Technicolor Academy – What do we look for in an applicant's reel?

For information on Technicolor Academy positions, upcoming start dates and to apply check out: https://www.technicoloracademy.com

The most important part of your application to the Technicolor Academy is your reel. We look for discipline specific reels. For example if you are applying for animation then please send us a purely animation reel, if its a lighting reel there is no need to show your compositing skills. Your reel does not have to be long, put in your strongest work and put your best work first.

Below you will find what we look for in reels for each academy department.

What do we look for in a 3D Environment reel?

Please send us your demo reel in video format via Vimeo or youtube.

For the 3D Environment academy, applicants need to show us their potential in a variety of situations. Environment artists are mostly generalists and can be assigned a wide variety of tasks as in modeling, texturing, sculpting, digital matte painting, projections, lighting etc. We are some kind of Swiss army knife of a production.

For the demo reel it is important to show us photo-realism, as everything that we make should look real.

There should be a bit of everything in your reel. We want to see:

•  Some environment and DMP shot work (full cg or set extensions)

•  Make sure that in your DMP shots the lighting and perspective are good and make sense

•  Camera projections using nuke

•  Do more than a simple and basic nuke one-card setup. Complex projections are always a plus to evaluate the candidates.

•  Hard surface and organic environment models (buildings, trees, street props etc.)

•  Those props / building should be rendered as real as possible using some texture work and look development and proper lighting

•  We also want to see some 3d integration, as we do a bit in compositing also.

Make sure to also include breakdowns of your shots; a small line at the bottom of your frame is perfect.

The 3DDMP-Environment applicants should have experience with these softwares : Maya, Nuke, MARI

What do we look for in a lighting reel?

Please send us your demo reel in video format via Vimeo or youtube.

· Lighting reels must be light and rendered with modern 3D and rendering software such as Maya, Renderman (or Arnold or V-Ray) and Nuke.

· CG elements integrated into live-action plates, with matching lighting, shadows and reflections.

· Stills are acceptable but consider adding a subtle camera pan/zoom. Including moving objects like curtains, tree branches, or moving clock can bring a shot to life.

· Examples of lighting and rendering a variety of surfaces including hard surface, organic, fur, FX, particles, volumetrics, etc.

· Breakdowns showing render passes and how they can be used in the compositing process.

· Some Technicolor studios use Katana. YOU DO NOT NEED TO KNOW KATANA. We will teach this in the Academy.

What do we look for in an FX reel?

Please send us your demo reel in video format via Vimeo or youtube.

· Please show examples in at least two of the following categories: particles / destruction / volumes / fluids

· We prefer to see rendered FX elements presented in a shot.

· FX elements presented without a plate should be presented on a checkerboard background

· Technical demos of tool development welcomed.

· FX demo reels will be evaluated based on a few key elements:

- Timing (realistic demonstration of Newtonian physics principles in action)

- Appeal (composition, use of color, staging of elements, and image quality)

- Originality (personal projects vs tutorials)

· Scripting is not a requirement but is a bonus. MEL, VEX or Python are ideal. 

· Please demonstrate your scripting skills with a screen capture of the script running or the rendered result.

What do we look for in an animation reel?

Please send us your demo reel in video format via Vimeo or youtube.

· We ask that you send us the demo reel in video format via Vimeo if possible.

· Most Technicolor studios create photorealistic sequences for live-action films. We’re happy to review reels showing stylized cartoon animation, especially from students with no professional experience as we will teach realism during the Academy.

· Showing realistic character animation is a bonus.

· We only want to see key framed animation. Please do not show motion-capture or clean-up work.

· Your reel should show a variety of animated characters of different types.

· Please show at least one example of a biped character.

· Please show at least one example of quadruped character.

· You don't need to show muscle movement, or breakdowns showing rigs or controls. Simple grey shaded models are ok.

· Please show the video reference for at least one of your shots. Ideally as a frame in frame shot.

· Animation cycles are fine, but cycles leading into a different action are ideal.

· Keep you reel short, 30 to 120 seconds is ideal, and only how us your best work.

For information on Technicolor Academy positions, upcoming start dates and to apply check out: https://www.technicoloracademy.com