Thibault Chapiron

How would you describe the DNEG Greenlight program in three words?

Exciting, Motivating, Formative.

What courses did you study and how do you think that contributed to your success?

I first studied cinema, where I learned and practiced all aspects of the production of a feature film, from writing a script, pre-production work, cinematography to the final editing. I then studied 3D for Movies and Video Games, learning all kinds of 3D tasks but chose to specialize in 3D Environments. Both of these experiences taught me a lot and allowed me to have a knowledge of the whole production pipeline of a feature film. Which is something really helpful; to know not only your specialization but also what comes before and after your work, to be more conscious of the overall workflow.

Can you tell us about the project you worked on during your Greenlight program and what you’ve learned from it?

I got to work for a couple days on an episode of Star Trek: Short Treks, working on the layout and modeling of a big engineering room. It was a great first experience to practice how to properly publish my work in the pipeline, present my work in daily rounds to the supervisor and be part of a project in production.

What did you enjoy most about the work you were tasked with during Greenlight?

Discovering and learning Clarisse was my favourite part of the work tasks during Greenlight, along with having all the resources possible to practice creating large scale environments and being able to meet and ask artists to share some of their knowledge.

What was the most difficult challenge you faced in the program and how did you tackle it?

The challenge of the program was getting used to an actual industry pipeline for the first time, especially one from a big studio like DNEG and learning all its tools. But thanks to the training sessions and to the artists, always happy to help and guide us, it just took some time and practice to get comfortable with it.

How did your Greenlight trainers and mentors support your learning and growth?

My Greenlight trainers, Giorgio Iovino and Yordan Petrov, were super present, helpful and taught me a lot! They were always available to answer any questions or show me new techniques, and gave me regular feedback on my work that really helped me grow as an artist.

Why would you recommend the Greenlight Program?

I would recommend the Greenlight program because I thought it was a great way to transition from studies to work, giving an actual work experience in a big VFX company while still having time and amazing resources to learn a whole lot. Having the chance to meet and learn directly from the artists and trainers, focusing on your specialization and feeling like part of the team also really helped build confidence and was a boost of motivation. And having the chance to start your professional experience in a major studio like DNEG is a real treat

What would be your advice to future Greenlighters?

My advice for future Greenlighters would be to take in as much knowledge as they can, to not hesitate to go and talk with the artists about what they are working on, to ask questions and just enjoy this amazing experience!

What are your future ambitions for your VFX career?

Right now, I want to keep learning as much as I can, to first get to a senior artist position and keep working on 3D Environments for quite a while. But I am also very interested, as a long-term goal, to try and become a VFX supervisor, joining my passions for VFX and On-set work.