First steps in working life – Audrey Rioux & Adrien Chauvet

RMeeting with Adrien Chauvet, co-director of the film Quand les poules auront des dents, and Audrey Rioux, co-director of the film Le roi tulipe both graduates of the CG Animation and FX Master Degree. They talk about their entry into the world of work, the first stayed under the Mediterranean sun, in the city of Montpellier, and for the second, she flew to the land of the maple leaf!

HOW DID YOUR JOB SEARCH GO?

Adrien Chauvet (A.C.) : It went pretty smoothly, I first took a little rest after graduation, then I was quickly contacted by my former internship master to work on character rigs. I completed my first ‘contract’ for a month and then ran away from that company as fast as I could haha. I then had an empty period during the holidays and was finally hired at the beginning of the year in my current company.

Audrey Rioux (A.R.): The research was not very simple. I sent a lot of applications, most of them abroad, and often without any answer. I really wanted to travel after ESMA despite this difficult period. I took my time to recharge my batteries after this intense year of production. At the beginning of January I applied to Canada and I got the answer at the end of the month. Getting the visa and organizing my departure and installation with Covid was complicated but in March I was on the plane to Vancouver!

WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT JOB AND WHAT ARE YOUR MISSIONS?

A.C.: I currently work at The Beast Makers in Montpellier where I mainly do character rigs and also R&D.

A. A.: I’m a CG animator at Icon Creative Studio where I’m working on the Alice Wonderland Bakery series that will be released soon on Disney +. It’s just great to be able to animate the characters from your childhood! I’d like to specialize in creature animation later on, it’s a great opportunity to be able to animate all the little critters in this universe! The pace is pretty intense since it’s a series but extremely rewarding. I have a great team, a great atmosphere that pushes me to improve every day! My mission is to give life to the characters of the series! I animate all the characters, from the pretty little Alice to other creatures, each one nicer than the other!

Since this is a children’s series, I have guidelines to follow. For example, if a character is near the oven, we have to put mittens on him to set a good example for the kids who will watch this show! I think that’s just great! What I like the most is that each character has his own personality, and thus his way of moving, of reacting to a situation. I can slip into the skin of the character and understand him to give him life on the screen!

CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT YOUR FIRST STEPS IN THE PROFESSIONAL WORLD ?

A.C. : My very first professional experience was in the Czech Republic with 2 friends for a 2 month internship. I learned a lot during this period. We didn’t work on the studio’s prods so we had a lot of free time to practice together.

A. R.: I was lucky enough to do two internships during my studies at ESMA which helped me to understand the organization within a studio.
Nevertheless, it’s quite frustrating to send a lot of emails, cover letters, CVs… everywhere and to see your mailbox empty again and again. During the Covid period, it was not easy either, but with perseverance, you end up finding a job where you can blossom! I took some time to find myself, enjoy my family, my loved ones but I continued to animate here and there. I also continued to work on personal projects with friends and my passion for animation grew stronger every day!

HOW DID YOU LIVE THIS ENTRY IN THE PROFESSIONAL WORLD ? DID IT CORRESPOND TO YOUR EXPECTATIONS?

A.C. : It is an important point for me because the professional world is not always rosy. I was disappointed to see the dishonesty of some people, wanting to take advantage of young graduates at a lower cost. It is important to get information beforehand to be aware of what is being offered. I didn’t feel sufficiently armed to deal with the different possible statuses in the industry, to know how to sell yourself to a recruiter and to avoid scams.

HOW DID YOU FEEL? HOW DID YOU EXPERIENCE THIS TRANSITION FROM STUDENT TO PROFESSIONAL?

A.C. : The fact that I was alone and had to sell myself to companies was a very formative change. I’m not a salesman, but it’s important to know what you’re worth and what you can bring to companies while keeping your feet on the ground.

A. R.: When I received this famous e-mail with my contract, I was so happy! I was afraid to leave so far away, not knowing when I would be able to return to France, when my family would be able to come and see me because of this cursed Covid, but I don’t regret having left. I really have an ideal setting and a job that I am passionate about and it’s all way beyond my expectations!

