league of legends
'Kick Off' - Paint Team Leader - Music Video - Makinarium
September to October 2021
My first foray into freelancing was an unusual one. I replied to a general call out for Art Department hands of all levels to go and work on a three week project in Birmingham, all expenses paid. The job was to paint a life size street scene as the backdrop for a promotional music video, ahead of a Riot Games event.
Our Team Leader was in high demand, and was often pulled away into meetings or to consult for hours at a time. I realised that nobody left behind knew where the buildings we had painted were supposed to be placed. I asked for a notebook and wrote down all the information that I could, so that I would always have an answer when the construction team came to ask if they could take anything onto set.
Similarly, the rest of the team began to ask me what colours the set pieces needed to be painted, so I set up a meeting with the Team Leader and recorded everything that we needed to know. I was shortly promoted to a Team Leader role myself, and elected to work everyday for thirty two days in a row to get the set build and painted on time.
This role required management skills and an eye for detail. I was able to communicate across the team from the Production Designer to Paint Team Assistants. My approach to management is a generous one; I like to listen to people and figure out what aspect of the work they enjoy as it is likely that is where they’ll be best placed. I enjoy helping people too, answering questions and getting supplies ordered. I am a natural operational thinker with a keen understanding of systems and what it takes to finish a project.