Gaëtan Simonot: Artistry, Freedom, Truth, and Discipline
Mr. Gaëtan Simonot is a no nonsense artist. While idealistic, he does know that the animation industry will simply not fulfill all his artistic aspirations.
Mr. Simonot recognizes and isn’t shy at admitting that the industry he is in tends to restrict artists of caliber to uninteresting projects. Being smart, he chooses freedom, over the overbearing demands of the industry.
Mr. Simonot graduated from ESMA Toulouse, France. Now at the age of 32, he is already an established artist who had made rounds in the industry. He’s had an experience working for Feature Films, specifically in Nwave studio, Studio 100, and Fortiche Production, T.V. shows, and even the advertising industry.
And with all these experiences, suffice it to say, Mr. Simonot is warranted with his view points–he has a lot to put on the table. Just look at his portfolio online and you’ll know, we are not kidding you.
So let us get to know Mr. Gaëtan Simonot through this short feature and be inspired with his personal take on working as a Freelance writer and how any artist can find freedom doing what they love.
Xeno Creatives (XC): Has producing 3D art always been a passion for you? How did your involvement in the industry start?
Gaëtan Simonot (GS): I have always loved drawing characters and telling stories. When I was very young, I had interest in artistic practices. I knew nothing about the world of animation, let alone that of 3D. After a difficult start as a service crew in a restaurant, it was at the age of 22 that I began to train at ESMA Toulouse–a very good French school. The training lasted 3 years; within those years, along with 4 other students I was introduced to the movie, “Rebelote” which inspired to take our first jobs in animation.
I was interested in many areas; today I am a generalist.
I started under the best conditions. I was able to work on the feature film, “Robinson Crusoe” at Nwave studio in Brussels (Belgium). I worked in the layout team, led by director Vincent Kesteloot who taught me a lot. Thanks to him, to this day it remains my best professional experience. That job gave me a lot of creative freedom. While my expertise lay on various aspects of the craft, specifically technical stuff, sculpting, and character conceptualization, it was the layout stint that I found to be more exciting.
After leaving Nwave Studio, I worked without interruption on many projects, TV shows, films, and the like at different positions (i.e. facial setup, character design, sculpts, layout, CG sup, technical training, etc.)
XC: Would you say that you already have a solid place in the 3D industry? What’s it like being a part of it?
GS: I didn’t always have interesting jobs, but today my skills allow me to choose projects that stimulate me, or that correspond to my goals, artistically or financially. I work mainly at Fortiche Production in Paris, specializing in facial shape modeling. In addition, I do a lot of freelance missions at different studios like, Mathematic Studio where I do character sculpting, Studio 100 under facial setup and more. I also teach Layout, ZBrush and facial setup in several french schools such as, ArtFX, 3IS, 3Axes, Objectif 3D, ECV, and EartSup.
Being an artist is quite satisfying; there is always work for me. However, studios and big projects are not necessarily those that give me the most pleasure. I much prefer teaching and doing small projects; there is more freedom through these. While working within these parameters, I must express that this industry does not always agree with my artistic aspirations.
XC: What or who influenced you the most going into the 3D creation culture?Was there ever an art piece (digital or otherwise) or artist who led you to decide that digital art production is something you want to do for life?
GS: First, I must admit that I do not see myself doing this all my life. There are a lot of us out there and the animation industry does not exactly fulfill all my aspirations. I must note that I also have a strong interest in writing.
In the CG industry, there are many artists who fascinate me. A lot of talent, too many to mention everyone. There are some artists who are excellent technically, and some who are very creative. I like both, that’s why I appreciate the work of character artist, Pedro Conti or the great upcoming facial setup artist Vincent Fellman or concept artist Lisa Matussiere.
But I think there is something lacking in this profession and it is neither talent nor technique. Real creativity today is expressed in the choices of the directors, in the choice of themes, and the look that we put on them. That’s why I really like Alejandro Jodorowski. He is one of those artists who understood that art is only the vehicle. Without adding a deep meaning, it is only an empty box, sometimes a nice box, but empty.
XC: Could you describe how your day looks like in production? Since I am passionate about freedom, I am done with the long production that compels me to stay in the office for long hours, every day of the week.
GS: Now I do the same thing, but from home, or traveling. My experience today allows me to work in telecommuting, or semi teleworking. I go to the studio to retrieve my guidelines, the script, the info, then I work remotely and proceed to render my deliverable through FTP.
This format is mine, it is not representative of the way most people work in production.
Suddenly, the days do not run the same. For the example, today I’m in Cannes at a friend’s house, in the south of France. I drink a beer by the pool, I take a look at the characters assigned to me by production. I have 8 characters, I select one and I proceed to do the concept art provided to me. I use a little wine and I open ZBrush. I block my characters, sculpt a few hours, drink wine again. I go to the pool, the water is warm today. I eat, then do Retopology in Maya. I work about 5 hours in the day, and 3 hours at night. I have 3 days to do my characters and I think that’s enough. It’s so much better than being in the office.
XC: What are the common challenges that a 3D artist like you encounter day-in, day-out in a project ?
GS: The main challenge is to stay creative. Very often, I am led to sculpt designs that I did not choose or to make the blendshapes in a way that is imposed on me by the production. This is not ideal for creativity. It is for this reason that I continue to create while having fun–at my own pace, in my own time. That’s what I did when I sculpted Jafar, or when I look for tracks to explore, lighting or rendering. It keeps you creative and tends to make production much more manageable.
XC: We’ve seen your works online and we must say, your collection has indeed caught our attention. Your portfolio, while made up of some familiar concepts, is really refreshing. The detail and your choice of hues to render the characters are just amazing. Every piece is a conversation-starter. Do you have any favorite pieces? If so, what would these be and why? Also, what would you consider your biggest or most exciting project to date?
GS: Thank you! I’m glad you like it. You probably know it but I’m far from the best, this trade is filled with talented artists who are too often used for mainstream uninteresting projects.
For my work, I do not really have a favorite. Whenever I do something, it’s the same process. I have fun, I test, I create, it is the fire of the passion that keeps me going. Then, after a few days, I no longer see any defects, what could have been done better.
In a portfolio, one can see what is visible in the form of images, but as I said, what I like most is the layout, the staging. This domain can own me for several days without interruption, this are the only areas that make sense to me in this trade 🙂
XC: If you were to market yourself what would you highlight as your edge? I will say that I am a generalist and that the real quality involves many areas of understanding.
GS: There are a lot of qualities that I could project that are relevant in this industry, but there is one that I really care for and that is curiosity.
XC: If you weren’t a 3D artist today, what would you be instead?
GS: I will probably be a priest in a small church in the country (it’s almost funny actually). I am thinking maybe somewhere in the Philippines; I spent a few times in Pangasinan, Baguio, it’s pretty, pretty place … do you think we can announce the return of Christ in Telework? Ahahahaha!
Want to see more of Mr. Gaëtan Simonot’s work, click here!
