Carly Lamenta

How did you start out in film and TV?

I started very young, I was 15 years old when I became a crowd extra on a small kids TV show in Canada. I quickly loved the atmosphere on set and wanted this to be my full time job, working with people that made stories.
 

What was your career path and how did it lead your current position?

After graduating film school I started making short films while trying to get a job. Getting a job in film or tv was very hard in Canada as the industry is quite small. Luckily the London VFX industry came to Canada and I was able to get job as a runner at MPC. From there I leaped frogged to the UK where I was able to be a part of the VFX team on ‘Mowgli’ and I haven’t looked back since, it’s been a wild ride.

What has / does your current role entail?

On previous jobs my role entailed organizing and budgeting scanning, mocap, lidar and problem solving. Now my role entails dissecting film scripts and budgeting for any vfx work needed on the project

What are some of the challenges you’ve faced and how have you overcome them?

Biggest challenge in VFX is always trying to convince others why we need certain items, scans or filming setups because they don’t follow us into post to see how and why we need them. How this is being overcome; with the raise in popularity of VFX movies. A lot more individuals are becoming VFX literate and the challenge to get those scans or setups is easier.

What have you been most proud of during your career?

Working on the ABBA Voyage project has been the highlight of my career, working with ABBA, the director and producers was a dream. Best two years of my career and it won a VES award this year!

Are we doing enough to help maintain talent? What are the ways the industry could improve that?

No, I don’t believe we are. Film and TV is very hard to break in. Jobs are not posted online for the majority to see, it’s always been about who you know. Entry level PA positions to help grow talent in all departments should be made more available to the public. There is a lot of potential out there we aren’t sourcing. Having pop ups at Film Schools would be the best way to improve that gap.

What piece of advice would you give someone wanting follow in your footsteps?

If you dream about being in film don’t be shy about it, get any position you can whether it be a VFX vendor, an indie soho studio and connect with people in all departments. Making friends and growing your network is the best way to achieve your goal.