Coming from a small village in western Belgium, my childhood was already rocked by the great classics of 3D animated films. I was totally amazed by Toy Story, the Incredibles, The World of Nemo, which I saw dozens of times.
Even as a young child, I loved writing stories, creating characters and totally fantastic worlds. I didn’t know it at the time, but I would draw on this passion to eventually move towards my future job.
Despite this, I continue to follow a classical school curriculum, working on mathematics, languages and science. This will give me an interesting background for the future, especially with the mastery of English and Dutch.
It was finally at the end of my basic education, when I was 16, that I finally turned to more graphic and creative studies. I started a bachelor’s degree in computer graphics in Namur, at the Haute Ecole Albert Jacquard. It is during this first year that I have the opportunity to touch 3D for the first time. I realize these small projects, and I realize for the first time that I like it very much.
At the same time, I continue to devour a maximum of animated films and video games, without even realising that these elements are more than a passion for me.
And it was during my second year that I had to choose an option. That’s when it all clicked. The 3D Animation Films option turned me upside down and made me realise that I had finally found my calling.
From there, I learned just about every aspect of the production pipeline (from script to sound design), touching a lot of software (Maya, Blender, ZBrush, Cinema 4D, 3ds Max, Substance Painter, Photohsop, Premiere, After Effects, etc…)
All this knowledge to finally create my first concrete project: a short animation film to be created in a group, as a final work. We were going to do everything, from writing, to character design, modeling, ambiences, sound… It was a real pleasure to have a production simulation. In 6 months of work (2 months of pre-production + 4 months of production), we created Fly Away, a short film that allowed me to graduate with Great Distinction in June 2022.
And now we come back to the present! Thank you for reading.
Tom