny McPhee’.
Framestore was founded in London in 1986 with a simple proposition - “use technology to create the most extraordinary images possible”, which the company is following to this day by continually pushing creative boundaries and embracing new technologies.
Today, LBB’s Zhenya Tsenzharyk speaks to Mike about the changing expectations around VFX, how Framestore’s push to collaborate and ideate in pre-production and to supervise on sets changed the game, and why Apple’s ‘Welcome Home’ is one of his new favourite ads.
LBB> Mike, you co-founded Framestore in 1986. Can you share a little bit about that process and what vision you had for the company back then?
Mike> The late ‘80s saw media and entertainment experience a digital revolution.
Traditional analogue processes were rapidly and creatively disrupted by technology that could generate complex multi-layered images, the likes of which had never been seen before.
As a young creative it was the most exciting time to be telling stories with ground breaking VFX. We founded Framestore on the belief that creativity, technology and innovation could provide rewarding careers and have all the ingredients to build a successful business.
Our vision was to reframe what was possible, to create unforgettable images of the highest quality, to work on the most interesting and challenging projects and to partner with the most exciting visionaries in the industry.
LBB> Are there any lessons that you learnt from that period that stay with you to this day?
Mike> During those early days almost every creative ask was a ‘new’ problem that needed solving, to find a way to do something that had not been done before. When I reflect, I realise that our greatest successes have come when we’ve taken our biggest risks. Framestore’s approach has always been to be fearless but not reckless.
I have always believed that building trusted relationships with our creative partners and being involved in the creative process as early as possible is the key to true innovation. The strongest collaborations lead to the best work - whether collaborating with creatives, directors, actors, DOPs or production designers. Creativity and innovation requires taking risks, taking risks requires trust, and trust is built through strong, collaborative relationships.
LBB> How has your understanding of what craft in VFX entails evolved from when you first started in the industry to today? What has this been shaped by?
Mike> When Framestore first opened we were a post-production company, with the VFX happening after filming and editing was complete. Frustratingly, in those early days, my job was often more ‘fix-it-in-post’ than creating high quality, story enhancing, seamless visual effects.
It was only when we pushed to collaborate and ideate in pre-production and to supervise on set that we began capturing VFX elements that enabled invisible effects or fantastical scenes.
Today’s VFX craft is seen as an integral part of the filmmaking process that is properly considered from concept, through storyboarding and previs, to filming and final shot production. The VFX supervisor is one of the longest serving crew members on any VFX heavy production. Their creative and technical contribution is crucial to generating the most compelling visuals effects, as well as providing production efficiencies and cost savings.
LBB> What forces and issues do you see shaping and influencing the world of VFX, and the larger industry, today? Are these positive, negative, or neutral?
Mike> There are several trends that are shaping the future of VFX.
Audiences have become accustomed to high quality results and demand more realistic and immersive visual experiences. As a result, we need to constantly improve our tools and techniques to keep producing high end, photo real results.
Technological developments such as real-time rendering and machine learning are reframing how VFX are created. This technology has produced faster and more realistic renders, streamlined our workflows and enhanced our creativity.
Streaming services have generated an increased demand for VFX across multiple genres, and there are not enough skilled VFX artists to meet the demand. One of the biggest challenges for VFX studios is to recruit and retain the best talent.
Finally, with the rapid growth of AI tools and digital content, concerns around intellectual property, copyrights and piracy have become a big concern. As creators of content and VFX we must be careful to safeguard our work against these challenges.
LBB> AI is writing the next chapter of VFX and production in general. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this notion?
Mike> Rather than the term AI, I prefer machine learning. I agree that machine learning is already shaping the next chapter of VFX and production in general.
We have for years been training machines to enhance post-production processes such as up-resing, de-noising, and image enhancement. These ML techniques such as deep learning and neural networks, are enabling the generation of more realistic and intricate VFX. We use these technologies for example to simulate the complex surface qualities of human skin, or the detailed texture and movement of a creatures’ multi-layered fur or feathers.
With the right prompting, AI can be a powerful assistant in helping generate ideas. However, I believe that it is not a replacement for human creativity and expertise. The AI needs skilled prompting and then curation over its output to find the right targeted solution. I see AI as a tool, one that augments and complements human abilities rather than replacing them.
The success of integrating AI tools into a creative pipeline will require the careful navigation of ethical, artistic and technical implications and need the collaboration of developers, VFX artists, IP owners and content creators.
LBB> In 2018, you chose Sony Bravia’s ‘Balls’ ad as one of your favourites, singling it out for the use of in-camera effects and threading together of digital and analogue storytelling. Has any ad(s) bested its number one spot in your mind since?
Mike> My new favourite is Apple’s ‘Welcome Home’ commercial. Directed by Spike Jonze, it features FKA Twigs dancing with her twin in an incredible shifting apartment set with moving walls, doors and floors.
Translating this colourful transforming set to the final onscreen image required the careful planning and collaboration of director, production designer, DOP and VFX team. A single seamless photo-real sequence was created using footage from multiple passes, filmed at different frame rates, scenes stitched together from different takes and moving set pieces. The VFX team invented solutions to turn the storyboard drawings from black and white sketches into a flowing, mind-bending, stretching studio apartment. FKA Twigs moves through this environment seeing herself in invisible mirrors before she invites her own image to break the fourth wall and come dance with herself.
