Wilhem Durand – 3D Animator

We are going back to former Lightbulb Crew colleagues for my own guilty pleasure! I had the chance to ask a few questions to Wilhem Durand, 3D Animator currently working with Superseed Studio.

Super happy to be able to post this little interview, I have fond memories of our boxing classes after work and silly challenges (such as doing the plank to get the best time). But most importantly, it was all about friendship and supporting each other. Hope you will all love discovering about him and his work!

Welcome Wilhem! Could you please share who you are with our readers?

Hello, my name is Wilhem. I’m French, I live in Paris and have been a 3D animator for almost 5 years. I graduated from New3dge Paris, having had almost no animation classes (yes, it’s funny)! So I learned animation on my own. Thank you for this interview Johanna, I’m really pleased to answer!

How has your journey into the video game industry been so far?

I was hired quickly after graduating. My first company was Lightbulb Crew, where I worked on the Othercide project. That’s when I really started learning about animation. Following that experience, I did a quick stint at Spiders. Then Shiro Games contacted me to offer me a job in their studio on the Dune: Spice Wars project. I joined them in Bordeaux and stayed for 2.5 years. It was a rich experience that came to an end a year ago. I came back to Paris and am now working as a freelancer with Superseed Studio.

What made you become a 3D Animator?

When I was at New3dge, I was heading more towards an artist environment profile but I always had animation in mind because I was originally attracted to the artistic field thanks to animated films. During the course of my studies I became more interested in video games and, following an introductory course on 3D animation, I was convinced that I had to try this path, even though the school didn’t offer a course to become a 3D animator.

After discussions with the teaching staff, they encouraged and supported me in my choice, which was quite surprising. So I was allowed to learn on my own during my final year and prove myself in animation, particularly for my end-of-year group project.

Although it was my choice, I was well supported which gave me confidence in my decision. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank them, and in particular one of my closest friends (Wodhy) with whom I worked on my final study project and who supported me all the way.

Johanna: This is really cool to see that teachers supported you with your choice! You found your thing and it would have been a shame to do something else just because they decided that it wouldn’t be possible for you. Looks like you were destined to become an animator!

Were you ever interested in working for other mediums outside of games?

Not at the moment. I really like video games. Right now I’m more interested in helping to create a video game than a film. I’m attracted to the constraints involved in making a game, such as the bone limit, the gameplay constraints and so on. What’s interesting in this field is that you have to bring the character to life, give him a personality so as to encourage the player to choose or accept this character without spoiling his gaming experience.

For example, if you’re playing a fighting game but your character’s animation takes too long to start up, this could spoil the player’s enjoyment of the game. What’s more, all this creates the appeal and difficulty of animation in video games.

What are the main missions of a 3D Animator?

The main job of an animator is to bring 3D characters to life, creating movements that fit in with the gameplay. It also means trying to convey the Game Designer’s wishes. For example, the Game Designer may come to me and ask me to create a zone attack where the enemy deploys gas. It’s up to me to translate that into an animation that’s cool to look at, original and effective.

You have to take into account the weight of the character. You don’t animate a large warrior in the same way as a small elf, or a creature with wings, etc. Depending on the size of the studio, the 3D animator may also be in charge of rigs. What I also like about my job is that we’re involved at the end of the production chain, our animations are expected to contribute to the final result and we see them come to life, only to be sublimated by the FX artist.

Have you encountered any challenges during your journey?

The first thing that comes to mind is my first company (Lightbulb Crew) because I had everything to prove. I’d just come out of school and they gave me a chance, as I had no professional experience in animation. I’d like to thank Alexandre Chaudret and Jérôme Sounthavong, respectively Art Director and Lead Animator at the time, for giving me that chance.

As far as my experience at Shiro is concerned, the challenge was to work on long animations and to do some acting, which was something new for me. More specifically, I animated the leaders of the factions in Dune: Spice Wars and I had to do facial animation for the first time, which is more subtle than combat animation.

Do you have favorite games when it comes to 3D animation?

The first that springs to mind is Darksiders Genesis by AirShip Syndicate. I’m a fan of the art direction. The feeling I get when I hold the controller in my hand is striking, especially with their execution animations, because you can feel the impact of the blow on the opponent, the weight, the rhythm, and all of that transmits emotions to me as a player. I loved seeing them over and over again.

There’s also the first Spider Man from Insomniac Games. I think that in terms of feel, it’s a pleasure to get to grips with the character and weave his web through the streets of New York. The posing is admirably accurate and I think this game is unique.

Johanna: Spider Man is AMAZING! Animations are so smooth, it feels good when wandering around the city and fighting a bunch of enemies.

The third example is Bleeding Edge by Ninja Theory. Surprisingly, I haven’t played it, but the animations I’ve seen are just too cool, lively, fresh and inspiring.

Are there personal or professional projects you have been especially proud to work on?

I have to admit that I find it a bit difficult to be proud of my work, because I have a bit of imposter syndrome. But I think I’m happy with my Samus run animation and the Space Marines backflip because I had fun with them, I found the rhythm and the fun I wanted.

How do you stay creative outside of work?

It’s not always easy to stay creative when you come across great animations made by others. I’d say through music, discussions with colleagues/friends, and the animations I see on the internet or in games. I really enjoy working with new character rigs, discovering the subtleties they have and imagining the characters in this or that situation.

Anything else you would like to share?

In my opinion, the most important thing is not to forget to have fun. Having as much fun as possible brings out the best in you and that shows in the results of your work. You have to remember that being good takes time and experience.

Johanna: Definitely! It is so easy to forget about having fun. Taking a step back and reconnecting with yourself and what you love about what you do in the first place can definitely help.

By experience I mean professional experience but also human experience: talking to people, understanding their visions, their objectives but also their constraints. Personally, I consider it preferable to team up with someone who is friendly and with whom I can have a beer than with a tryharder who thinks individually.

Wilhem Durand – 3D Animator
Twitter / ArtStation

Thank you so much for your time, Wilhem! I will enjoy a short break from work in the coming days and will be back soon with another highlight, in the meantime take care!