MY Inspiration: Eric Clément
Cinesite Montréal’s new VFX supervisor shares his love of ILM, Softimage and the continued quest for realism in CG
Cinesite’s Eric Clément on his love of ILM, Softimage and the quest for realism
Back in the 1980s, as a youngster, I was a big fan of sci-fi movies and the VFX in them. Everything was about make-up, animatronics, maquettes etc. Looking at a galactic battle in a Star Wars movie on the big screen was an amazing experience. Then I started reading about visual effects and collecting magazines. It was magical to see artists working on big matte painting glass and craftsmen designing amazing creatures, but all this work was so far away from my hometown that it seemed unattainable to me.
At school I enjoyed science, but art was also a big part of my life. While studying at Sherbrooke University to become an engineer, I went to see Jurassic Park and had a CG revelation! A few weeks later, I attended a conference at the CG department on campus about Softimage and the work they did on the movie. That was a turning point for me, so I decided to finish my classes, graduated as an engineer (while learning 3D on my own) and pack my bags for Montréal, which was my nearest visual effects industry.
The work evolved over the years. At the start of my career, it was all about commercials and flying logos – metal, glass or chrome were the popular materials to put on every signature. Computers and software were neither fast or friendly, and we were constantly challenged by looking at new movies done by ILM or other big facilities, all with amazing resources, crew and knowledge. It was interesting to have directors coming in, thinking it would be possible to do a shot like one they’d seen in Titanic in just a few days. Creativity was the key, it was about the magic and making it happen.
Over the years, computers and software have become more and more powerful and there is a quest for realism. Can we make a CG human look real? Can we do hair? Can we make an ocean look like a live-action plate? And can we make it in time?! Every movie we look at today is filled with visual effects. Young artists starting out now are so used to seeing good effects at the cinema that
In this industry, you never think that you have learned everything because there are new challenges every day
they start with an advantage, but efficiency and creativity are still the key to success.
In this industry, you never think that you have learned everything because there are new challenges every day; that’s what I love about working in visual effects!