It is through this international production that we meet Julie Chapelle, a former student who graduated from ESMA in 2021 and has since worked on Ce Noël-là for DNEG, as well as on the Eyes of Wakanda series, now available on Disney+.
For The Twits, which arrives on Netflix on 17 October, she was Lead Lighting at Jellyfish Pictures, contributing to the film’s strange and horrific atmosphere.
Now looking for new opportunities, Julie agreed to talk to us about this production directed by Phil Johnston, screenwriter of Zootopie and director of Ralph 2.0.
In concrete terms, what was the experience like?
My main tasks were to lead a team ofaround ten lighting artists in India and a key artist based in London, and to give them artistic feedback on four sequences of the film to ensure good continuity.
I also did sequence set-up, i.e. preparing the structure of a sequence (in other words a template), based on the client’s key arts, and then handing over to my team.
These assignments also involved a good deal of communication, both with my own team and with other leads and the production team.
Finally, I was also responsible forsupporting the VFX Supervisor in presenting the deliverables to the client, i.e. Netflix.
Can you tell us about a sequence that stood out for you in the project?
Unfortunately, we are bound by confidentiality clauses on this type of deliverable. But what I can tell you is that I worked on one of the sequences featured in the film’s trailer.
What technical or artistic constraints were involved in this work?
This was the first time I’d worked with Karma, the rendering tool incorporated into Houdini/Solaris, so it was a bit of a challenge to support the team as best we could. The deliberately twisted and moving aspect of some of the sets made certain shots a real challenge for the lighting.
In addition to the technical challenges, the time difference with the team based in India also reduced the amount of time available for communication with the team, so we had to be efficient in managing the time allocated to each person to ensure that the project ran smoothly.
What tools or software do you use on a daily basis?
On a day-to-day basis, I used Houdini Solaris, Karma, Nuke and Shotgun to monitor production, and Jira for ‘tickets’ when there were bugs or specific needs.
In addition to this project monitoring tool, we also used the company’s own review software to give feedback to the artists.
What other professions were you constantly interacting with?
I was often in discussion with the various production departments about planning and communication, interacting with the matte painting, compositing and surfacing departments when certain elements had to be or couldn’t be handled by the lighting teams.
And finally, interacting with the client, the art directors and, of course, the VFX supervisor for the artistic monitoring of the sequences.
This regular communication proved very useful, particularly with the surfacing team on a sequence that required the luminosity of the cracks in the walls of the room to be adapted for better rendering.
What did you learn during your training that was of direct use to you on this project?
ESMA has given me a lot in terms of teamwork, pressure management, deadline management, communication and skills across all departments.
Even though today I mainly do lighting and compositing, I ‘ve been able to develop a broad knowledge and skills base of the animation sector and the different professions that make it up, and this has served me well in a whole range of situations. What’s more, practising English on a daily basis while creating the short film in my final year at ESMA Lyon helped me enormously in my role as Lead, where English was the norm.
In addition to the technical challenges, the time difference with the team based in India also reduced the amount of time available for communication with the team, so we had to be efficient in managing the time allocated to each person to ensure that the project ran smoothly.
What have you learnt during this project, and what has impressed you most about it?
This film has enabled me to give reviews to other people, help them, bring up problems, adapt to situations and present deliverables to the client.
It was my first experience of Lead and, quite frankly, it’s not the same as being an artist.
On The Twits, I enjoyed working on this graphic style (I love stylised projects, they always bring new challenges) and giving artistic feedback to the team.
Thanks to this project, I’ve been able to meet some wonderful people, and sharing experiences with others is priceless! I’ve also benefited a lot from the mutual help and support I’ve received.
What films or worlds inspire you today?
What inspires me are strong universes with a wealth of art, animation and storytelling. To name just 3: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Arcane, Primal. And of course, the one that sparked my passion, and that I keep coming back to again and again: Dragons.
What advice would you give to a student aiming for this type of position?
Multiplying projects and experiences, because each project brings a new string to my bow. Working in English, diversifying into software, working your network, contacting people on LinkedIn…
And don’t forget to keep training (because you never stop), keep working your eye through different mediums (drawing, photography…), and watch and analyse films. Above all, keep your passion alive!
To find out more about Julie Chapelle’s career, check out her LinkedIn profile.