Lee Briggs ’02
Executive Producer at Industrial Light & Magic
London, England (past 5+ years)
WFU Class of 2002
Major: Theatre
Career
Tell us about your journey from graduation to where you are today:
Right out of school, I moved to NYC and lived there for 5 years. There, I auditioned for commercials, short films, had an agent, in a few shows, etc. On the side, I catered and waited tables to make ends meet. Essentially, I did the whole acting thing. Eventually, my wife and I wanted to try something different, so we moved to California! In 2007, I biked from North Carolina to California, which really changed my life mindset.
We lived in San Francisco, and I started working as an office manager for Kerner Studios (in the old ILM building). They did special effects for movies. I ordered supplies, gave out paychecks, etc. I was recommended for an ILM PA position, so I interviewed for that and got the job! My first movie there was Transformers 2. I worked on set A LOT, because that’s what I was really good at. In three years, I was on set for about 18 months. This gave me lots of good exposure to filmmakers and the filmmaking process. Basically, I worked on every movie I could, which provided me room to grow within the company.
ILM was expanding internationally, and I was given the opportunity to move to London. I was involved in producing the visual effects for Jurassic World, which set the industry standard for shooting during Covid. I’ve stayed in London ever since. In my current role, I oversee three to six projects at a time, with budgets ranging from $500k to $60 million.
How did you apply to your current job?
I worked really hard at my office manager job at Kerner. My boss recommended me to head of production at ILM. They needed a PA, so I interviewed and got the job.
Honestly, I just kept going. My internal growth came from raising my hand for every opportunity (often beyond my job description and/or filling in for someone else). People noticed that I was a hard worker, independent, and trustworthy. That means a lot.
Do you have tips for undergrads applying to post grad jobs?
Just keep going and do your best. You have no idea what your life has in store for you. Say you want to keep progressing and people to keep giving you opportunities. You will progress slowly but surely.
What is your favorite part of working at ILM?
Sitting in a dark room and looking at something that was created by a person overnight. I love watching everyone talk about it and analyze it. I get to see the stuff being made and see things that are fresh that no one else has seen.
What and where is next for you?
Immediate answer – I’m going to stay at ILM for the foreseeable future (at least the next five years). I want to stay in London. I still have a house in CA that I rent, but I am very invested in the London studio.
Home
What is your favorite part of living and working in London and living abroad for work?
The global perspective of people all around from international locations. I just went on a walk with a guy from our Mumbai studio and how we can collaborate. I see and work with people from all sorts of different places. There’s a really rich international exposure here. I also love being this close to continental Europe – I get to take my three kids on awesome trips. I still visit the states yearly. London is an amazing city. When it’s beautiful, it’s really beautiful.
What is the most interesting thing going on in the art scene there at the moment, in your opinion?
It’s endless!! There is incredible theatre, incredible film, and the craftsmanship for filmmaking in general is the best in the world (you have people who have been working in movies for 50-60 years). There’s just a lot going on and an incredible talent pool. You can do anything here. I’m a musician playing with a band. I play drums in a dads band and also play guitar.
Wake/Advice
How much did your studies and general experience at Wake inform or drive your career path?
I would say quite a bit in that in the creative space at Wake you have to be a self starter (make the posters, find audience, source props, etc). You have to kind of be a producer in addition to directing your show. Wake gave the infrastructure to make things, but you also had to take the bull by the horns if you wanted it to be special. That has carried through to everything I’ve done at ILM. I’m not afraid to get dirty and do logistical tasks at any level.
What advice would you give to a student reading your profile?
As a young person, it’s really hard to live in London – it’s expensive. You probably won’t be able to afford to live alone immediately. I don’t want to sugarcoat that.
Don’t just focus on “the one thing.” That will silo you and not allow you to see a million different options that could open another path. Keep your arms open.
Just keep going, and you’ll figure it out. Don’t dismiss anything that could be your next opportunity. Push through discomfort – put yourself out there; don’t discount trying to figure it out. You have to be willing to figure it out and have the energy/enthusiasm to figure it out. And it’ll be alright!!