Section:

DreamWorks' Sebastien Wojda: Artist Interview

We chat to talented DreamWorks' Animator Sebastien Wojda about his education at Gobelins, and how he broke into DreamWorks Glendale after improving skills at DDU!

We chat to talented DreamWorks' Animator Sebastien Wojda about his education at Gobelins, and how he broke into DreamWorks Glendale after improving skills at DDU!

As well as working on <em>Madly Madagascar</em> at the DDU, he also got to work on the feature film <em>Madagascar 3</em>

As well as working on Madly Madagascar at the DDU, he also got to work on the feature film Madagascar 3

3dtotal: Can you introduce us with a little background information about you, and briefly explain your journey so far?
Sebastien Wojda: Hello! I have been a CG animator at DreamWorks Animation for 2 years now. After a scientific high school diploma, I went to the University of Corte in Corsica, France, and I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree. During that last year, I mainly focused on the preparation for an entry exam to animation schools.

The following year, I was accepted at the EMCA (school of animation) in Angoulême, in the south west of France, where I spent 2 years. I was then accepted to onto Year 3 of animation training at the Gobelins school in Paris - which is the best animation school in France! During the final year, I co-directed a movie called Voodoo, a 2D short film.

When I left school, I wanted to go home to Corsica, and there I co-directed a short film with my wife - who is also an animator! For me, the goal of this experience was to learn how to animate in CG, because all the training I had done before was based on 2D. Even though I had been able to try CG techniques through some exercises at Gobelins, it wasn't enough, given my level.

After 6 months, once the film finished, we moved to Paris, where I started my first professional job at Cube Creative for a couple of months. This great experience really helped me to progress. Following that, I worked on different 2D and 3D productions at several Parisian studios.

I've always dreamed about working for a big studio, because the quality of what comes out corresponded to the level I wanted to achieve. So I ended up sending my animation reel to DreamWorks Animation. Unfortunately, I didn't have the level to work there at the time, but Shelley Page, who recruits for the company in Europe, still enjoyed my work and offered me a job at DDU (DreamWorks Dedicated Unit) in India.

I knew I had a lot to learn and I was very motivated, so I jumped at the chance! While at DDU, I worked on short films including Scared Shrekless and Madly Madagascar, as well as the feature films Puss in Boots and Madagascar 3. At the end of my contract in India, I wanted to try again at DreamWorks Animation in California. So I sent my animation reel - and I received a job offer within a week!

How To Train Your Dragon 2 is one of Sebastien's proudest credits, being that it's already won a Golden Globe, 6 Annie Awards, and is nominated for the best animated feature film at the Oscars this year

How To Train Your Dragon 2 is one of Sebastien's proudest credits, being that it's already won a Golden Globe, 6 Annie Awards, and is nominated for the best animated feature film at the Oscars this year

3dt: Can you tell us why you decided to specialize in character animation? Why do you feel you excel in this role?
SW: I guess, like a lot of artists, I always loved to draw. And when I was a kid growing up in the 80s in France, we had a lot Japanese anime and series like Dragon Ball, Knights of the Zodiac, and so on. I thought it was so cool that I wanted to do the same thing, and this is really when I started to draw comics and characters, and decided that I wanted to do something similar for a living. During this time I also discovered the great Disney classics!

Later, as a teenager, I saw a broadcast on a French TV channel about the famous Gobelins animation school, and all the French animators working at Dreamworks Animation, and I realized it was possible to make animation a real job, and there there was a school that could train me for that! Since that moment, I never stopped thinking about it, and worked continuously to accomplish my goal.

I don't know if I excel in this role as such, but I'm very passionate about my job, and I don't really count the hours I spend on each of my shots; I always try to push the details as far as I can and make the most believable acting I can. Perhaps most of all, I constantly question myself about my work, trying to learn new things and make progress; it's very important in this very competitive field.

