Monthly profile : Maryse Bouchard, Graduate from the Film and Television Program

Interview with Maryse Bouchard, Graduate from the Film and TV Program, Fall 1998 and Textures and Lighting Artist at Hybride Technologies.

1. Where do you work and what is your job?
I work as a Lighting and Textures artist at Hybride Technologies, since 2003.

2. Why did you choose a career in 3D?
Because it was possible! What I mean by this is: when I was in high school, 3D did not exist. Or rather, it wasn’t known. I would have loved to work on animated cartoons but I believed that it all came from the USA and thus, wasn’t available to a little girl from St-Jean Lake like me. While I finished my degree in Pure Sciences, special effects movies such as The Abyss, Total Recall and Terminator 2 were presented in cinema. It was “never seen before” and very exciting! At the same time, I saw the first animated short-film Tony de Peltrie. It wasn’t an animated cartoon: it was totally different from anything I saw before and I was totally mesmerized. I learned that the film has been produced by Montrealers and that one of them had started his own company: Softimage. I was also very happy to learn from my brother, who was studying at the Cegep de Jonquière, that the school was starting a new introduction course on Softimage. I then stop question myself about my registration to university and I completed my course at Cegep in marketing. Softimage was a revelation and it was perfect for me: I was going to be a 3D artist.

3. How did the Centre NAD help you to start your career in 3D?
Of course, the course wasn’t as elaborated as it is today. The Centre NAD was created in 1992 and I started my classes in 1995. Even then, the Centre NAD was THE reference! More than just a synopsis of Softimage’s modules, the teachers made the difference. Their sharing of knowledge, tips and tricks from production was as important as the theory itself. We understood that the nature of the job was set apart, that we might have to work as freelancers and to work long hours to deliver a product. Since the teachers worked in various companies, we had a glimpse of their respective realities. The Centre NAD was also the center to build your social networking.

4. Tell me about your professional experience.
I started as a freelance 3D artist and I worked on publicities and children’s series. It was pretty intense since I didn’t have a contract; I was going where there was a job to do. For certain time, I was working at one place during the day and at the other during the night. After that, it was dead calm for a few weeks before it started all over again.

After this intensive period, I worked for 5 years as a teacher and as a Motion Builder artist. First as a teacher for the introduction at Softimage and for FilmBox/Motion Builder at Centre NAD, but also at Kaydara, the FilmBox-Motion Builder creators. I was also a writer, education content conceptor, DemoArtist and responsible for the Motion Capture studio.

Finally, I started at Hybride Technologies and I’m working on my fifteenth film doing textures, hair and lighting. Since my debut at Hybride, I produced many scenes for movies such as Sin City, the wolf in 300, snakes in Snakes on a Plane, race cars in The Final Destination, the scanners in Avatar, dogs in Predators and various objects seen in The Hunger Games.

5. What do you like about your job and why?
3D is very exciting and that feeling endures even if I’ve been working on Softimage for 18 years. My heart still flutters when my scene comes to life. I like to be able to go into my head and create. I love the different challenges we are asked to take up. I also like the contact with colleagues who share my passion for 3D. I love this feeling that appears when the whole team rally up to try crazy ideas and get them to work! I like the complicity between team members et between the departments like “I prepare this for you, I think it’ll help” or “Let me take this, I’ll try to get it to work”. I like this common feeling to push back our limits. I also like the relaxed atmosphere: we can listen to music and talk loud together while we’re working.

When I was a demo artist and a teacher, I liked to be in the heart of the software’s creation, I really enjoyed being in contact with the engineers and project managers. It was great to have discussions about tools not-yet-developed-but-would-be-nice-to-have and bang! They create it and it works! Travel and the “entertainment” side of the job were very attractive. I liked being in contact with companies I admired and to help them start their production. My job allowed me to travel in many countries and to meet fascinating people. These were amazing opportunities. Basically, I found my job exciting, glamorous, and mostly, stimulating. We are surrounded by people who are passionate, intelligent and talented. Ok, I admit it: I love seeing scenes I worked on being shown on the big screen, especially if the movie is a success!

6. What qualities are required to succeed in your field?
Of course, you need to have talent but mostly, you need to have a good judgment. You have to make the efforts needed at the right place in order to respect the production deadlines and quickly notice where it doesn’t work. I believe you need to have a good sense of responsibilities and be aware that other persons depend of the quality and the efficiency of your work. To have a nice disposition is ideal but not mandatory to be a social person since it’s a field where talented hermits are also respected. There are other necessary qualities but I don’t want to look like I’m bragging.

7. Do you have any advice to students who wish to make a career in 3D?
I have many! But, I’ll keep it to this: work hard, be professional and responsible. Think of the team and take care of your reputation.

8. What is your dream?
I wish I’ll feel this excitement for my work for a long time. I also wish for my movie list on IMDB.com to grow while maintaining a good quality of live. But I’m sure that one day, I’ll climb up the stairs for the Oscars, even I stubbed my toes on the way up or I have a head full of white… That’d be amazing!