MY PROFESSION; VISUAL EFFECTS SUPERVISOR
I began my career more than 25 years ago, working in video production as a technical director, editor, and then producer/director for a variety of Quebec-based studios and production companies, producing high end corporate videos. Then, in 1985, in conjunction with the birth of innovative Quebec visual effects software companies like Softimage and Discreet Logic, I discovered my passion for high-end digital visual effects and, was hired by the “Groupe André Perry”, (formerly world renown “Le Studio” in Morin Heights), and became its Director of Operations until 1992.
In February 1993, I was the Founder and President of my own digital visual effects company, Montreal-based BIG BANG FX that grew to be one of the best visual effects houses in Canada, employing between 25 to 50 digital artists at any time. I was Visual Effects Supervisor for all of the company’s projects for over 12 years. In January of 2005, I decided to leave behind the management and the equipment to concentrate entirely on the creative aspect of visual effects as a freelance VFX Supervisor… My passion and talent has always been in understanding the director’s vision and then assembling the best creative teams of digital artists to design and create images that tell a story, (on time and on budget…). I have designed and supervised visual effects for multiple feature films, TV movies and mini series, 2D and stereoscopic (3D) IMAX films, TV commercials and special projects (like motion rides).
In 2010, I was nominated for the 2nd time in my carrer and finally won the Gemini Award for Best Visual Effects for the TV mini series “Ben Hur”. In 2011, I was nominated for a third time in the “Best Visual Effects” category for the American TV series “Being Human”.
Please find below an IMDB link with a partial list of projects I have worked on:
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1904896/
MY HOBBY; PHOTOGRAPHY
My interest in photography goes back to my early childhood. My father, Julio, was an avid amateur photographer to the point of creating, with the help of some friends, his own Montreal photography club, AREMAC. He had built, in our house basement, a magnificent dark room with all the necessary equipment for black and white photography. I immediately got interested and started developing and printing my own black and white photographs. My first prize-winning photograph was of my LEM plastic model (Lunar Excursion Module) from the Apollo mission… (my room was full of model planes and cars!!). I had emptied my mother’s 5 pound sugar bag on a table with a big black velvet drape to simulate the moon’s surface and the dark sky, added small rocks, and introduced a lot of grain in my print to simulate the grainy pictures we were seeing on TV during those Apollo missions “live” broadcasts. I guess I can call that my first visual effect shot !!! It won first prize in an art competition at school and that really encouraged me to continue developing my photography skills.
On and off, time permitting, I also was a member of photography clubs, and my last membership was with one of the oldest photography clubs, the “Montreal Camera Club”, founded in 1893 (celebrating 120 years in 2017 !). There, I won the “Lorne Abramowitz Memorial Trophy” and the “Blossom Caron Trophy” for accumulating the best score (over a one year period) for the “prints” competitions. I also won the “Color print of the year” competition in 2004, and finally won 3rd prize while representing the Montreal Camera Club in a competition against all other Quebec photography clubs in 2005.
My work as a freelance visual effects supervisor has limited my free time for enjoying photography but, whenever I can, I’ll grab my camera and start looking around because of all things someone could do… the only way to learn how to properly “see” the world around you, is to create photographs.