Women’s day Interview with Eleanor Dupont -Texture Artist at Industrial Light & Magic
Eleanor Dupont Works
can you introduce yourself?
I currently work at ILM London as a texture artist. I have specialized as a texture artist, modeler, and character artist over the last 10 years, in the film, tv, and commercial industries. I also worked as a lecturer in VFX for the past 5 years.
What inspired you to step into the VFX/ Animation Industry?
Whilst studying for a degree in fine art, I stumbled across the games classroom at university. The games lecturer encouraged me to try out the software Maya and I instantly fell in love with it. I’ve always loved the magic of film and it was an easy decision to do another degree in computer animation and change my career path from there!
challenges and experiences in your early years, and would you like to share some of your memories? faced?
I was really fortunate with my introduction into the film industry and my first experience as a junior was very positive. I worked at Cinesite and was lucky to have two fantastic leads, Adam Walker and Adam Dewhirst. They were fantastic mentors and really pushed me to achieve more. I will always be grateful for this experience.
The biggest challenge I faced was when I became a mother. It was very hard to balance freelance work and parenting and it was the reason I moved into teaching at the time. Now my daughter is older it feels like the right time to return to the VFX industry and I am loving it! I think that over the last 5 years there has been a huge positive shift in the film industry towards creating a more diverse work environment that is suitable for parents, which is great!
What are your greatest achievements in the VFX / 3D Industry?
I think that I have learned the most from working at ILM. They are an incredible studio and I have never been pushed so much technically and creatively. I feel that I have grown the most at this studio and have been very grateful for the opportunity.
I have also really enjoyed competing in the Artstation challenges and would recommend this to any artist looking to refine and develop their skills. It is a fantastic way to get feedback from talented professionals on your work.
who is your inspiration Women in the VFX / 3D industry why?
There are so many! I would have to say Sally Wilson (Lead texture artist at ILM London. She is very passionate about teaching others and extremely dedicated. She worked closely with the course I taught at the Arts University Bournemouth and was a huge inspiration to our students, and me!
I am also a huge fan of Magdalena Dadela (Lead Character Artist at Blur Studio). Her work is incredible and the way she captures the human face in her sculpts is breathtaking
challenges for women in the VFX / 3D Industry?
I think that women are not reaching as many senior roles as they could be in the VFX industry and the reasons behind this are multi-fold. It has a lot to do with women not being drawn to the industry in the first place, as we know there is still a lack of support and encouragement for women within STEM subjects at school. So the roots start quite early on.
Also, there are not enough female role models currently in the industry, though things are changing.
A huge factor as well is that once women become parents we are seeing a huge drop in the workforce, as there is not always the right support in place for parents. This doesn’t apply to all studios though and there are some amazing studios out there that are very family-friendly. I do however think this is one reason we don’t see a high ratio of senior female artists in the industry.
Any memorable shows you wish to share your experiences with?
I loved working on World War Z at a Cinesite… who doesn’t love a good zombie film?!
How you feel comfortable in the Industry?
I love the VFX industry and for me, it will always be home!
Any advice for Upcoming Women VFX / 3D artists?
Believe in yourself! Be brave, be strong, and know your talent!
