Interview with Jonathan Simard (JVAU02), Graduate of the Video Games program, Fall 2002 session, Senior Animator at Beenox. 

1- Which company do you work for and what position do you hold there? For the past 4 years I’ve been working as a senior animator at Beenox, a branch of Activision located in Quebec City. We just finished Spider-Man Shattered Dimensions and now we’re starting on an even bigger project.

2- Why did you choose a career in 3D? I was always scared of boring jobs where I would have to fill out forms all day long. In 2000, jobs in video games or cinema were unheard of, so I did a college diploma in business data processing. I got my diploma but I was so bored with the subject matter that I was completely discouraged.

With a useless diploma in hand, I kept telling myself that I wouldn’t end up working in a field I hated. So, I took the leap, and left for Montreal to study in a field that really interested me without knowing where it would lead me.

3- In what way did the NAD Centre help you start a career in 3D?  The NAD Centre taught me to “work my butt off” if I wanted to succeed. The teachers at the time quickly made us realize that we had to perform if we wanted to get a job and that’s what I did. Also, the NAD Centre is open 24/7, as opposed to other schools where I’ve taught, that were only open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., and this is priceless.

As a result of all this hard work, I started working as an animator-modeler at Ubisoft in Montreal, even before having finished the course. The teachers had sent a demo presenting the students’ work in progress, and the people at Ubisoft were impressed by the progress of my work as well as the quality of the animation and modeling. All of this I owe to the NAD Centre. Read more

Interview with Daniel Lupien (FXAU01), Graduate of the Visual Effects for Film and Television Program, Senior Environment Artist at EA Montreal. 

1- Which company do you work for and what position do you hold there? I’m working as a senior environment artist at Electronic Arts (EA) on a game currently being developed, of which I can’t divulge the name, for obvious reasons.

2- Why did you choose a career in 3D? First of all, I’ve had the most atypical path since my background has absolutely no connection with 3D. Indeed, I was a respiratory therapist in an operating room for 4 years at the Montreal Children’s Hospital and I hadn’t really touched a computer in my life. I always loved to draw and I loved movies. So, when I saw “Jurassic Park” for the 38^th time and was no longer challenged by my job as a respiratory therapist, I said to myself: that’s what I want to do and I’m gonna do it! Right away, I started working on my portfolio and applied to the NAD, and immediately left my job in the health sector to take a big leap into 3D!

3- In what way did the NAD Centre help you start a career in 3D?  The NAD Centre was crucial in the launching of my career. The reputation of the teachers is incredible and the contacts you make while studying there are precious. The NAD really has a great repute and being able to add its name to your CV at the start of your career is like adding another string to your bow. Read more

This video compiles student works registered to the following programs: 3D animation and visual effects for film and TV, Design and digital art for video games, digital compositing and 3D animation and digital design Certificate.

Gongratulations to all our students!

Interview with Jonathan Paquin (FX99), Graduate of the Visual Effects for Film and Television program, Animator at Weta Digital.

1- Which company do you work for and what position do you hold there? I’m currently working as animator at Weta Digital in New Zealand. My work consists in polishing up actors’ performances originating from motion capture and to animate everything else. The last year, was all about crunch time with Avatar and, these days, a certain Belgian reporter named Tintin and his dog occupy most of my days.

2- Why did you choose a career in 3D?
I don’t think I had an ‘aha’ moment where I suddenly woke up in the middle of the night thinking I wanted to become an animator. It was more of a subtle process that started off with the Lion King, Toy Story, ReBoot and the advent of 3D in video games. In fact, I never had other career options and I think I was lucky to have chosen this particular career and that it was the right one, even if at times, I tell myself that being an F1 driver would have been pretty cool too! Read more

Each year, the NAD Centre presents a Tribute Award to a graduate that shines with an exceptional career and who inspires the next generation of digital content artists. The 2010 recipient is Marc Bourbonnais, a graduate of the 3D and Visual Effects for Film and Television program in 1996. The NAD Centre interviewed Marc who told us about his career path and his passion for his job!

Open Wide from Gino Vincelli on Vimeo.

This is a short animation spoof on the crocodile bird at work !

The animation is based on the symbiosis between the egyptian plover and the crocodile. The crocodile will never eat the plover because the two species help each other. The plover cleans the crocodile’s teeth by eating bugs and food between its teeth, and the plover feed’s itself.

