First steps in working life – Yasmine Bresson, Benjamin François and Emilie Gomez

They could have flown to faraway places but they chose the pleasant city of Montpellier, on the Mediterranean Sea. Yasmine Bresson, co-director of the film Je suis un Caillou, Benjamin François, co-director of the film La source des montagnes and Emilie Gomez, co-dierctor of the film Glitch, have all joined the teams of the young Nobody Studio after graduation in CG Animation & FX Master Degree.

HOW DID YOUR JOB SEARCH GO?

Yasmine Bresson & Benjamin François (Y.B. & B.F.): The job search was almost non-existent. During the interviews following the jury and the award ceremony, Sébastien Chort (editor’s note: co-founder of Nobody studio) proposed us to join him in his project of creating a studio in Montpellier, which he was starting with Gregory Jennings.

We obviously jumped on the opportunity and prepared our move as soon as we were back in Nantes. It is especially this part that was complicated, we had very little time to organize ourselves and 2 weeks after the jury we were installed in Montpellier, ready to start.

Emilie Gomez (E.G.) : Because of the covid it was complicated for us to prepare our demoreel for the jobfair. I prepared a mini-demo with the shots of the movies I liked the most, but unfortunately I didn’t have any other projects to put because I didn’t have the time to prepare others. After the jobfair I took the time to put myself off for a few months to work on personal projects, to work on subjects I liked, to learn other softwares, to work on other graphic styles, to flesh out all that!

Then, was it complicated ? Surprisingly, less than I was prepared for. The most complex thing was to find a job in Montpellier because if at the beginning I absolutely wanted to leave, I changed my mind. So it’s not easy to limit yourself to a dozen studios in the city when the whole world is open to you! At the beginning I selected and consulted the job offers, especially through Linkedin and I sent my applications. Then, while waiting for answers (positive or negative), as time went by, I sent unsolicited applications to studios that interested me, admittedly less, but at least I might have gotten a job!

Then one day, just like that, I received an email from the Framestore recruiter asking for an interview with me. I must admit that I didn’t believe it because I had never contacted Framestore on my own, only during the jobfair at ESMA. That day, I was unlucky because of the sound problem! Impossible to hear them so we exchanged a few words in writing. They had received the demoreel I had made within 3 days after the film, and that was it! How disappointed I was to miss such an opportunity! But incredibly, they told me that even in this little demo, they had found things they liked, and put it aside to contact me again at their recruitment period (5 months later!). So I interviewed with them, which went very well. It took them more than a month to get back to me after that, except that in the meantime, with such a long delay in response, I thought I was done, so I looked elsewhere.

That’s when I received a job offer sent by ESMA saying that Nobody Studio was looking for a junior lighter/comper. I knew that this studio was being set up in Montpellier. I applied directly within 10 minutes after receiving the ad. And it worked! I had an interview that went really well and then I was hired. Nota bene, they told me that what they liked in my application was that there were personal projects, allowing them to see a bit of my graphic universe but also projects that graphically corresponded to their projects, without forgetting that there was a certain sensitivity to lighting.

I was very happy to have taken the time to work on my own to build a stronger portfolio. I think it’s essential to take that time out of school, to get out of the world of school projects and show recruiters something other than the exercises they’ve seen a thousand times or the movies they’ve seen in the theater 2 months before.

Afterwards, I received a positive response from Framestore which I had to decline with a big heartache because I had found a job elsewhere that suited me perfectly, but we still kept in touch. (This is the most important thing!)

WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT POSITION AND WHAT ARE YOUR MISSIONS?

Y.B. & B.F. : We are currently doing Scene Assembly, which consists in assembling the elements needed to render the shots, such as assets, animations, shaders and lights (which will have been previously worked on by another artist). Depending on the project, we may have more or less things to handle in Scene Assembly, ranging from simple debugging or optimization, to adjusting lighting for certain shots, or even improving a shader or asset. The goal is just to make sure that the rendering works (and is of good quality).

After that we manage the first steps of compositing by recomposing the shots and applying the notes and feedback we get over the weeks, in order to bring them to the final look. The shots are usually finished and polished at the end by other artists who only handle the compositing.

E.G.: I’m currently working as a junior lighter / comper and also in scene assembly. We have a certain number of shots assigned, we get the assets, the environment and then we assemble everything in a scene. We prepare the different rendering elements needed for the compers (passes etc.) we also debug a lot ahah. We also touch up the lighting if necessary, because the keylighting is already prepared beforehand, but sometimes we need to adapt or modify it to make it work better or at the request of the client. Then, after the passage on the farm, we take care on the one hand to check that our renders have worked well and if necessary we go back to the 3D to adjust. And then we have some shots that are also assigned to us in compositing, so we can go further for these shots, which we lead to the final. The others, more complex for example, are sent to other compers.

On the current project, in lighting, we have little artistic freedom because everything is already well set by our lead. We receive some directives, or retakes, from the client or the sups, but we don’t really have any freedom at this level. In compositing it’s about the same, but I think we have a little more freedom of action. The art direction is very precise and quite locked so sometimes we just have to touch up this or that a little bit. It’s quite frustrating sometimes, but it also has the advantage that you don’t have to get lost on your own and that you have a precise guideline to follow and to go fast.

CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT YOUR FIRST STEPS IN THE PROFESSIONAL WORLD?

Y.B. & B.F.: The first steps in the studio were made without too much stress thanks to Sébastien and Grégory who really accompanied us well. We started with software that we did not know, which is not always obvious, but they were there to answer each of our questions, and help us to gain in efficiency on it.

E.G.: As far as the internship is concerned, I did it in Zeilt in Luxembourg. At the beginning I was quite anxious about the idea of going there, because I was a bit afraid of “expatriating”. I was aware that in our profession, this fear was going to be a big obstacle that I would have to overcome. And to my great surprise, I adapted extremely quickly and felt at ease in the studio right away. Step 1 was a success!

Then, as far as the work is concerned, they immediately put us at ease, they told us that we were there to learn, that we had no quota and no pressure to have. I was working on the animated series Barababor. I modeled and textured assets for the first week or so, but I had asked if I could do compo because I really wanted to get into that. They were very happy because they needed compers! At the beginning, to learn I really started with small tasks: adding small effects, rotoscoping. It wasn’t crazy, “trainee tasks” as they say, but I didn’t mind because that’s how you learn, from the ground up, and anyway I wasn’t yet in a position to do more.

And little by little, I had more and more responsibilities; towards the end of the internship I had 2-3 shots where my superior told me: “You have carte blanche, propose us what you want for this shot, we have no more ideas”. It was really great, on the one hand because they trusted me by seeing my work evolve over the weeks, but also because I had the opportunity to let my ideas and my creativity run free and I felt more involved. I wanted to help them find an idea they liked and show them that I could do it.

For Nobody Studio, the first steps were really great too, well the continuation of course! Before starting, we had a day to discover the team with a “training” session so they could show us the ins and outs of the project, the pipeline, the tools, the workflow etc. So on the “D” day, we already knew what we were getting into, which was reassuring. As far as I was concerned, it was the first time I was using their software, so I was under a bit of pressure, especially since my other colleagues were already familiar with it. I was really the youngest junior in terms of experience. But because of this, they were all very helpful and we all quickly got into a dynamic of help and solidarity.

Seb and Greg were also really attentive to the fact that everyone fit in well, in the project as in the rest, that we felt comfortable in the team, with the tools… So very quickly a great atmosphere was established. Our lead is in London, teleworking because of Covid, so we communicate with him by video or chat, and he is also very available and attentive. At no time did I feel lost or abandoned, everyone is always there to help and answer questions, it is even very encouraged.

HOW DID YOU EXPERIENCE THIS ENTRY INTO THE PROFESSIONAL WORLD? DID IT CORRESPOND TO YOUR EXPECTATIONS?

Y.B. & B.F.: The professional world is finally closer to what we had experienced on our films than we thought. We find there similar questions, the same needs of organization, the same approaches of reasoning. Of course, everything depends on the scale of the productions and what concerned our short films in teams of 6 or 7 takes on a different scale in a project involving dozens of people.

E.G.: I was not disappointed at all, quite the contrary! For the moment, between the internship and my job at Nobody, everything is going well. I was necessarily a little bit anxious when I started my first job because now we are really expected to do something and we are involved in a team, a story, towards our employees, towards the customers. You’re really part of something and I think that’s the best feeling you can have for a job. I like to think that in my small way, I am adding my little stone to the building, that our work impacts the work of another and vice versa. It’s really a synergy between several departments, countries depending on the client and it’s really pleasant and enriching.

HOW DID YOU FEEL? HOW DID YOU EXPERIENCE THIS TRANSITION FROM STUDENT TO PROFESSIONAL?

Y.B. & B.F.: The transition from student to professional can be felt in many ways. I find that it creates a different notion of commitment compared to the work done on the films at the end of the studies, starting by perceiving the word “work” differently. You continue to invest yourself in a goal and in a team, you want to make sure of the quality of what you provide, but all of a sudden, you have to learn to set limits to the rhythm that you had until now. It is a work of passion, but in which one must know how to introduce a “professional” detachment too. The best balance between creativity, efficiency and health can be found in the middle ground, as we work in an industry that can easily feed on the extra work that passionate artists are willing to provide.

E.G.: Frankly, I’m very happy because having a job brings such stability! It really provides a framework for life, a routine that, in my case, really helps me to balance myself. I’m happy in the morning to tell myself that I’m going to work, learn, discover, bring new things, see my colleagues, have fun, have a drink with them after work, that there will be bugs, problems to solve, that we’ll have to look for solutions etc. The day is really full ! And having a job boosts your self-confidence enormously: having responsibilities, being assigned tasks, having the confidence of our sups and colleagues, being told that we do a good job, that the customers are happy, that we participate in something, it’s really exhilarating! And above all, when we finish our day, we are free after that! You don’t have to do anything, you get out of work and go back to your personal life, finally you can do something else than 3D when you come back, have other activities, hobbies, passions… It’s something that I already enjoyed a lot during my internship. During the day you like the work you do, but you are free to detach yourself from it once the day is over. This is different from school, where you work hard to get your diploma. We are really part of a whole.

