From trial and error to the obvious: the journey of a former ESMA student in 3D animation
Like many high school students, he finished his baccalauréat without any clear idea of what he wanted to do. He took a year to think about it, attracted by the arts, without knowing exactly what he wanted to do. It was at ESMA that he found his first answer.
During his year at Prépa Entertainment, he worked in many different fields. He still hesitated, but it was precisely this diversity that attracted him. In the end, he opted for 3D animation, attracted by the discipline’s ability to combine narrative, technical demands and creativity.
Cross-disciplinary, demanding training
At ESMA, he learns the basics of animation, the software used in the industry and the entire production pipeline. He learns how to model, rigg, animate, render... A cross-disciplinary approach that, far from losing him, nourishes his overall understanding of the profession. For him, this ability to embrace all the stages of a project is essential: “we’re telling a story, and to tell it well, you have to understand every link in the chain”.this taste for the big picture takes on its full meaning during the graduation film.
Working as part of a team, being part of a collective workflow, identifying your role in a long-term project: it’s an unforgettable experience. It was also a human experience: he met some of his future colleagues at ESMA, or through the school’s connections with the Annecy Festival.
The graduation film experience
And that’s when things really took off. He met Andrew Gordon, then Head of Animation at DNEG. They exchanged a few emails while he was finishing his film, and two weeks later he landed his first job: crowd animator. Several years of rich experience followed, culminating in his appointment as lead animator at Fortiche Production.
In this role, he accompanies five animators on a portion of an episode. He proofreads, advises and liaises with the supervisors and directors. “It’s a support role, which helps lighten the load on the supervisors, but also ensures overall consistency in the characters’ performance,” he explains.
A typical day begins with the reception of the animated plans, feedback and discussions with the animators, sometimes drawing to support a point. When a plan is sufficiently advanced, it is presented to the supervisors. It’s all about collaboration and constant dialogue between artists. “I was surprised by the human dimension of the job. It’s not a hierarchical relationship but a genuine exchange.”
A lucid look at the industry
When asked about the current state of the industry, Lucas remains cautious. He admits that he does not have an overall view, and believes that producers, directors and studio heads are better placed to draw up a true assessment of the situation. He does, however, share one clear feeling: a growing divide between the big productions, which often shy away from innovation, and a more daring independent scene.
In video games in particular, he sees a new energy being generated by studios that are taking risks, experimenting with new formats and new stories.
Projects such as Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and the Samuel series illustrate this desire to renew the landscape.
On the other hand, big-budget productions sometimes give the impression of going round in circles.
It also highlights a context that is more unstable than ever: financial crisis, changing formats with the emergence of platforms such as TikTok, and the arrival of generative artificial intelligence in creative pipelines. All of these challenges make the future even more uncertain than in previous turbulent periods for the industry.
A collective vision of the business
As for the notion of a ‘good professional’, Lucas deliberately distances himself from it. For him, there is no such thing as a typical profile. What makes a studio rich is the complementarity of temperaments. Some bring their energy, others their rigour, calm or creativity. It’s the balance of these individualities that enables a team to hold together over the long term, despite tensions or high work rates.
What he finds more problematic, however, is individualistic behaviour. Working in the animation field means contributing to the overall vision. Trying to put yourself forward at all costs, or working in your own corner without listening to others, always ends up damaging the collective dynamic.
He also stresses the importance of patience. Animation is an art of detail and repetition. You have to be prepared to go back over your plans again and again. You have to learn to listen, to question yourself. Helping each other, he says, is not a bonus: it’s the very foundation of the profession.
Bringing characters to life
What makes him tick about animation? Bringing a character to life. He regularly films himself to capture an acting performance from which he will draw inspiration, always with the same guideline: to respect the tone and intentions of the scene. Fortiche allows him to explore more adult projects, where acting can be more subtle and nuanced. A maturity that attracts him.
Patience, rigour and artistic culture
But beyond technique, animation demands great sensitivity. “You’re serving a story that isn’t your own. You have to be able to put your ego aside, accept feedback, and work tirelessly on a plan until it works.”
The work is meticulous: “on average, an animator produces between 1 second and 0.5 seconds a day. It’s a slow pace that requires patience, but that’s also what makes the job so rewarding.
To stay grounded, he nurtures his cinematic culture. Understanding what a film is, situating his work within a whole, remembering that everything must serve the narrative.
These high standards are particularly evident in Arcane, a series he has fond memories of: “It’s the project I’m most proud of. Artistically accomplished, visually daring, a real treat”.
Today, he is continuing the adventure at Fortiche. At the same time, he develops personal projects in his spare time.
Advice for future students
His advice to those just starting out? “These are the decisive years. You have to put all your energy into what you like and give it your all. That’s what allows you to emerge, to be spotted and to meet the right people”. And above all, you have to cultivate your sensibility: “whatever moves you artistically, whether it’s a film, a painting, music… all that will feed your work. Animation is a mixture of effort and emotion.