DreamWorks has developed a new software called Premo, which is much faster and more intuitive than its predecessor, Emo

DreamWorks has developed a new software called Premo, which is much faster and more intuitive than its predecessor, Emo

3dt: Tell us about your role as an Character Animator at DreamWorks? What's a typical day like in this role?
SW: There isn't really typical day; each day is different from another. But in a general sense, the week is composed of various meetings. Every morning we have "dailies": animators and directors meet in a room where shots are screened to get directions, validate or to make corrections.

When I start working on a shot, I go to the dailies in order to have the director launch me and give me the direction to follow. Then, depending on the type of shot I have - acting or action - I shoot a reference. It's perfect to find ideas quickly, and sometimes I even draw thumbnails to break down my shot.

I then make a blocking; I like to keep it in steps for this stage, which means there will be no in-betweens - only the main key poses. I like to really detail it, so I create a pose every 4 images, or sometimes 2 images. Then I show this to the director, or, if I'm really happy with a reference I've shot I'll show that instead; if I can sell my ideas with this, it's a lot of time saved!

I have notes, I address them during the animation process; I spline my curves, meaning I work on the in-betweens so the animation becomes fluid and more believable, and I show it once more to the director. If he's happy, I'll do a polish pass on the animation, adding details - and then it's over. Meanwhile, I can also see my supervisor to show him my work if I need help, and my HOCA (Head of Character Animation) during what we call "rounds"; this is where they come to see each animator at their desk.

The week is also composed of meetings where production shows the latest animated sequences, so everybody can see what stage is the film at. We have quite busy weeks!

How To Train Your Dragon 2 was one of 2014's blockbuster hits! Sebastien is proud to be a part of this marker in the history books

How To Train Your Dragon 2 was one of 2014's blockbuster hits! Sebastien is proud to be a part of this marker in the history books

3dt: Why movies over the other entertainment industries?
SW: I like to give life to a character through acting; to make a character connect with an audience, find the right emotion at the right moment. This is just what I like to do, and there's no better way to do that than in a movie. In general, movies have more budget for animation quality so we can push it further. But I also love videogames too, and really want to try to work in this industry in the future.

While at DDU, Sebastien Wojda got to work on the feature film, <em>Puss in Boots</em>

While at DDU, Sebastien Wojda got to work on the feature film, Puss in Boots

3dt: How does it feel to be a part of the movie industry working as an artist? Was it all you hoped it would be? How does it compare to your student dreams? And can you tell us more about your days at Gobelins?
SW: Working for the movie industry, especially for a big company like DreamWorks, means that the work you're doing is going to be seen in the entire world. As an artist, it's very gratifying to know that what you're doing is going to inspire other people. I'm very happy and proud to have worked on movies like How To Train Your Dragon 2, because this film is such a critical and commercial success that it's going to leave a mark on the animation history. And that means, if you worked on it, you'll also be a part of this history. For that, I would say it exceeds my student dreams.

On the down side, I would say that the movie industry can be really risky to work for - especially today, with a lot of companies closing or laying off many talented artists. The field is getting more and more competitive; you have to work harder and harder to stay in the race. This can make the situation a little bit stressful; you have to be ready to move somewhere else or to another country to find a job if something happens; those are the disadvantages to live with for our passion.

At Gobelins, I learned how to work in a team. There were 6 co-directors on our short film, which can be tough sometimes! We had to make sure every decision was approved by everyone in the team; people were pushing each other to do their best, so it was a very rewarding experience. The school set extremely high standards, and students are very well trained for the big studios' needs.

3dt: What software do you use on a daily basis for your work? Can you briefly tell us why these are your tools of choice?
SW: We used to work with an animation tool called Emo; more recently, the studio has developed a new software called Premo, which is much faster and more intuitive. Emo was pretty slow; there was no real-time viewer and every time we wanted to check our animation we had to run a playblast and wait several minutes for it to be done. We also had to work with low-quality models. With Premo, we now have high-definition models in real-time; it changed our life! We have a 30-inch monitor and a 22-inch Cintiq, so we can also work with the pen, which pushes the interaction even further. Now that we can animate on good quality models, we can detail the animation more easily and more quickly; it really makes a difference on the animation performances.