As artists in the VFX world we all take pride in realising visionary ideas. Often it’s seen as the highest praise if our work goes completely unnoticed, and I think this film is a perfect example of VFX crafted excellence.
LBB> What’s the key to crafting work that really connects with audiences?
Mike> Crafting VFX and CGI characters that audiences can truly connect with requires a combination of artistic vision, technical excellence and a deep understanding of storytelling.
The best VFX support the narrative and intensify the emotional impact of the story. Every visual effect should contribute to the plot, character development, or mood, rather than being an excuse for a spectacle. Framestore strives for realism and believability, even in fantastical worlds. When VFX blends seamlessly with live-action, creating a cohesive environment, it increases our audience’s immersive experience. Beautifully crafted effects evoke emotional responses such as awe, wonder, fear or excitement, and it’s the attention to detail applied to the lighting, shading, texture and physics that brings to life our VFX.
At Framestore we reframe the possible, pushing the boundaries of what can be achieved with compelling VFX. We experiment with new techniques, technologies and artistic approaches to create visuals that surprise, engage and entertain our audiences. Our main contribution is to create impactful and unforgettable visual experiences. We believe in the limitless potential of our craft to create VFX that resonates with viewers and is an integral part of the story.
LBB> Framestore is multi-award winning, and you’ve personally won three VFX Emmys alongside countless other awards. What’s your attitude towards the value of awards in general?
Mike> Awards in the VFX world hold significant value to individuals, studios, and the industry at large. Winning or being nominated for Cannes Lions, D&AD pencils or VES awards can bring recognition and prestige to the creatives, agencies, VFX artists and brands involved. It highlights exceptional creativity, problem solving, and often innovation.
For VFX artists, awards serve as reputation enhancers, calling out individuals and their studios credibility and capabilities in the industry, and making them both more attractive to potential clients, talent and creative partners. Awards can set the bar for excellence and make certain iconic VFX moments part of popular culture. Think of Paddington having tea with the Queen or the latest Barbie movie.
It’s also important to acknowledge that many exceptional pieces of VFX work may not receive awards for various reasons, awards should be seen as one aspect of recognition and validation within a larger context of creative interpretation, technical accomplishment, and industry effectiveness.
LBB> Which piece of work that you personally worked on in your career stands to you most?
Mike> The ground-breaking music video for AHA’s ‘Take On Me’ was a project I was lucky to work on at the start of my career. It was directed by Steve Barron who actually thought up the name of our company ‘Framestore’ and became a founding investor.
The 1985 music video features a combination of live-action and rotoscoped animation. It involved tracing over live action footage frame by frame to create animated sequences. The live action scenes seamlessly transition to the animated sequences and back again, creating a surreal, unique and captivating visual journey where characters in the animated world interact with the real world and each other.
The crafting of this music video, like all ground breaking VFX, required meticulous attention to detail, technical precision, innovative production processes and the combining of different visual mediums.
I feel very honoured and proud to have worked on such an iconic and memorable music video. It has a timeless appeal and is ingrained in popular culture to this day.
Above: still from Guinness's 'Surfer'
LBB> And what about Framestore more generally?
Mike> The Guinness ‘Surfer’ commercial is often referred to as one of the best commercials ever made due to its exceptional creativity, storytelling, stunning use of black and white imagery, integrated VFX and emotional resonance.
The ad’s themes of patience and reward are timeless and extremely relatable to the craft of making great VFX.
Beautiful art direction, a soundtrack that starts as a pounding heartbeat and builds to a roar, giant white wild horses leap over breaking surf as surfers successfully catch the long awaited and anticipated wave. The seamless integration of horses filmed against blue screen being embedded in live-action footage of foaming rolling waves result in a mesmerising and evocative commercial. Its imagery and themes have been referenced and parodied in various media forms over the years which has added to its lasting impact.
The ground-breaking impressions that 'Guinness Surfer’ and ‘Take On Me’ made on their releases and their lasting resonance over time is what makes these pieces of work so special to me.
LBB> Finally, what advice do you have for aspiring VFX creatives?
Mike> This question I get asked a lot, and there’s a lot aspiring VFX creatives can do to help get ahead.
Understand the fundamentals of art, animation and visual effects. This will provide a foundation for your growth, and consider specialising in an area of VFX that suits your interests and strengths.
Tools and techniques are rapidly developing in VFX, make sure to stay up-to-date with the latest trends and developments in hardware and software. This can be helped by using online tutorials, courses, and specialist forums which can allow you to work at your own speed.
Build a showreel that demonstrates your best work, your versatility or your expertise and always put quality over quantity. Get feedback on your work from peers or seek out mentors willing to give advice. Constructive feedback will help you grow and improve as an artist.
Pay attention to detail. VFX often involves close attention to the finer aspects of making something behave, look or feel real.
Take every opportunity to work closely with a creative team, ask for advice, discuss approaches, share solutions and troubleshoot together.
Finally, building a successful VFX career will take time. Be patient and persistent, show passion. And enthusiasm for your work but acknowledge there will be setbacks. Learn from any setbacks and come back stronger. Aim to develop a balance of artistic flair and technical proficiency, Framestore’s reputation and success has been built on these two competencies and yours should be too.