WHAT IS IT LIKE TO WORK ON PROFESSIONAL PROJECTS?

A.C.: The prestige of being able to say you’re working on secret projects haha! Joking aside, the fast-paced productions allow me to see a variety of concepts (short films, video games, commercials, etc.) and to learn new things every day, even if the deadlines are fast and it’s sometimes frustrating not to be able to add everything you have in mind.

A. A.: It’s very exciting! I love working on different episodes, seeing the characters evolve! It’s really a pleasure to give it my all for a project that will be released on Disney +.

AFTER THESE FEW MONTHS POST-SCHOOL, HOW DO YOU LOOK BACK? ON YOUR TRAINING AND THE ESMA?

A.C.: In addition to the technical skills that the school gave us, we were also trained to learn and search for ourselves, to take initiatives. The company where I am now gives me a lot of freedom and it is very pleasant.

A.R.: I have been working at Icon for almost 3 months now and I am proud and very grateful for all my learning at ESMA.
ESMA trains us well and gives us the chance to work on several group projects. Teamwork is really important, whether it goes well or poorly, it gives us experience and builds us up for the future. I’m also really grateful to our teachers who have passed on their passion to us. ESMA is a heritage, I often received help from friends from higher classes and all this gives me the desire to share what I have learned and help the next classes or my future colleagues! There are difficult moments at ESMA, big rush, full of projects at the same time, not knowing where to put my head, but all these sacrifices and these pivotal years have led me to where I am today! Courage to the current students, don’t give up!

WHAT ABOUT COVID AND THE NEW CONFINEMENT, DID IT HAVE ANY IMPACT ON YOU?

A.C.: Since graduation, I have always worked from home. Despite the advantages of not having to travel and of being able to arrange your days, the lack of contact is felt. Fortunately, the company has just moved to new premises and we will soon be able to work face to face.

A.R.: I was very, very, very lucky to be able to go to Canada in March. Normally, all the papers to do and cross the borders is not easy but with the Covid, my installation in Vancouver was not the least… between obligatory hotel, fourteen, the little tests in the nostrils to do and do again, to find an accommodation, and to start the job the whole in English. Well… here we are! I will remember it for a long time!

I think that the most annoying thing is the telecommuting. I am currently telecommuting. I appreciate working from home, I found my work rhythm but I regret not having really met my team yet. We do visios, Zoom at lunchtime, to eat together… each one in front of his screen but it’s already a good thing. We communicate a lot via the networks but it’s true that in animation, I miss not being in real life to mime the action of the character with my superior. I love to communicate and understand the issues and expectations and it’s a bit frustrating to explain everything behind a screen. But then again, there are solutions to everything and the organization within my team is great! I can’t wait to get back to the studio! It’s not easy either for the lipsync (lip sync), English not being my mother tongue. The connection between 2 syllables is not necessarily obvious sometimes, but once again it’s really great to learn the language! And to articulate well !

AND YOUR NEXT MONTHS, OR THE YEAR TO COME, HOW DO YOU PROJECT YOURSELF FOR THE FUTURE?

A.C.: I don’t have a fixed answer yet, but I am always looking for ambitious projects. I would love to go abroad in the next few years and discover the work in a big company.

A.R.: I really fell in love with Vancouver. I love my work, I’ve met a lot of great people here, and Vancouver is a great place to be. The climate is pretty much the same as back home, and bonus: there’s the sea, AND mountains! When the sun shines, after work or on weekends, I go out to explore the horizons and take in the view. I feel like I’m on vacation every day!
I don’t know what the future holds, I like to think that I will go where the wind takes me. I’m ready to travel around the world, to look for studios where joy and good humor reign! For now I’ll be staying in Vancouver for at least a year, but if I can stay longer, I’ll gladly stay! As far as projects are concerned, for the moment I’m working on series but I would like to work on feature films later on, or even, why not, in video games.

Personal photos of Audrey rioux, Canada.