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Interview with Gregory Fromenteau

About the interviewer:

Hi, Gregory, could you please introduce yourself and tell us what your dream was when you were younger?

Well I currently work at Ubisoft Montreal as Lead Lighting Artist. I studied at the School of Visual Communication in France for four years, where I improved my drawing skills and learned about 3D (modeling, texture and animation etc). I've wanted to work in the film industry since I was young - since I watched the first Toy Story, if I remember - and I dreamed about working for a company like Pixar or Weta Digital as an artist. I didn't really know what I wanted to specialize in at this stage.

How did you get started in your career?
I started at Antefilms Studio (the TV studio) in 2004.We were making cartoon series in 3D for The Cartoon Network. It was an interesting experience because I did a lot of things during those three years: modeling, texturing, lighting, FX, compositing etc. I learned a lot of different software packages too. And then in 2007 I started to work at Ubisoft.

Can you tell us a bit about your education and what you think made your work stand out from the work of others?

My education was very general. I learned to use a lot of different software packages, but I wasn't a power user of any of them. I just knew how they worked and the basics, so I ended up with a very diverse portfolio of 2D and 3D pieces. I think one of the things that make me stand out was that I was really open to learning any software on any production. I just wanted to work in the industry and I wasn't looking for a specific position. My first day of work I opened up XSI, which I'd never used before!

What's a typical day for you at Ubisoft?

I start with a cup of tea (yes, I don't drink coffee!) and then read my emails. I check the updates with my team, reviewing their work and giving out new tasks if necessary. After that I talk to the art directors to find out if they need anything or to review our work. Same thing with the technical directors; our work impacts all the production departments, so we have to be very careful of what we are doing. Then, I pick a task and start working on the lighting of the game.

During the day I also have to follow the development, test the new tools we are developing and keep the programmers updated. I have some

meetings each day, related to the gameplay, art or technical issues. I like to take one hour to play the part of the game we are working on to check our work from the player's perspective and to point out what is not working or what we have to improve. Usually at this stage the day is finished and it's time to go home!

How much does your team interact with the team that makes the concepts? Do you have much involvement in the beginning of the creation process?

The concept artists are more driven by the Art Director; they feed us with a lot of concepts that we use for inspiration. For sure, we talk together about the environments, but the concepts are more of an idea to push us in the right direction. After that, we are on our own and we have to be creative and go beyond the concept.

Sometimes I see concept art environments with a lot of detail, but normally concepts have some objects and materials that are not complete defined and are therefore open to interpretation. How do you go about defining these details? Is it something you talk to the concept team about?

A concept art piece with a lot of details is really useful for a level or texture artist, because they can build an entire map from one picture. On our side we don't need a lot of details; we need to know what the art director wants, the mood, the ambiance etc. After that we have to find the best solutions to do it, and to be creative around this theme.

I know that you've worked on projects like Assassin's Creed and Prince of Persia - what was that experience like? Were there times when you worked really hard to achieve a particular result and then when you did, it felt like a victory?

Prince of Persia was a really good experience - one of the best teams I've ever had! The chemistry was perfect, everyone knew what they had to do and did it very well and the ambiance was very good too. It was a hard production, because it was the first Prince of Persia Next Gen and we had to do our best to reach the expectations of the fans. Even if the game didn't have the success we wanted, for me it's still a very beautiful game and I'm proud of it.

Assassin's Creed Brotherhood was a tough one. We had to make an entire game in eight months, with a better quality than the previous one that took two years of production. We had a very good team, a lot of senior artists, a lot of work... and we did it! And it was a great success! So yes, it feels like a victory because we didn't think that it was possible to produce the game in less than a year. I'd do it again without hesitation!




What does it feel like when you see your environment work in big brand games that people love?

Well I'm proud of the game and that people love it, but Ikeep in mind all the things we didn't have the time to do, and how to do better on the next one. You know artists - never happy with what they have!

Have you had much interaction with fans of the games that you've contributed to? And what are their reactions like when they find out what you do?

Some of my friends are fans of the game; it's always good to have a fresh eye on our work, especially if they are not in the industry. Their comments are really different, it's very interesting to listen to their points of views and their ideas for the next game.. .and sometimes we put those suggestions in the next one when we can do it!

What kinds of art and artists inspire you?

There's a lot! In concept art I think it's still Craig Mullins; for me he's the father of concept art in the industry. His pictures are extremely strong and efficient. After that I've found a lot of inspiration in the old paintings of The Caravage, Piranes etc. John Howe is also one of my favorite classic illustrators.

Where do your ideas and references come from?

They come from books, comics, movies, photos, documentaries - anything that contains pictures. I'm very curious by nature and interested in a lot of subjects. I guess it helps me to have diverse sources of inspiration.

For someone who is just starting their studies, what kind of mix of technical and artistic foundations do you think it's important to have?

I think that in the video game industry both technical and artistic skills are very important and required, because they are very much related to each other. You have to understand how something works technically to get the better result and have the best support from your technical direction.

What advice would you give someone who wants to work in 2D/3D environments?

Observe, observe, observe and observe! Movies, photos, comics, travels - anything, really. Be curious. Even if you're not interested by a subject, check it out and you could be surprised. Don't confine your imagination. And if you are more 2D-oriented, draw whenever you have the

opportunity. It's like learning a music instrument; the more you practice, the better you will become.

In your opinion, what makes a winning demo reel?

For me it's the selection of the work. I prefer to have a portfolio with five kick-ass pictures over fifty average ones. Take the time to select your works, ask your friends and professors for advice, and keep the best in your portfolio. The quality is better than the quantity.

To round things off, what advice and tips would you offer people who are just starting out?

Focus on what you want to do and what you do the best. There are a lot of people on the market and you have to be one of the best to stand out. Don't try to do everything; it's good to know how things works, but if you have a specialty, try to be the best at it and stick to it! And when it's hard, don't forget why you are doing this work. It's because you love it!

About the interviewer:

Antonio Neto is a student from Gnomon School of Visual Effects, who is studying to be a 3D environment artist. He is focused on looking for a way he can replicate the real world inside a computer and create beautiful environments that have the capacity to convince people they're real. When he was young, his dream was to work for Squaresoft on one of the Final Fantasy projects, but now he's aiming for game cinematics - somewhere between feature films and games.





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