VFX Supervisor Andrea Knoll on Making Strides for Women in the World of VFX

Before making her mark as a visual effects supervisor on “Stranger Things” and “Tales from the Loop,” Andrea Knoll was a multi-faceted actress, director, producer and writer whose credits include “The Boss Baby” and “Monsters vs. Aliens.”

Knoll spoke with Variety about her start in the world of VFX and addressed the issues and barriers women within the world of VFX face. “A woman has to spend years proving herself to earn an opportunity,” she says. But having faced roadblocks herself, Knoll talks about how she hopes to pave the way for women coming after her.

Was there a show or a movie that got you excited in the world of VFX and something that stood out for you?

“Jurassic Park” is one of my favorite films. It’s such a great example of blending practical special effects with visual effects.

What I love so much about the original film is how lifelike the dinosaurs appear. And it’s because they built animatronic dinosaurs. They looked real and contributed to the actor’s performances since they were interacting with physical dinosaurs. It was still early days, but it still holds up.

I worked with Alan Scott (VFX Supervisor Legacy Effects) doing the VFX for “Tales from the Loop” and he had worked on those original dinosaurs, so it was this beautiful full-circle moment.

What’s so great about that film is how it still holds up.

They achieved so much with very little. They didn’t have these big dramatic movements and the crazy activity of the dinosaurs. Instead, they had close-up shots and it made it feel so very real.

How did you get into working in the business of visual effects?

I’ve always been obsessed with film and television since I was a kid. My mom exposed me to so many classic films at an early age and didn’t limit what I could watch. Film always provided an escape. I always wanted to help others and what better way than to provide the same escapism for others through film and television?

I graduated from Boston University with a film production degree, and I worked my way up in production until I became a producer.

As an overall producer at Sony Pictures, I was exposed to visual effects and worked closely with all their departments. I had over a decade of experience in production when I started on “Stranger Things,” and that’s when I took on a role with visual effects specifically.

In terms of your career, has there been somebody influential or a good mentor?

In my career at least, the female producers that I worked with were not that supportive. So, I’ve chosen to turn that into a positive and to be more of a mentor to other women as I’ve pursued my career and moved up. I was told by a female producer I work with that, ‘I was too ambitious.’ And I felt held back.

For me, Martin Scorsese is my film idol. He’s always been able to showcase character-based stories without huge budgets. He’s a genius storyteller and each shot and each element is purposeful. I think women are still not supportive of each other. I think that needs to drastically change for there to be an actual substantial change in the industry.

That’s interesting, especially as Martin gave Thelma Schoonmaker this amazing opportunity in the ‘70s and she has said he’s been her biggest champion, never holding her back.

A man gave me my opportunity. And why are women not doing that? There’s a lot of talk about it, but it needs to be something that people are practicing every day.

I remember when I was told I was too ambitious and thinking, ‘Isn’t that a good thing?’ That’s why I mentor as many women as I possibly can, and I find that to be very rewarding.

What is the biggest misconception about visual effects?

When people think about visual effects, they think explosions. It can be an extension of production, design and cinematography. In “Tales from the Loop,” it should be photorealistic subtle, enhancing what is already there. It’s what we needed to do on the show. As far as women, whether it’s visual effects producers or effects supervisors or compositors, I think it’s because they’re not given the opportunity. We’re still behind in this industry in terms of how we treat women.

A woman has to spend years proving herself to earn an opportunity, she has to have experience under her belt. To be hired as a department head or as a director. If a man says he wants to try something out, they will be given that opportunity. If someone has intelligence, leadership skills, creative talent, they will excel in any situation and women should be treated with the same trust and respect of my experience.

With “Tales from the Loop,” how did you approach the visual look of the series in terms of VFX?

Since it’s based on paintings, our goal was to maintain a painterly quality. We treated every shot and frame like a painting to preserve that look throughout. When you watch it, it’s not obvious whether something was accomplished practically in production design or through cinematography or special effects or if it was enhanced or done entirely by visual effects. And that was a true team effort with us using Legacy Effects and amazing puppeteers and marrying a hybrid of practical and CG.