Camille Lacroix

FROM END-OF-STUDIES WORK PLACEMENT TO FIRST CONTRACT

When she left ESMA, Camille quickly threw herself into the deep end, joining Cyborn 3D Productions, the studio where she had done her end-of-studies internship. After working as a Character Animator, she discovered a new world when she joined the marketing department of Illumination MacGuff, then Station Animation. In July 2021, when the Fortiche studio was looking for new talent for its offices in Montpellier, Camille seized the opportunity and joined the team. It was the start of an exciting adventure that saw her work on season 2 of the Arcane series: “It’s been a dream,’ she tells us. The Arcane project was really incredible, and the quality of the animation was extremely high… it was a great experience!”

On the series, set in the world of the League of Legends video game, Camille explains her role: “There were several teams of animators. Initially, we had to have our intentions validated by the animation supervisors, before moving on to pure animation. We were split into several teams, depending on the difficulty of the sequence to be animated, and the work done by the Paris and Las Palmas studios. It was very immersive, because we had to animate all the characters in the sequence we were given, which gave us the opportunity to really get to grips with each protagonist, and with the universe of the series in a more global way. My training at ESMA was a real asset for entering the job market, where rigour, the ability to work in a group and to take an overall view of a project were decisive qualities”.

“it boosts motivation !”

However, Camille’s career path has not been without its pitfalls and challenges. After graduating in 2017, and the success of her graduation short film*, Camille had her moments of doubt: “Immediately after ESMA, I had the chance to work on two feature films, “Ploey” as a 3D generalist and then in animation on “Dragon Rider”. I realised that I still had a lot to learn, but these experiences really confirmed my choice of 3D animation. With “Arcane”, I’ve passed another milestone, and I’ve made a lot of progress over the months. That’s the great thing about animation: when you join a new project, a team with a new dynamic, it boosts your motivation! There’s always something new to learn.

On Arcane, Camille rubs shoulders with many ESMA alumni, including Guillaume Letourneur, confo supervisor, Martial André, animation supervisor, and Lucas Ancel, lead animator: “It’s very reassuring to find ESMA alumni on your path, especially when you see the career paths some of them have taken!” Today, the young woman – who is continuing her adventure at Fortiche and will shortly be working on an undisclosed project – would also like to devote herself to mentoring younger students: “ESMA has just launched a tutoring platform, and I think it’s an excellent idea. I too would have liked to be accompanied by former students, to benefit from their advice, to be reassured… So if I can make a contribution…”.

And when it comes to advice, the young woman has no shortage of ideas! While she insists on the importance of not neglecting English, she is also keen to stress the importance of trusting yourself! If you give yourself the means and a little patience, you can really make a living from your passion! Let’s hear it.

*Camille Lacroix co-directed the film Achoo with Elise Carret, Charlotte Perroux, Lucas Boutrot, Maoris Creantor and Pierre Hubert.