{"id":6473,"date":"2023-10-27T11:40:19","date_gmt":"2023-10-27T09:40:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/theyard-vfx.com\/stage\/?p=6473"},"modified":"2025-08-28T14:58:45","modified_gmt":"2025-08-28T12:58:45","slug":"the-yardeners-denis-scolan-head-of-2d","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theyard-vfx.com\/stage\/2023\/10\/27\/the-yardeners-denis-scolan-head-of-2d\/","title":{"rendered":"The Yardeners – Denis Scolan, Head of 2D"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Meet The Yardeners – the passionate team at The Yard, who strive everyday to nurture the seeds of creativity transforming them into striking visual effects, fruitful collaborations, and unforgettable stories.<\/span><\/h6>\n
This week, we are pleased to introduce you to Denis Scolan, our Head of 2D. With a career in compositing and 2D spanning over two decades, Denis has worked with the world’s most renowned VFX studios. After spending 17 years working in London, Singapore, and Sydney, he settled in Marseille, in the south of France, and joined The Yard a year ago.<\/span><\/h6>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_separator color=\u00a0\u00bbcustom\u00a0\u00bb border_width=\u00a0\u00bb2″ accent_color=\u00a0\u00bb#bdae8d\u00a0\u00bb][vc_column_text]Hello Denis ! Could you please explain your current role at The Yard ?<\/strong><\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Hi there ! As the Head of the 2D department, my responsibilities encompass all aspects related to the Compositing Department. This role spans a broad spectrum of duties.<\/p>\n

First and foremost, I am deeply involved in the technological aspects of the department. This includes enhancing our pipeline, establishing efficient workflows, developing custom tools, conducting Research & Development, formulating software strategies, and staying vigilant for emerging technologies and hardware advancements. I collaborate closely with the other\u00a0 Heads of Department (HoDs) and our exceptional Dev Team to achieve these objectives.<\/p>\n

Another crucial facet of my role involves the management of our Compositing team. I actively support and guide our talented compositing artists in realizing their full potential. This guidance includes training, advising, imparting methodology tips, and nurturing their technical, artistic, and soft skills. The primary goals here are to boost their confidence, elevate their craft to higher levels of excellence, and foster strong connections within the compositing team and beyond. To maintain team cohesion, the recruitment of new artists and the identification of emerging talents are of significant importance.<\/p>\n

Similar to the other HoDs in the studio, I am also frequently consulted to provide support for ongoing projects. This assistance involves crew planning, facilitating cross-departmental communication, configuring show settings, ensuring quality control, and offering technical and artistic guidance.<\/p>\n

And, of course, my door is always open to anyone who wishes to engage in a conversation.<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]What brought you to compositing \/ 2D ?<\/strong><\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

During my childhood, I was inherently drawn to various forms of artistic expression, such as drawing, painting, sculpting, and even acting. My primary sources of inspiration stemmed from comic books, cartoons, historical narratives, and movies. However,\u00a0 one day, the world of special effects entered my life.<\/p>\n

In the 1990s, I was captivated by a fantastic show called \u00ab\u00a0Movie Magic\u00a0\u00bb, which aired on a French channel, and it immediately sparked my interest. By that time, I was already a devoted fan of franchises like Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Back to the Future, and more. Watching behind-the-scenes (BTS) footage made them even more awe-inspiring.<\/p>\n

Around the same time, a computer found its way into our home, and I began experimenting with Paintbrush and video games. Eventually, I delved into learning 3D Studio 4 and even created my first (and last) full CG short film.<\/p>\n

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Denis’s VFX film inspirations : Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Back to The Future<\/span><\/p>\n

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As time passed, I realized that the limited options for\u00a0 3D schools were financially beyond my reach. Therefore, I chose to enroll in an audiovisual school in Toulouse, where I fully immersed myself in all aspects of cinema and television. This encompassed\u00a0 comprehensive technology courses, practical on-set\u00a0 experience, and even art history courses that delved into semiology. Those years undoubtedly marked the pinnacle of my educational journey.<\/p>\n

During my midterm internships, I found myself torn between pursuing a career in special effects or visual effects. To explore both options, I embarked on my first internship at Excalibur, a renowned motion control and miniature company known for their work on \u00ab\u00a0The City of the Lost Children<\/em><\/a>.\u00a0\u00bb<\/p>\n

