“DNEG is a really fun studio to work at. It is a large company but you’ll always feel welcome here.”
Alexandra Paquet is a Lead Compositor at DNEG Montreal. Since joining the studio almost four years ago, she was recently promoted from Compositor to Lead Compositor. She has worked on a variety of shows including No Time to Die, Uncharted, Men in Black: International, Togo and many more. Read on to learn more about Alexandra’s journey in compositing and what she enjoys most about her new Lead role.
Hi Alexandra! What brought you into the world of VFX?
I’ve always been a big movie fan! Ever since I was seven years old, I loved horror movies and wanted to know how the effects for movies were created, and how they contributed to the storytelling overall.
How did your journey start? Any career highlight(s) so far?
I’m from a small town about five hours outside of Montreal. It isn’t a place where people speak a lot of English so it was a bit difficult for me in the beginning as I had to learn the language through work. It was a gradual process.
I’ve been in Compositing for about eight years now and I joined DNEG almost four years ago. I started out at a small company in Quebec City and they took a chance on me. I did virtual reality (VR), movies, trailers for video games and feature animation – it was a good opportunity to do a lot of different things.
My career highlight so far is becoming a lead. Maybe one day my new dream will be to become a supervisor but for now, I’m very happy being a Lead at DNEG. It was a goal I always had. It is easy to feel like you’re not good enough but it’s been so great to have people at DNEG recognize the work I’m doing, believe in me and give me a chance to do more.
What is your day-to-day like as a Lead Compositor?
In the morning, I have meetings with our supervisor and the artists to see what everyone is working on that day. I always try to check in with the artists to offer help and to see if I can lend a hand solving any issues the team might be experiencing. I’ll also review shots with the supervisor to ensure everything is going in the right direction.
What do you like the most about your job?
I really love connecting with people on my team.
What advice would you give to someone wanting to pursue a career in the industry?
Take a chance. Apply for jobs even if you feel like you might not get them – always apply because you don’t know when someone is going to be willing to take a chance on you.
I’d also recommend reaching out to people in the industry. People are often happy to point you in the right direction and share information about where best to start your career.
What was the most challenging or best shot you’ve worked on?
It was probably an almost full CG shot on Uncharted – it was a big shot and there were a lot of issues to work through. I felt very happy with the end result. It is always fun to work on a shot that is a little bit challenging, where we are out of our comfort zone.
Time for some rapid fire questions – What’s your ‘special power’ at work?
My special power is making people I work with feel comfortable. I think the artists feel comfortable coming to me with any problems they have, personal or professional. They can always contact me with anything they need.
How did you feel on your first day at DNEG?
I was very happy to have the job. DNEG being such a big company, I was nervous and stressed for my first day. People were so kind and welcoming though, and it all worked out perfectly.
Finish this sentence: DNEG is…
A really fun studio to work at. It is a large company but you’ll always feel welcome here.
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To find out about VFX at DNEG, click here. And if you are interested in joining DNEG’s Oscar-winning team, stay tuned for our next ‘FOCUS’ and click here to find out more about our open positions across our studios in North America, Europe and India.