Mill Paris | Meet VFX Coordinator’s Mathilde and Kahina

Can you tell us about your daily work?

Mathilde : As a VFX Coordinator, I am a technical support to the project manager. I check the elements we receive and then dispatch them to the graphic designers. I also take care of conforming the edits with the calibrated plates. I prepare WIPs (Work In Progress), which allows us to see the progress of the projects. I may also be asked to create breakdowns before the production begins, which include the storyboard of future edits.

Kahina : The VFX Coordinator takes care of the journey of the footage after editing and before VFX. We watch out for the pipeline steps in order to provide everyone the right quality of footage they have to work on.

How did you get into this profession?

Mathilde : I studied at the University of Valenciennes in the audiovisual department and for my final internship I applied for the job of VFX Coordinator at Mikros MPC/The Mill Paris. I arrived in February 2020.

Kahina : I started working at this position a couple of months ago. Before that, I was working at Mikros MPC for 5 years as an assistant editor. I wanted to learn new skills but at the same time staying close to my previous department. So naturally I came to that position, which is actually the next step right after editing!

What projects are you working on or have you worked on? Do you have a favourite one ? 

Mathilde: I work in the advertising department, I have been able to work on projects such as Michelin, Duracell, Citroën, Carolina Herrera, Visit Qatar, Feu vert. I was also able to participate in the creation of video clips for Kanye West and Doja Cat. My favourite project to work on has to be Qatar just for the cuteness of the characters made in 3D.

Kahina : We just finished a commercial for a car brand, it was the first commercial I worked on as VFX Coordinator, so I kind of like it for that reason.

What are the difficulties of the job?

Mathilde: The difficulties of the job are rigor and stress management I think. The rigor in relation to the various files that go through the editors and then us and the graphic designers. We have to make sure that the colorspace is the same and that they have the same number of frames to work in the best conditions. It’s important to prioritise, because in advertising you often have to move fast.

Kahina: The technical aspect can be challenging at first, it takes a lot of video knowledge. It requires also discipline, you have to be meticulous in order to not make any mistakes that could feed back into the rest of the chain.

What do you like best about this job?

Mathilde: My favorite part of the job is the fact that we work on several projects, each one as different as the next. Sometimes there are issues that help us to improve our efficiency as the project goes on. However, you have to be careful not to get confused.

Kahina: I like to see commercials before they are finalised, it’s kind of fun to have a look at the rough footage that people don’t see. I feel like this little mouse who gets to see the process of it all, watching from afar discreetly.

What advice can you give to juniors about doing this job? 

Mathilde : The advice I can give is to be rigorous, organised, efficient and curious to know the different steps in the production chain. This will allow you to better understand the role of the VFX Coordinator.

Kahina : Don’t give up on maths!

If you are interested in a career at The Mill visit here. You can also get in touch with our Parisian team via our contact page.