Spotlight on Hugues Namur, The Mill VFX Supervisor

• You have been working in visual effects for more than 25 years. What continues to drive your passion for this field?

What I love about visual effects is that every project is different. Every film brings a new challenge, a new artistic language and a new way of collaborating.

When I started, VFX was often perceived as a purely technical discipline. Over the years, the industry has evolved tremendously, and visual effects have become a real part of the storytelling process. The best VFX are not necessarily the ones that attract attention, they are the ones that support the emotion, the atmosphere and the director’s intention.

For me, the most exciting part of the job remains the dialogue with filmmakers. Understanding what they want to express, finding the right visual solution, and building something together is what makes this profession so rewarding.

Over the years, from my early days at Mikros Image, through projects at MPC Paris, and now at The Mill — this dialogue has remained the constant thread in my work. The tools and pipelines evolve, but the creative exchange stays at the heart of everything.

• You have moved from Mikros Image, to MPC Paris and finally to The Mill. How does this evolution reflect the changing landscape of visual effects?

Studios evolve, brands evolve, but the fundamentals of our work remain the same. The transition from MPC Paris to The Mill is part of a larger journey within a group that has always placed creativity and innovation at the heart of its work.

What matters most is the talent, the artists, the supervisors and the collaborative culture behind the projects. The tools continue to change, but the human element remains essential.

Visual effects are created by teams. Technology gives us new possibilities, but it is the artistic vision and the conversations between filmmakers and artists that create meaningful images.

In that sense, moving into The Mill is not a rupture but a continuation, a way to keep working with the same level of ambition, while embracing new forms of storytelling and production workflows.

• Your recent work on L’Âge d’Or explores the relationship between cinema heritage and modern VFX. What made this project particularly special?

L’Âge d’Or was a fascinating project because it connected different periods of cinema history. We were not only creating visual effects, we were helping to recreate a memory of cinema.

The challenge was to work with archival material, historical references and contemporary techniques while preserving authenticity. The objective was never to make the technology visible. It was about creating an emotional continuity between past and present.

Projects like this remind us that VFX are not only about spectacular images. They can also be about restoration, preservation and giving new life to stories and characters.

It also opened a broader reflection on how far we can go today with digital tools, especially when working on faces, performances, or historical figures; and how important it is to always keep a sense of respect for the original material.

• How has your approach to supervision evolved throughout your career?

At the beginning of my career, I was focused mainly on solving technical problems and understanding the tools. Today, supervision is much more about communication.

A VFX Supervisor needs to understand the filmmaker’s intention, anticipate challenges and create a bridge between creative ambitions and technical realities.

You have to speak different languages: the language of the director, the production team, the artists and the technology. The role is really about finding the best way for everyone to work together.

What has changed over time is the scale and complexity of projects, but not the essence of the job. It is still about clarity, trust and shared vision.

• You have also been involved in mentoring and supporting emerging filmmakers through initiatives such as the Atlas Workshops in Marrakech. Why is transmission important to you?

Sharing experience is one of the most important aspects of our industry. Cinema is built on collaboration and transmission.

When you work for many years in VFX, you accumulate knowledge; not only about technology, but also about workflows, communication and creative decisions. Passing this knowledge on is a way to help new generations develop their own vision.

I also learn a lot from younger filmmakers and artists. They bring different perspectives, new references and new ways of thinking.

In a way, these exchanges are essential to keep the industry alive and evolving.

• Looking back at your Cannes Technique 2026 talk, what do you hope audiences took away from it?

I hope audiences leave with the understanding that VFX are not just about spectacle or technology, they are fundamentally about storytelling and collaboration. Over the past 25 years, our tools have changed dramatically, from film to digital, from matte painting to physically based rendering, and now to AI-assisted workflows. But the core of the job remains the same: listening to the director, working closely with every department, and finding creative solutions that serve the film.

I also hope people see that visual effects are everywhere-not only in big-budget blockbusters, but also in auteur cinema, where they often work invisibly to support the story. Finally, I hope this discussion encourages curiosity about the changes AI is bringing to our industry, while reminding everyone that technology is most valuable when it enhances, rather than replaces, artistic intent and human collaboration.