You may have heard of the roguelike indie game Pyrene released almost two months ago! Today, I have the pleasure to interview Jeanne Prigent, 2D Game Artist & Animator, who worked on this gem made in France.
Like most of the talented artists I interview, I discovered Jeanne’s work on X. I loved it, but I was also impressed by her personality and how she doesn’t stay blind in front of the bullshit we can sometimes see on socials (to not say all the time). This is what made me want to learn more about who she is, and here we are now!
So happy to have you here, Jeanne! Could you please introduce yourself to our readers?
Hello, thanks for having me! I’m Jeanne, I’m a 2D game artist and animator and I live in Angoulême, in the South West of France. I’ve been working in the game industry for 5 years, usually with indie studios and solo devs.
This year with Marion Blanchet and Christophe Coyard, we released Pyrene, a roguelike dungeon-crawler inspired by basque mythology. I was Art Director on this project which was really exciting!
What attracted you to work in the video game industry?
Working in the video game industry wasn’t what I was planning at first. I studied 2D animation for 2 years and loved it.
As I pursued my art education, I learnt game design and discovered I could make artworks and animations for video games too. Working with different kind of professions was so interesting that I never left.
Johanna: I totally understand you! The industry is huge, with so many different roles, and personally that makes me even more curious.
How did you become a 2D Animator? Anything in particular that you liked about doing animation work?
My animation background helped me a lot to find jobs in the indie video game industry. Frame by frame animation isn’t a common skill for game artists. I had some examples of what I could do in my portfolio thanks to my student projects (such as It’s Paper Guy!), so people could easily find me and contact me.
What I love about animation is how you can breathe life in a still image by respecting a few rules. I find joy in drawing, I find more joy in creating movement and in video games, those can be interacted with which is to me the final step!
What is your creative process to create animations?
First, I have to draw my character (for example) in different angles so I can maintain consistency from start to finish. Then I’ll look for some references, especially if that’s a movement I’ve never done before. Then I’ll start animating. Sketching the overall movement first, cleaning my lines and coloring/shading if needed. Each step, I’ll play my animation again and again to see if there’s any problem with the timing or shapes before going further.
Once everything’s done, I’ll export it as a PNG sequence that can be used in engine, or to create a spritesheet, or to import it in an editing software.
How has your animation style or approach evolved throughout your career?
As I’m not only an animator but a game artist as well, I sometimes spend months without animating. My drawing skills are evolving quicker than my frame by frame animation process.
But I’ve learnt new ways of animating, like the skeletal animation with the Spine software. It’s a whole different approach, it’s very efficient when you need to animate quicker and a lot of characters. I sometimes miss traditional animation but I’m planning on making more in the future.
What are common challenges you face in your work? How do you overcome them?
Creating art is the easiest part of my work. I deeply love it and I’m passionate about it. I think the challenging part is the management and communication aspects that come along working as a team on the same project. Sometimes we might not have the same idea in our heads for the same element, or we may have to redo a finished task because we had a “dead angle” at that time. That can bring frustration but it’s part of the job and it’s important to overcome it.
The keys are to maintain communication, to be understanding and patient. I usually send sketches during my process so we can talk about concrete examples and not in vague terms. I often share and ask for references so we can understand each other. It’s important to acknowledge that everyone has their own ideas, cultural backgrounds and ways to communicate. Most people aren’t ill-intended.
Johanna: It feels like communication is one of the most important things in all fields, especially when you HAVE to work with others. And your last sentence summaries it all, let’s try to be empathetic and understanding 💛
Are there any projects you have been especially proud to work on?
I talked about it in my introduction but Pyrene is a project I hold very close to my heart. My team trusted me on the art direction, we didn’t meet big disagreements, I had everything I needed to work efficiently. That’s all I could wish for and I’m really proud of our game!
I didn’t know much about pyrenean mythology and iron age technology and I love when a project allows me to learn new things along the way. I discovered a whole new bestiary which was so interesting!
Do you have a routine to stay creative?
I try to stay curious! I watch movies, series and I keep an eye for new indie games of all different kinds. I have art references folders that I fill a little bit more every day.
I have a lot of occasions to draw, sometimes it’s for work, sometimes it’s to help people, sometimes it’s just to make my friends laugh. It has been a huge part of my life since I’m a kid and I don’t want it to change.
How do you see our industry change in the next couple of years?
That’s a difficult question. Most people in the industry are having a very hard time right now. There are a lot of layoffs all around the world, as studios and publishers didn’t play safe after the Covid lockdown where people bought and played a lot. I’ve been lucky to be able to find and keep freelance missions these past years, but we never know when a harder period is to come.
There is a lot of uncertainty in the future, but I feel like hope can be found in helping each other, and lifting everyone instead of crushing others to succeed. We can make shorter games, which are less risky than being tied to a game for 3 years. And unionize!
Johanna: Yes! I love seeing the indie community so positive, I think it’s great to see studios supporting each other on their respective projects. Just sharing some love in an industry that’s going through so much these past years.
Any last words you would like to share with us?
One thing that fuels my desire to stay in the video game industry are the people I met since I’ve started. Most people working on indie games are really welcoming and we tend to help each other. Soft skills, or just being sympathetic and curious about other creators and their craft is so important.
I really hope our industry and most of all the workers will find stability one way or another, so my fellow devs can get some rest after what we’re currently going through.
Jeanne Prigent – 2D Game Artist & Animator
X / LinkedIn / BlueSky
Thank you so much for your time Jeanne, it was lovely to learn more about your work! Don’t forget to check out Pyrene on Steam if you’re looking for a cool game to play. I hope you all loved this interview, and I see you again very soon 💛
