Arts University Plymouth alumni Oliver Hughes on creating VFX for Apple, Disney & more

23-year-old Oliver Hughes, from Dorset, graduated from BA (Hons) Animation (now BA (Hons) Animation & Games) at Arts University Plymouth in 2021 and landed a role as a 3D Animator at global VFX and animation studio the Moving Picture Company (MPC).

Two years on, Oliver has worked on blockbuster titles such as Apple’s ‘Prehistoric Planet’, Disney’s live-action ‘The Little Mermaid’ and Warner Bros’ ‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’.

Oliver said: “I was around 11 when I decided that I wanted to work on special effects for Wētā Workshop when I grew up, and I’ve been actively pursuing that dream since. After later completing my A-Levels at Queen Elizabeth’s School in Dorset, I applied for a place studying BA (Hons) Animation at Arts University Plymouth and never looked back.”

“During my time at Arts University Plymouth, I took advantage of some great opportunities for networking, including an annual trip to the FMX festival in Stuttgart, Germany. I learned quickly that there are a lot of people competing for work in the animation industry and I needed to stand out from the crowd, so I started catching the Megabus to London every month for industry networking events.”

“During my last year at Arts University Plymouth I messaged recruiters constantly, keeping in regular contact with the people who I’d met. I managed to secure a three-month internship at Framestore, a British special effects and animation studio that has worked on films like ‘Barbie’, Disney’s ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ series and Netflix’s ‘ONE PIECE’.”

“Since 2021 I’ve already worked on ‘Prehistoric Planet’ seasons one and two for Apple TV, ‘The Little Mermaid’ (2023) for Disney, ‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’ for Warner Brothers, and ‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians’ for Disney.”

“I took up the position at MPC because they offered me an opportunity to work on ‘Prehistoric Planet’. I was a massive fan of dinosaurs as a child and who wouldn’t jump at the chance to work on a dinosaur documentary narrated by David Attenborough?!? Being part of ‘Prehistoric Planet’ was an amazing experience.”

A lot of film projects were paused because of the recent strikes in Hollywood, so Oliver is applying the same mindset to this opportunity as he did to his studies at Arts University Plymouth.

Now living in Greenwich and working in Soho, London, Oliver is using his free time to work with Lupin House to expand his existing specialisms in creature animation to learn more about animating character performances.

Speaking of what advice he’d give to anybody hoping to work in VFX, Oliver said: “Whether you’re already studying a relevant course or thinking about applying for BA (Hons) Animation & Games at Arts University Plymouth, I hope that you can learn from my journey. I graduated in 2021 and have already worked on feature films that you might have seen in cinemas, but crucially, I’m still training, because there’s always more to learn.”

“The VFX and animation industries work on showreels. The quality of work that you can present in your showreel is more important than where you studied or what grades you got at school, so make sure that you’re always developing new skills, creating showreel footage to demonstrate those skills, and listening to feedback on how to improve.”

“Long term, my ambition is still to work at WETA, but I’m trying to consciously enjoy the journey of working until I can show them that I have the skills that they need. I managed to secure a role in one of the top VFX studios in the UK straight from studying at Arts University Plymouth and I’m aware that I’m in a privileged position, so I want to enjoy my work, keep learning and keep creating.”