Nicolas Lebessis

I’m focused, passionate and driven by the challenges of raising the bar for visuals and storytelling. I’m always interested in developing working relationship with creative artists who are focused on delivering high quality work, who possess an assiduous business mindset and a willingness to improve their design and storytelling skills.

Experience

Cinematics Director, Pandemic Studios, Los Angeles CA, 04/2008 – 11/2009

• Directed cinematics from script to final audio mix
• Production planning and scope assessment for all cinematic related productions
• Redesigned cinematics pipeline to adjust to the studio’s capacity
• Animation, motion capture, voice talent and art direction
• Script reviews and breakdowns for animation assignments and motion capture
• Storyboard/animatic production
• Compositing, video editing, audio effects and music editing
• Direction of marketing assets for project trailers
• Building and maintaining business relationships with EA internal projects and external outsourcing partners
• Directly managed a team of 8 artists

Cinematics Director, Electronic Arts (Montreal), 11/2005 – 04/2008

• Started the studio’s cinematics group from the ground up
• Animation, voice talent and art direction
• Storyboard, animatic and motion graphics production
• Compositing, video editing, audio effects and music editing
• Directly managed a team of 18 artists

Lead Concept Artist, Electronic Arts (Montreal), 01/2004 – 11/2005

• Directed team of 4 concept artists
• Environment, props and character designs
• Storyboard/animatic production

Art Director, Cine-Group/Pinocchio 3000 - 35mm CG feature film 09/2001 – 01/2004

• Managed pre-production and production stages from initial concept to final cut for a crew of 120 artists
• Directed storyboard artists and color key artist
• Directed pre-viz animatic
• Developed and designed multiple story sequences throughout the project
• Supervised communication between Canadian, French and Spanish co-producers
• Onsite and remote direction of design team in Paris, France
• Onsite and remote direction of modeling and texture team in Santiago de Compostela, Spain
• Assisted the Director at every stage of the production from script to film score

Digital Backgrounds & Color Models Supervisor - Cine-Group/Toonteck 03/1997 - 09/2001

• Managed TV and Film production schedules for 2D content
• Redesigned department infrastructure to improve efficiency
• Provided Adobe Photoshop training to studio artists
• Supervised and directed various production aspects of 12 animated TV shows (600 episodes) and 3 feature films with mostly 2D content and a crew of 30 artists