5 Minutes With… Office Manager Stephanie Tomé

What’s your background and what brought you into this role?

I have an Operations background. I worked in sports and entertainment for about ten years and I was always on the Operations side. We touched a bit on finance, depending on the role of budgets, and a bit of marketing here and there.

Because I have a little bit of knowledge of everything, that’s what drew me to the role. I’ve always liked the film industry because I studied cinema in college. I always thought I would go into film, to the production side, but I was attracted to other things and went with the flow.

When I read about Outpost, about the culture, how they care for their employees and treat them the way they would want to be treated, it was really appealing.

Can you tell us about your day to day?

It can vary. Setting up IT, planning the summer social, getting details on travel, purchasing, a little bit of HR, a bit of finance – it’s a wide variety.

What’s it like being in this sort of role in film, compared to sports?

I think the biggest difference is in sports, you see your product at the end of the day. You walk into the stadium on game day, you see all the fans, see the guys on the field, or at a concert you see everyone in the stands and reaping the rewards of all your hard work.

Versus here, we know what we do, we see what we do every day, and then you go and see the film. But outside of the industry, no one really knows what we do. Even when I tell people I work for a VFX studio, they don’t really understand what that means. I think that’s the big difference. The world doesn’t see what we do.

How did you end up at Outpost?

When I met Becca, Alex and Jenn, it was pretty much a done deal. I was hooked. I always watched movies and tv shows and focussed on the script, and how things look, over what’s going on. I looked at film a little differently. I don’t just sit there and watch, I sit there and analyse – which I do an awful lot more of now.

How important is it to ensure people feel comfortable and supported at work?

I think it’s tantamount to our success. Someone who’s happy, comfortable and at ease at work will want to go above and beyond. They’ll work more efficiently, they won’t just focus on going from here to here, they’ll think ‘what else can I do to improve?'. Your mind works differently when you feel supported at that level, especially from the management team.

If you could design the perfect studio environment, what would it be like?

I think, if we’re talking design-wise, definitely the lighting, 100% fully optimised lighting is the big win. Then you have the cinema room, all of our screening spaces looking the way we want them to look, exactly where we need everything. Everyone having the same type of IT equipment where everything is built in and nothing is on the desk, you don’t have wires everywhere, and they’re able to customise them.

It's more of a feng shui feel. When people come into the office there’s not stuff everywhere, they’re not looking for anything, everything is there, they’re ready and they can just focus on what they have to do.

I think if we take care of all those little things, and all they have to focus on is coming in and being creative, I think it makes a difference in their day.

And what about the vibe? What’s that like in your perfect studio?

The vibe now is actually really good. Even with people who are working with the whole hybrid thing, whenever people come in they’re always cheerful, they’re always in a good mood, and they’re always happy to be here. I think it’s very important that we keep that, because there are so many people who are eager to come in.

What brings you the most satisfaction at work?

I think it’s really the support and recognition I get from both sides from the table. Not just from the rest of the management team, but from all of the artists and production.

But it’s really the people. I’m addicted to the people here, it’s crazy. It’s one of the first times that I feel like I have support from everywhere and everyone is going in the same direction.

How do you look after our remote and hybrid workers and make sure they feel connected and supported?

I think Teams is fantastic for that. Everyone is already in calls all day every day, so just shooting them a little message. There was a Supe I spoke to the other day and we had never really spoken, because our paths don’t cross on a normal basis. I think me reaching out and offering him that little bit of conversation, it makes a difference. For them to know that just because they’re not here they’re still part of the team. It definitely makes the biggest difference, I find.

So stay engaged with people, even if it’s just ‘hey, how’s your day going?’. It goes a long way and it’s nice for people to feel that someone else is thinking about them.

Finally, some quickfire questions:

What’s the one thing you always keep on your desk?

Stationary. It’s a non-negotiable.

You can eat one thing for the rest of your life – what is it?

Cereal. I’m a cereal junkie. I actually have Mini Wheats in my bag.

What would be your superpower?

Reading minds.

You’ve got a couple of hours to kill – what do you watch?

Grey’s Anatomy. It’s one of those things that I go back to; it’s more of a comfort at this point. I don’t really need to watch because I know everything that’s going to happen.

What are you currently learning?

VFX, for sure.

Any pets?

No.

Favourite way to relax?

Lounging on the couch.

If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?

The UK.

What irritates you?

People who aren’t sure of themselves.

Guilty pleasures?

Cereal. It’s so bad, I have four types of cereal in my pantry.

Favourite song?

Sweet Child O’ Mine – Guns N’ Roses.

Last present you bought yourself?

I bought a Dyson blow dryer. It cost a lot of money, but if ever told my boyfriend how much that cost he’d ask me to return it.