How’d They Get That Job? Special Effects Artist Valerie Sofranko
Have you ever looked at someone with an amazing career and said “How’d they get that job!?”.
I know I have.
After spending more than a decade developing games, toys and amusement park attractions I find myself at something of a crossroads in my career. Not only am I asking “What’s next?”, but “How do I find my way to ‘next’?”.
With this in mind I decided to interview people in “dream jobs”. I want to hear their story and maybe answer the question: “How’d they get that job!?”.
This week I talked with Special Effects Artist Valerie Sofranko known for her work on movies such Arachnophobia, The Nightmare Before Christmas and a little film sometimes referred to as Blue Harvest.
Born an Artist
Valerie Sofranko knew she wanted to be an artist from the time she was a child. “It chose me” Sofranko says with a smile. Born in Greensburg Pennsylvania Valerie would have a talent for the arts that would carry through her entire life. Valerie recalls that even as a young child she was obsessed with color — mixing her crayon colors to make something new and even melting them together to create art.
Others noticed her skills too. She created holiday window displays for local stores. She was a featured artist in her high school. She had talent to spare and a drive to keep pushing her limits.
After graduating from Indiana University of Pennsylvania with BA in Fine Arts (with a concentration in sculpting and painting) Valerie traveled west originally intending to start an art gallery in Las Vegas, but instead she found herself in San Francisco.
Be Bold
When I first found out that Valerie worked on Return of the Jedi, I immediately asked “How did you manage that!?”.
“It was a fluke!” she exclaimed with her infectious laugh. But this answer downplays one of the qualities that makes Valerie so good at what she does. Valerie was bold.
The story she tells is so simple, yet crazy at the same time: Valerie hears that George Lucas is working on a new project. She walks into a busy studio claiming to know the art director. (Spoiler: She didn’t know the art director — she didn’t even know who he was or his name.)
Bold move number one.
And after she shows her materials, she gives them her business card and tells them “I’ll call you.” And she walks out.
Bold move number two.
A few hours later Valerie received a phone call asking her to join the team of a secretive project titled Blue Harvest — the codename for Return of the Jedi. Her work on Return of the Jedi relied heavily on her sculpture skills allowing her to create some of the iconic wardrobe and accessory pieces for Princess Leia, Lando Calrissian and the Storm Troopers.
Not bad for someone who was bold and decided to take a chance.
Always Learning
I was impressed that Valerie’s BA in Sculpture had prepared her so well for working on such a high-profile film. “Well I knew a lot of it.” Valerie told me “The rest of it I learned as I went. But that’s how everyone was — picking up new skills and new techniques and learning from each other!”
This will be another theme that runs through Valerie’s life. She is constantly learning.
And it was this willingness to learn, coupled with her boldness and high-quality work that led to more work on iconic films such as Gremlins, The Fly, Naked Lunch, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Ghostbusters II, Enemy Mine and Arachnophobia.
Embracing the Fear
After the September 11th attacks Valerie moved back to the Pittsburgh area to be closer to family. But with this move came the question: What’s next?
“Oh it was terrifying!” Valerie explained. “I worked at a golf course grilling hotdogs and hamburgers. I worked at Costco. I wasn’t sure what to do!” But Valerie wanted to be creative. She NEEDED to be creative.
While working as the head sculptor for a local design firm, Valerie was introduced to Don Marinelli — the co-founder of Carnegie Mellon University’s ETC program. Their meeting would change Valerie’s direction.
The ETC is Carnegie Mellon University’s Entertainment Technology Center — an academic program blending fine art and design with computer science. ETC students regularly go on to create video games, toys, amusement park attractions, animatronics and more. Valerie was convinced to return to school and join the program — a program which would present her with a completely new kind of challenge: computers.
Valerie had spent her entire career creating physical objects and using her hands to mold, sculpt and paint. Now she was in a place where everything was digital. This was not an area that she felt comfortable in. “I didn’t know what f@%# I was doing!” Valerie laughed. (Note: In this case I know she is not exaggerating. During our first week at the ETC, I taught Valerie how to create and name folders on her computer desktop. This was her computer experience level.)
In our conversation Valerie describes this time as one of great uncertainty and fear, but also excitement. “My fright gave me the adrenaline to push forward with the learning.” she explained. She quickly learned how to translate her skills into the digital world — but it was hard work! “I asked people. I struggled. And I studied.”
Still Learning
As we were making small talk and catching up before our conversation, Valerie asked me “Do you know Z-Brush? I just got it and I need to learn it.”
This, again, is such a perfect example of why Valerie is such a pleasure to work with: she keeps pushing the boundaries of her knowledge and learning more.
After graduating from the ETC Valerie taught special effects at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. Valerie then joined the team at the ETC as the Staff Artist where she works with students crafting physical objects, special makeup FX and more.
But she’s not just helping others make art. She is still making it herself. Creating things is just something Valerie Sofranko does. “It’s part of who I am” she tells me.
So…How’d She Get That Job(s)?
- She was BOLD!
Valerie presented herself with confidence and asked for the job she wanted. This sounds so simple, but many of us are often scared to even admit what we want to do — let alone walk into a place uninvited and ask for a job. - She kept on learning.
It is easy to say “I know enough.” or “I can get by on what I know”. But this kind of stagnation isn’t going to sustain you. Be like Valerie: constantly learn something new that can make you more marketable and valuable. - She may have been scared, but she wasn’t scared away.
Valerie told me that throughout her career she felt scared. A lot. But she didn’t let the fear win, she accepted it and used it to motivate herself. Embrace your inner-Valerie and accept your fear, while refusing to let it scare you away from what you want.
If you’d like to see more of Valerie’s work, you can go HERE.
If you’d like more information on me, you can go HERE.