I love humour and science, hence this animation! Enjoy! Comments are welcomed of course!

Gino Vincelli

Each year, the NAD Centre presents a Tribute Award to a graduate that shines with an exceptional career and who inspires the next generation of digital content artists. The 2010 recipient is Marc Bourbonnais, a graduate of the 3D and Visual Effects for Film and Television program in 1996. 

Career Path
Marc Bourbonnais has been working in the field of visual effects for more than 10 years, and has worked on more than forty feature films, television series and ads. He contracted the 3D bug while studying at the École Polytechnique de Montréal and, more specifically, while producing several short animations for shows, interviews and student projects for the central television “Poly TV”. It is thanks to these videos that Marc was accepted at the NAD Centre, where he completes a specialized program in 3D design.

At the end of his studies, Marc starts working for Société Radio-Canada on “Branché”, a show dealing with new technologies. He leaves Radio-Canada in 1997 to go work at Hybride, while teaching effects and animation to students of the Film/Television program at the NAD Centre. At Hybride, he first worked as a 3D generalist artist to then become, as of 2001, the lead technical director of the 3D department: “I started off as a generalist but as the structures were being put in place, departments were also being created. It’s precisely at that moment that I took on the role of lead technical director. In 10 years, we went from 20 to 100 employees”, explains Marc during an interview. He also remembers his first advertising contracts for Labatt Blue, as well as his first feature film, The Faculty, released in theatres on December 25, 1997. Read more

The industry rewards the next generation…

The NAD Centre held on June 10th its tenth Awards of Excellence Gala with industry members that have supported the Centre for 18 years now. More than 200 guests including award donors, sponsors, graduates from the 2008-2009 programs and corporations, government and media representatives gathered at the Théâtre Plaza to honour young talent in digital content creation.

Twelve graduates of the 3D graphics training programs shared, as first prize, eight Awards of Excellence of $1000 each. Eleven other graduates won second prizes and shared eight awards of $500 each whereas two graduates won a prize of $750 each. The award recipients were determined through a contest and selected by a jury made up of representatives of the companies that contributed to the Awards fund, totaling $15,000. Read more

Interview with Mathieu Veillette (FX01), graduate of the Film and Television program, 2D-3D computer graphics artist.

1- Which company do you work for and what position do you hold there? I’m currently working as a freelance artist in the comfort of my cottage in the Laurentians. In other words, film, video game and architect studios call upon my services. This enables me to work with various people from one project to the next, and in new environments.

2-Why did you choose a career in 3D?
At a young age, I used to like going to my aunt’s place to play on her computer. The green font on a black background wasn’t what interested me most, but rather the drawing. What amazed me were the colours I could create on the screen.

I like everything that feeds my imagination with beautiful and fantastic things; I like stories and emotions. Since I’m a film enthusiast, I also wanted to discover this universe that fascinated me so much. I started off by studying visual arts at the Cégep of Trois-Rivières, where there was a computer course that enabled me to learn more about working with this tool.

Then, I took a graphic design course and at the end of that program, I got the opportunity to work as graphic designer for an animation studio called Tube Studios at the time, now Pop6. For the first time in my life, I was being paid for my skills as a designer. Since I didn’t have any skills in 3D, I decided to study at the NAD Centre, which was highly recommended by my employer (Danny Bergeron). Before I started studying there he told me “I only hire the best and it’s not because you’ve worked for me before that I’ll hire you…” Read more

Interview with Sébastien Primeau (JV00), Graduate of the Video Games program, Art Director at Ubisoft, Montreal

1- Which company do you work for and what position do you hold there?
I’m an art director at Ubisoft Montreal; this is a new role for me, and a very challenging one. I’m currently working on Shaun White.

2- Why did you choose a career in 3D?
Jurassic Park was the movie that had the greatest impact on my life!! I told myself “This is what I want to do, 3D!!” I was finishing secondary school, and my school had organized a Career Day, so I went to visit the NAD Centre. The minute I stepped foot inside, I was blown away: rooms filled with computers, and talented and passionate artists. I wanted to be a part of this, and even more so when I found out that the NAD Centre offered a Video Games program… this was so exciting for me given that I’d been playing games since my good old Atari 2600…a joystick, a red button… hours of fun. I was still wearing diapers at that time!! Read more