First steps in life – Julie Chapelle et Aurélie Duret

Meeting with Julie Chapelle, co-director of the film Zona, and Aurélie Duret, co-director of the film Miyuki, both graduates of the CG Animation & FX Master Degree. They tell us about their entry into the professional world, both recruited respectively at DNEG and Framestore in England.

HOW DID YOUR JOB SEARCH GO?

Julie Chapelle : I searched a lot on Linkedin and I think that’s where recruiters are the most popular! Don’t hesitate to send them a private message when there is a job offer that interests you! And it’s a great place to network.

I also applied directly on the studios’ websites by answering offers but also by making spontaneous applications. I made about 50 applications, and got about 10 or 15 answers. Sometimes negative answers, some positive ones and most of the time no answer.

But the negative responses are also interesting because some studios get back in touch later when they have a job opening.
Finally, I had two interviews with two different studios that accepted me, and I said yes to DNEG!

Aurélie Duret : The job search was quite efficient on my side. At the same time, as the production of my graduation film was finishing (May/June), I finalized my groom/CFX application. I made a listing of the studios I was interested in, I published my demoreel online (LinkedIn/Artstation), then I started sending applications. The responses came quickly, I even got a few offers from companies I hadn’t applied to but that had seen my demo. I started getting interviews very quickly, 2 in Canada (Mr.X and Sony Entertainment) and 2 in London (Framestore and Passion Picture). All 4 resulted in an offer and I was lucky enough to be able to choose the studio that suited me the most: Framestore!

WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT JOB AND WHAT ARE YOUR MISSIONS?

Julie Chapelle : I am currently working at DNEG Feature Animation in London since November 2021, as a Lighting TD. After a first project not yet announced, I’m currently working on the movie Nimona since mid-March. I do shot lighting, rendering and lighting-compositing.

Aurélie Duret : My current position is Creature/Character FX technical director. The missions of the CFX are quite varied, globally my work consists in creating and using tools to simulate the movement on fabrics (clothes, skins) and also on hairs on the various characters and creatures. This can help to make a movement more realistic or to avoid interpenetrations between the animation and the elements of the decor for example.

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

Julie Chapelle : After graduation, I continued to look for a first job in lighting/surfacing. A few weeks after the interviews organized by ESMA in September 2021, DNEG contacted me again for a second remote interview.
Two days later, I was hired for a one-year contract starting in January 2022 for lighting in London. Finally, they offered me to start earlier with a second freelance contract for the months of November and December 2021.

Aurélie Duret : After graduation everything went very fast. I had already accepted the job offer before the graduation film was screened, so I had to prepare the move to London and all the documents related to immigration. Since the Brexit, the steps are much longer and more complex to go to England. Once all the steps were finished, I moved to London and I was able to start working there at first (to discover the place, the tools and to meet some colleagues too). I followed 3 weeks of training to get to know the methods and tools of Framestore. Then I was assigned to my first project with my Buddy (a colleague in charge of supporting me so that I wouldn’t be lost from the beginning).

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

Julie Chapelle : I lived it very well, I had the chance to start at DNEG, on a great project, with a very good team. I think I was very lucky and it was even beyond my expectations. Projects with very interesting graphic styles and lighting/compositing challenges. In fact, it was the graphic style of our short film Zona that caught their attention in my demo, because it fit well with the art direction of the first project I started working on at DNEG. Now I’m working on my second project and I think each time it’s a different experience that has new things to bring! I think the strangest thing has been to enter the professional world by telecommuting. You must not hesitate to communicate, and not only to ask questions, but also to socialize with your colleagues, it is also important. Otherwise, you quickly find yourself alone and helpless behind your screen!

Aurélie Duret : I must say that it was a big upheaval on my side. I didn’t know what to expect. It was my first time in a foreign country and it was still during the COVID period. Most of the employees were telecommuting so I didn’t have many people on site to guide me. Framestore does its best to accompany new employees so it was, I still think of my Buddy that I probably bothered a lot the first weeks with my many questions.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO WORK ON PROFESSIONAL PROJECTS?

Julie Chapelle : It requires more rigor, precision and efficiency as well as the ability to estimate and manage one’s work time.
But there is also a lot of mutual help and support, we learn a lot every day and listening to feedback on our work and that of others improves our view of the image.

Aurélie Duret : It’s quite exhilarating and it puts pressure at the same time ahah ! I work in the IA department (advertising, series, commercials…) so I have the chance to work on many short projects. It’s very formative. After 6 months, I’m starting my 3rd project, after 2 short projects, I’m moving on to a longer project. I can’t wait to see my name in the credits of my first series!

AFTER THESE FEW MONTHS POST SCHOOL, HOW DO YOU SEE YOUR TRAINING AT ESMA?

Julie Chapelle : ESMA is a very good school that gave me the necessary skills to start working in a big studio. And even if you don’t necessarily realize it as a student, not only on a technical level. Adapting, searching by yourself, not hesitating to ask questions, working in a team, managing your working time, taking initiatives, finding alternatives, helping each other.

When you arrive in the professional world, each studio and each project requires you to adapt. Whether it’s the different software, the team, the pipeline, the working conditions…And I think that ESMA has prepared us very well for this, especially thanks to the final films, which require adaptation in every respect. And also thanks to the teachers, who are not only professors, but also professionals with experience in studio work, and that’s important.

When people ask me what school I went to and I tell them: ESMA! The other professionals know and give very good feedback on the alumni. I was also able to quickly run into other ESMA colleagues in my studio and work together on a project!

Aurélie Duret : I think that ESMA is a good school. Since I’ve been working, I can clearly see the difference between people who have been trained at a school like ESMA and people who are self-taught or have a less professional background. I notice that the studios that hire juniors are very surprised by the level and the reactivity that we can have after these 4 years at ESMA.

HOW DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN THE FUTURE?

Julie Chapelle : My contract ends in December 2022, so I haven’t decided yet what I want to do next. For the moment I want to continue working in the field of lighting/compositing, that’s what I like! Especially in Feature Animation because working on stylized projects is full of interesting challenges! But why not try the VFX side one day?

I plan to either stay at DNEG and, why not, go to Montreal and try other big studios. Or find a studio in France where stylized animation is booming! I’m still thinking about it, and the possibilities are vast!

Aurélie Duret : I plan to finish my year at Framestore. Then the objective would be to come back to France for a few years. I hope to work at Fortiche or Unit Images. Then why not try Canada!

FREE COMMENT

Aurélie Duret: To all ESMA students or future students, be interested in CFX! It’s a specialization that is far too underrated and very much in demand by studios. It’s not very objective but I think it’s one of the most interesting specializations, full of challenges because each project brings its share of surprises and it prevents the job from being too monotonous!

Image credits: alternately, images from the films Zona and Miyuki.