On the occasion of its 10th anniversary, PIDS ENGHIEN turned the spotlight on a fundamental yet often invisible art form: Digital Matte Painting (DMP). A roundtable discussion brought together renowned professionals, including The Yard’s Head of DMP and Visual Development Noemie Cauvin, to explore the evolution of this discipline, its integration with 3D environments, and the challenges posed by new technologies.
Last month, during the PIDS ENGHIEN festival—France’s premier event dedicated to VFX and CGI—an engaging roundtable discussion took place, focusing on the evolution and future of Digital Matte Painting (DMP). Moderated by Réjane Vallée, Professor at Université d’Évry Paris-Saclay, the discussion brought together three prominent professionals in the field: Jean-Marie Vivès, a pioneer in matte painting; Christophe « Tchook » Courgeau, Head of Environment/DMP at MPC Paris; and Noemie Cauvin, Head of DMP and Visual Development at The Yard.
Through the exchange of experiences and case studies from major productions, the discussion provided a fascinating insight into the artistry and technical expertise behind today’s seamless visual effects.
Jean-Marie Vivès shared his journey, which began in the early 1980s when he transitioned from illustration to working on VFX for film. His collaboration with director Alain Resnais on « La Vie est un Roman » introduced him to the glass shot technique, and he later pioneered digital matte painting in France with « Les Visiteurs » (1993). He reminisced about the solitary nature of his early work, collaborating closely with cinematographers and directors, often taking months to craft a single shot.
Christophe « Tchook » Courgeau’s path was different—beginning as a model maker at Excalibur studio before shifting to DMP through self-learning, spurred by the advent of graphic cards and digital tools. His experience at Mikros Image (now MPC Paris) shaped his career, and he emphasized the importance of continuous learning in an ever-evolving field.
Noemie Cauvin, representing a newer generation of matte painters, initially aspired to work in feature animation before discovering a passion for environment design and matte painting. Her career path included work at Painting Practice in London, where she honed her skills in production design and concept art before transitioning into VFX and animation. Her career has spanned both VFX and animation, allowing her to tackle diverse artistic and technical challenges across disciplines.
Achieving invisibility in modern productions
The roundtable gave the audience the great opportunity to deep dive into some great French and international productions, highlighting the evolution of matte painting and digital matte painting over the past 40 years. Jean-Marie Vivès talked about his experience on « La Vie est un Roman » (Alain Resnais – 1983), « The City of Lost Children » (Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Marc Caro – 1995) and « Alien Resurrection » (Jean-Pierre Jeunet -1997). Tchook Courgeau’s testimonials stressed the evolution between « Faubourg 36″ (Christophe Barratier – 2008), which sets were built on cardboard before being modelized by computer, and « The Walking Dead : Daryl Dixon – The Book of Carol, » on which The Yard also worked.
Noemie Cauvin presented the work done on The Yard on three international productions—films and series—for streaming platforms:
For All the Light We Cannot See, the team was tasked with recreating the war-torn city of Saint-Malo. Although the final destruction sequences appear realistic, much of the work was done in postproduction by defining a concept, guiding other departments in designing a historically accurate yet cinematic vision of the ruined city. By carefully balancing 2D matte painting with 3D set extensions, the team ensured that every frame felt authentic while remaining imperceptible as an effect.
On Enola Holmes 2, DMP was used for more traditional set extensions, subtly enhancing existing locations rather than drawing attention to them. The work was particularly focused on maintaining historical accuracy while blending seamlessly with live-action cinematography. The team’s challenge was to ensure that the matte paintings felt like natural extensions of the physical sets, reinforcing the illusion of a larger period-accurate world.
Halo – Season 2 presented a series of unique challenges for the DMP. One of the most intriguing aspects was working within a sci-fi universe that spanned multiple planets, each with its own distinctive environment. A key challenge was creating alien landscapes that felt believable as non-terrestrial spaces. For example, in designing Onyx, the team had to collaborate closely with the client, who initially lacked a clear vision for the final outcome. This led to extensive discussions to define the set’s look, particularly around constraints like the snow-covered forest of leafless trees. The challenge was to seamlessly integrate these alien environments with live-action shots that were very Earth-like, ensuring consistency and a natural blend between the two. For Onyx, the team also painted over 3D environments, adding texture and applying a realistic patina.
Another technical challenge arose in depicting the Halo ring itself. The client wanted to create the illusion of the live-action taking place inside a curved ring, a task that required multiple rounds of concept designs to push the limits of perspective while maintaining believability. This involved tasks common to matte painters today, such as set extensions, 360° cycles to match camera movements, and painting over environments to add lush, vibrant vegetation where the natural sets, shot during early winter, didn’t align with the creative vision.
Additionally, the Forerunner city posed its own artistic dilemma, as it needed to balance futuristic elements with an ancient civilization’s aesthetic. This required close collaboration between 3D design, environment teams, and compositing experts to add intricate details and maintain the city’s immersive look.
Noemie Cauvin concluded her presentation by commenting that the sheer volume of shots in Halo S2 made it critical to balance artistic creativity with efficiency, ensuring consistency and believability across all sequences. The level of detail and seamless integration required for Halo S2 exemplifies the fine balance between artistic vision and technical precision in modern DMP.
Following the presentation of these concrete examples, the discussion revolved around the « invisibility » of the VFX. The panelists agreed that the ultimate success of DMP lies in its ability to go unnoticed. Noémie Cauvin remarked that an ideal matte painting should blend so seamlessly into a scene that audiences never question its authenticity. This is particularly crucial for period films and historical reconstructions, where anachronisms must be erased without calling attention to the digital alterations.
AI and the future of Digital Matte Painting
The impact of artificial intelligence on DMP was also a major talking point. While Jean-Marie Vivès sees AI’s potential to disrupt the craft, Noemie Cauvin saw it as a tool that could streamline technical processes, freeing artists to focus on creative aspects. She noted that AI-generated images still lack the nuanced artistry of human-crafted work, as true DMP requires an understanding of composition, lighting, and storytelling that AI cannot yet replicate. Tchook Courgeau echoed these sentiments, emphasizing that AI is only as effective as the human input behind it. He stressed that while AI might assist in generating preliminary concepts, the core skills of matte painters and other VFX artists remain irreplaceable to seamlessly integrate images into the film flow.