And let’s not forget a detail and not the least: the salary! It’s good to work and to be paid for what we do, because there is the passion, of course, but it’s not that which feeds us, we should not forget it I think. In itself, it’s good to start one’s “adult life”: working, setting up one’s daily life, getting paid and starting to organize one’s life “like a grown-up”, getting out of the precarious life of a student, in all aspects.

WHAT IS IT LIKE TO WORK ON PROFESSIONAL PROJECTS?

Y.B. & B.F.: The projects we work on at Nobody Studio are among those we could look at with envy and admiration during our years of study. It’s a curious feeling to participate in their creation now, to discover the functioning and the secrets of their productions. A bit like discovering the other side of the mirror, a paradox that generates and removes magic at the same time!

E.G.: It is really pleasant, because once again, we are part of a whole. And then we know that we are going to be recognized for our work, that it is intended for a public, more or less large, that it is made and that it exists with a precise objective, not just to have a good note or to impress a jury. And then, depending on the size or scope of the project, there’s no denying that it’s a blast! Saying that you worked on such and such a movie, such and such a trailer, such and such a commercial or whatever, it feels good! Technically speaking, at least as far as I’m concerned, on the projects in question, qualitatively it’s not necessarily the same thing. It’s nice to work with nice assets that work properly, tools that help you, if there’s a problem, you have someone to talk to, and it goes back to the department concerned. It’s not your job to fix the problem caused by someone else, well, in most cases 😉

AFTER THESE FEW MONTHS POST SCHOOL, HOW DO YOU LOOK BACK ? ON YOUR TRAINING AND THE ESMA?

Y.B. & B.F.: The years spent at ESMA are still so close that we still feel very connected. We keep in regular contact with our graduation film teams, with our class and even with teachers. Strangely enough, we easily remember the good times and gradually forget the hard times of the years spent at ESMA Nantes. Well, that’s how human beings work, actually!

E.G.: Well, I must admit that I am very happy to have finished ahah! Because the training at ESMA is a very sporting experience. Now, having a job, it’s much more peaceful and it offers a lot of advantages (as I described above). Now I’m still happy to see that we were well trained at ESMA in terms of endurance and capacity to work, to cash in. I know that if I hadn’t gone to ESMA, it would have been much harder on a production like the one I’m currently on, which is very dense and with a very short project turnaround. I just wish I would have been better equipped to choose a professional status, negotiate a salary or know how to sell myself.

Expressions of glitches, Glitch

WHAT ABOUT COVID AND THE NEW CONTAINMENT, HAS IT HAD ANY IMPACT ON YOU?

Y.B. & B.F. : The covid has definitely not had the same impact on our profession as on most others. The first containment was a complication and a delay in film productions, but everyone was able to adapt and do their best to catch up. The second lockdown was similar for us, it complicated our move to Montpellier, and forced us to adapt like everyone else to the rules of daily life, but the work was not slowed down for all that, we were even lucky enough to be able to work in person, with the rules that this implied.

E.G.: Covid had an impact on me especially during the production of our graduation film, because we were in the middle of it and teleworking at school was a difficult and new situation for absolutely everyone, both for the teachers, the administration and the students, so it was difficult to deal with.

For professional life, of course it has an impact on the job search, because a lot of studios and countries are now more reluctant to hire graphic designers who come from far away, even telecommuting, especially as a junior. Because either way, being a junior and starting your first telecommuting job is extremely complex. It was almost disappointing and nerve-wracking, but for the studios too, leaving an inexperienced junior away from them is not an easy choice to make in terms of trust. Afterwards, on the other hand, it allowed to develop this way of working, which finally appeals to more and more people and offers more possibilities in a way. So covid has been double-edged in the end.

AND YOUR NEXT MONTHS, OR THE YEAR TO COME, HOW DO YOU PROJECT YOURSELF FOR THE FUTURE?

Y.B. & B.F.: The next step is quite clear for us at the moment, we hope to stay at Nobody Studio and if possible to invest ourselves a little more in the life and the future of the studio. The status of Scop and the general atmosphere with the whole team are quite irresistible and the financial model that Sébastien and Grégory managed to set up has enough to challenge the economic model of most studios in France. Where the industry has been dragging down salaries over the years, their project is to show that it is possible to rebalance the balance. That’s motivating.

E.G.: For the moment I stay in Nobody, there will be a lot of work and I feel really good there. I am finally starting to have a life that I like in Montpellier both on a personal and professional level, so I hope to stay there as long as possible. After that, of course, I am aware that I have a job that allows me to discover a lot of things and to go to a lot of places, so it’s still something I want to enjoy in a few years.

FREE COMMENT

E.G.: I don’t have much to add, except that I’m looking forward to discovering more things, gaining more experience and knowledge, so that I can also share them later. Because if there is one thing that I notice every day, it is that our working world is extremely small, everyone knows each other, more or less from afar, it is really a universe of exchange and human. It’s a double-edged sword but it’s very enriching and I’m looking forward to being part of it too.