New Talent: Antonio Jimenez
Only five years since moving to London from his native Spain, Antonio Jimenez had carved out that start of a promising career in VFX. As a Flame Operator at Big Buoy he’s worked on the post production of commercials for brands including Hewlett Packard and Toyota.
Big Buoy took a minute to get to know Antonio more and hear about his approach to his craft.
Q> Growing up, what job did you want to end up doing?
AJ> Ever since I was little I had my own idea of filmmaking. I used to spend hours playing with my father's video camera, loving the idea of watching on the big screen what I had filmed. I wasn't too sure what job would suit me but the idea of filming was constantly floating in my head.
Q> What first grabbed your attention and made you want to work in this industry, namely in VFX?
AJ> I’ve always found the possibility of creating things that people imagine in their heads really fascinating. I grew up filming and editing, but as soon as I realised that there was an industry called ‘post-production’ that could make your story even more fantastical... it caught my attention and made me think “I definitely want to do that.” It's all about make-believe, no matter what it is, let's just make something up and let people enjoy it.
Q> What do you look for in a film or project that makes you want to work on it?
AJ> I think every project has its own unique way of expressing things differently, but the ones that go: "let's do this big, let's put it upside down and innovate" are obviously the most enticing. The artist in me is always looking to expand my horizons and being relatively new to the industry, I have an insatiable appetite for learning and trying new things.
Q> What’s your favorite part of your job?
AJ> Clients satisfaction when delivering a project. A simple "That's great" or "I love it" makes our jobs so worth it.
Q> What would you say is the proudest part of your career so far?
AJ> When I first placed my feet in London five years ago I didn't know anyone here. It was just my partner and I, with our heads full of hopes and aspirations. Everything seemed hard to achieve and too high to reach... and one day Matt Felstead, a great colleague, good person and a fantastic editor, taps your back saying: "Well done. You're doing a great job. You came here by yourself from the street with no help and managed to get your foot through the door. You should be proud of yourself. Keep it up." And that's the moment when you realise that, even if your journey has just begun, you should be proud of yourself.
Q> Lastly, what advice would you give to someone setting out in advertising?
AJ> End what you started. If you know what you want, fight for it.
