iAnimate Student Spotlight: Jacynta’s VFX Journey

Jacynta Scurfield, a Production Assistant at Wētā FX, used iAnimate’s body mechanics and creature animation workshops to build VFX-ready skills while working full-time. Her polished shots gained studio recognition, leading to internal animation training and accelerating her transition toward a professional animator role.

“iAnimate helped me get a lot more efficient when animating.”

From Production to Animation: Jacynta Scurfield’s Journey Toward Becoming a VFX Artist

Meet Jacynta Scurfield, a dedicated animation professional from New Zealand who is turning her passion for performance and movement into a growing career in the VFX industry. Currently working as a Production Assistant at Wētā FX, Jacynta contributes to major film projects, including Avatar: Fire and Ash, while actively pursuing a transition into an artist role as an animator.

While balancing the demands of a full-time studio position, Jacynta enrolled at iAnimate’s online animation workshops to strengthen her skills in body mechanics and creature animation. The shots she developed during her workshops quickly gained attention from her supervisors at Wētā FX, opening the door to internal animation training opportunities within the studio. By choosing mentors and a flexible schedule that fit her life, Jacynta was able to focus on areas where she wanted to grow—proving that with the right training and determination, career momentum can happen even while working full time.

“I really appreciated how I could choose my mentors and a schedule that fit around my life so that I could hone areas of animation I had less experience in.”

Student Animation Journey

Jacynta took Feature and Creature Animation Workshops at iAnimate.

• F3: Advanced Body Mechanics and Pantomime Acting
• C1: Quadruped Locomotion

Animation Instructors:

• Angie Jones - Paramount Animation
• Johnny Spinelli - MPC Montreal

Explore more success stories like Jacynta’s on the Student Spotlights page

Building Performance Through Reference: Jacynta’s Creative Process

For Jacynta, strong animation begins long before she opens her scene file. Her creative process is rooted in carefully searching for, filming, and studying reference footage to understand how real movement and performance work. By analyzing timing, weight, and key poses, she builds a solid foundation that guides her decisions throughout the shot. Once the mechanics and intent feel truthful, Jacynta then pushes the performance further—adding thoughtful exaggeration and appeal to bring the animation to life while keeping it grounded in believable motion.

"iAnimate helped motivate me to push my shots to the most polished state they could be. In my creature animation class, I learnt how big a difference a small thing like getting an animal's toes to spread when they contact the ground can make. It's especially important in VFX animation. I think those small details really enhance my showreel."

Want to improve your own workflow? Explore more learning resources on the iAnimate Articles & Animation Tips page.

[Jacynta's current reel]

You can reach Animator Jacynta Scurfield via:

Student Spotlight Q&A with Jacynta Scurfield

iAnimate: What do you think of your Online Animation Instructor(s), and how do they help you?

Jacynta: Angie Jones was super dedicated to all aspects of a shot. She not only showed me how to move characters, but she also showed me how to light and stage a playblast to best showcase my animation. The things I learned from her stuck with me in my following workshops.
Johnny Spinelli taught me how to use layers effectively to add things like ear twitches and muscle shakes to my creature animation. He also showed me some dynamic ways to animate the camera that I've never tried before!

iAnimate: How did iAnimate help you to evolve your animation skills as a character animator?

Jacynta: iAnimate helped me get a lot more efficient when animating. I can block a shot quickly with enough information to convey the idea of a shot before bringing it to polish with subtle details that look great from the camera.

iAnimate: What kind of animator do you consider after taking your student workshop/s?

Jacynta: I feel a lot more confident in my skills after taking the workshops here. Animation that used to take me several days now only takes me a few hours, and I can get them into a much cleaner state than I used to in that time. I think I can now tackle the fast-paced workload of big animation and VFX studios.

 
iAnimate: What kind of project do you want to work on?

Jacynta: I'd love to animate for features and VFX. Having worked as a production assistant on Avatar: Fire and Ash, I've seen what artists do to finish a film shot, and that's something I'd love to be a part of.

Ready to build your animation skills with industry mentors? Visit https://ianimate.net/ to explore programs and upcoming workshops.