3dt: Do you use the same tools for your personal works (if you have time)?
SW: I usually don't animate in CG for my personal work, but if I had to, I couldn't work with the company tools at home, so I would either use Maya or do 2D animation.

Sebastien believes it was his work on <em>Madagascar 3</em> that made him desirable to the Glendale DreamWorks studio - where he is still happily working on feature films today!

Sebastien believes it was his work on Madagascar 3 that made him desirable to the Glendale DreamWorks studio - where he is still happily working on feature films today!

3dt: How do you feel technology is changing the way movies are produced on the artist side of things? Have there been any notable changes since you joined the industry as a graduate?
SW: Software and hardware is getting more and more powerful, which gives more comfort for the artists to do better work. It really helps pushing the performances further, especially when you want to work on a very realistic style; it becomes more immersive. Of course, since I graduated, the major change I experienced was the transition from Emo to Premo, as I mentioned before. Working with better and more detailed models in real-time makes a real difference!

3dt: What has been the most rewarding project that you have worked on so far, and can you tell us why you feel this way about it?
SW: Regarding the critical consensus, I would say /How To Train Your Dragon 2/, because it's pretty cool to say you've worked on it. The movie won a Golden Globe, 6 Annie Awards, and is nominated for the best animated feature film at the Oscars this year. But regarding animation work, I would say /Madagascar 3/, because it was the first time in my career I got so many important shots and felt I was really improving my animation. I think it's thanks to my work on this movie that I was hired at the Glendale DreamWorks studio, and I'm still working on feature films now, so it was a really rewarding project in that respect!

With Premo, artists at DreamWorks now have high-definition models in real-time - this transition in tools has been life-changing!

With Premo, artists at DreamWorks now have high-definition models in real-time - this transition in tools has been life-changing!

3dt: What is it like working at Dreamworks? And how does it compare to your experience working at the DreamWorks Dedicated Unit in Bangalore?
SW: First, the DreamWorks campus is gorgeous. The building has a hacienda architecture, a lagoon with fish and ducks; it fits perfectly with the sunny weather. You can eat your breakfast and lunch at the studio, the food is free, and there's a theater where you can watch the new movie releases for free as well. The studio also offers an artistic program - you can take drawing, painting, and sculpting lessons. The studio also organizes parties during and at the end of productions. The working conditions are great!

In India, we didn't get as much comfort as Glendale, but it was good; the studio still organizes parties for birthdays or to celebrate different stages of the movies - it's a good way to keep the team together! Regarding the work, methods remain the same at both, as the pipeline and all the tools are the same as in the US studio as well. The main difference is that the director was not there in India. With 12 hours of difference of time, we used to send our shots during the evening, because the dailies with the director were made during the night (during the day in California), and they were recorded so we could watch them the next morning with the Head of Animation. This required a bit more organization, so my shots were ready at 5pm every night. And since the director's dailies were recorded, I could watch them as many times as necessary, which was very useful!

Sebastien has worked on an impressive list of films already, including Mr Peabody and Sherman

Sebastien has worked on an impressive list of films already, including Mr Peabody and Sherman

3dt: If you could give one piece of education advice to aspiring artists, what would it be?
SW: I know it sounds really cheesy, but if you have a goal, never give up. Especially if you fail - it's normal to fail! This failure should help you work on your mistakes and get better. Try to always do better than what is being asked for. And like my Head of Character Animation Kristof Serrand says: Never sacrifice quality for quotas or salary.

3dt: Where do you see your future going from here? What's the dream?
SW: Since I started in animation, I always had a dream to open my own animation studio in Corsica. I always keep that in mind, but right now I feel super good here, and California is really nice with a great weather. It reminds me of Corsica, but bigger! So I'd like to stay here as long as possible, and why not also work in the video game industry? A field that I really love! But for now, I'm happy enjoying the present.

Related links:

Check our Sebastien Wojda's personal portfolio
Follow DreamWorks Dedicated Unit on Facebook
Read more about DreamWorks' switch from Emo to Premo

Fetching comments...

Post a comment