Subsequently, I joined Main Street, a VFX boutique affiliated with the Ecoutez-Voir group. It was there that I had the privilege of meeting a VFX compositor who took the time to explain the intricacies of his role. It was an epiphany for me. How could a job encompass all the things I loved doing? It was crystal clear\u2014I knew what path I wanted to follow from that moment onward.<\/p>\n

I diligently learned Avid Media Illusion from the manual and, during my internship, I had the opportunity to practice under the guidance of the compositor, who entrusted me with a project while he was away on vacation. Collaborating closely with a CG artist, I solved a problem that had persisted since the project’s inception. By the end of my internship, I had achieved a significant result. A few days later, I received a phone call from the compositor, who had just returned from holidays, inquiring how I had accomplished what he couldn’t replicate.<\/p>\n

A year later, after earning my degree, I was offered another internship at the same company, which had since become a part of ExMachina following its acquisition by Ecoutez-Voir. It was a stroke of luck because this company embodied my dream in the French VFX industry. Over the course of three months, I absorbed a wealth of knowledge from these VFX luminaries. Eventually, I even had the opportunity to finalize some shots for a Tomb Raider cinematic project. At the conclusion of my internship, I received a formal job offer and a month of salary for the work I had already done! I’ll forever be grateful to these incredible individuals who provided me with the chance to step into the world of VFX.<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Tomb Raider V : Lara Croft’s Chronicles trailer (Eidos Entertainment)<\/span><\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_video link=\u00a0\u00bbhttps:\/\/youtu.be\/ow_asNANK6I?si=YGASjAlGT19cuhgy\u00a0\u00bb][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]What do you find great about your department ?<\/strong><\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

The compositing department holds a unique position in our production process, as it serves as the final touchpoint before our images are sent to the DI facility for the ultimate creative grading. As a compositor, what I see on my computer screen closely resembles what the audience will experience in a movie theater, and that’s\u00a0 truly exciting. It’s incredibly satisfying to take all the meticulously crafted elements from various departments and witness a shot transform into its ultimate form right before our eyes.<\/p>\n

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However, the significance of our department extends well beyond this final stage. We are actively engaged from the project’s inception to its completion. We collaborate with every team member to bring the director’s and VFX supervisor’s vision to life with the utmost quality. Sometimes, we even have the opportunity to go on set and participate in previz and postviz processes.<\/p>\n

During post-production, a critical aspect of our role is ensuring that all departments receive images in the correct color space, resolution, and timing as early as possible. This provides them with a solid foundation to begin their work.<\/p>\n

As a compositor, one of the aspects I find most captivating is simulating the lensing effects produced by the on-set camera. This not only enhances photorealism but also infuses the image with an organic and grounded feel.<\/p>\n

I often liken compositing to the art of crafting high-end dishes. We have an array of meticulously prepared ingredients at our disposal, and our task is to skillfully blend and cook them together with a delicate touch, never forgetting the importance of seasoning and presentation. The result is a visual masterpiece ready to captivate the audience. Et voil\u00e0 !<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]Is there any fun sentences that you often hear or say in your job ?<\/b><\/strong><\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]I often say to my team: \u201cDon\u2019t be afraid to ask, there is no such thing as a \u201cstupid question\u201d, everyone as to learn at some point.\u00a0\u00bb<\/strong><\/p>\n

To myself, especially during crunch times: \u201cAlways look on the bright side of life\u201d (Monty Python)<\/strong><\/p>\n

When I take a look back at my career, I say to myself: \u201cDeep Image Compositing is my baby\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

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What are the main challenges in compositing \/ 2D ?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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As a compositor, mastering the multitude of techniques required for the role is a long and challenging journey that takes years to navigate. Excelling in all of these techniques can be daunting which is why teamwork plays a crucial role in knowledge sharing within our department.<\/p>\n

Furthermore, the compositing team is widely recognized as a department of problem solvers at its core. Thanks to the flexibility it offers compared to certain rigid and lengthy 3D approaches, compositors often have numerous options to address specific issues, whether they are technical or creative challenges. Determining the best approach can be a challenge in itself, making each day in our line of work truly unique.<\/p>\n

From a broader perspective, the main challenges faced by the compositing department often depend on the nature of the visual effect being created. Is it a visible\u00a0 or an invisible effect?<\/p>\n