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Interview with Softimage Demo Artist Erik Goulet
Erik is demo artist at Softimage and talks about his daily work, what it means to demonstrate the software at shows and his passion: toys.
December, 11th, 2002, by Marc-Andre Carbonneau, Will Mendez
 |  | Erik Goulet: Demo artist and toy lover.
| | |  | His workspace
|  | Erik at the demo last week in Montreal. Marc-André Carbonneau, Martin Belleau and Maggie Kathwaroon
| | |  | toys, toys, toys
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Stats
Full name: Erik H Goulet
Age: Physical: 35 Mental: 18
Occupation: Product specialist on XSI
City: Montreal,Canada
Favorite Food: Chocolate addiction problem, had to cut back after
an overdose of Whippet
Hobbies: Making films
Inspirations: Aardman animation
What's your school background ?
Unlike my colleague in the field of animation I have a very odd background. I always found that life pushes you in the proper direction without having to think about it, things just fall into place at some point.
Of course my main influence came with Star Wars in 1977, I was 10 years old and it just blew me away. I started doing amateur photography in high school (doing trick photography for light saber shot). Slowly I start getting interested in video. During college, I studied electronic (because my parent thought a solid base is always something good to fall back upon) and made my own film during that time, mostly sci-fi and horror. After that, I went to Concordia University. I started in the film production program, but after a year I switched to animation. This was the best decision I ever took. I concentrated on 3d puppet films. These were the best years, imagine, you are in school, everybody is busting their head on final exam and you are making a film for your final grade! It was surreal...
What's your background in the field like?
When I finished school I started looking for work. In Montreal there wasn’t a lot of animation companies in 1991, and computer animation was out of the question. It was still being done on the expensive SGI machine. I applied at a film equipment rental house in Montreal: William F. White. I stayed there for 4 years learning all the grip and electric equipment as well as the 16 and 35mm camera systems by Arriflex. Afterward I got offered to work on a Motion Control system. This was at Productions Pascal Blais, a renowned animation house who received an Oscar for the IMAX film: “The Old Man and the Sea” directed by Alexandre Petrov. I stayed there for 4 years until I went to work for Softimage
How did you get hired at Soft?
As simple as my friend Teresa (a classmate from the Concordia days) referring me.
How did you move from QA to demo artist?
The switch came naturally. I was a QA testing the Animation Mixer, when the product was being released my big boss told me: “Erik since you know the Mixer we would like you to go to Siggraph and show it”. I must say my Boss probably saw something I didn’t because I was so nervous and scared, but I pull through and the rest, again fell into place, I was offered to become a demo artist and keep on demonstrating the software.
What does being a demo artist implies?
Talking all the time and traveling quite a bit. But seriously, we go to all the big shows, Siggraph, NAB, GDC, IBC and also the special events and user groups. We need to prepare the demo material which will target specific features of the program. Another part of my job is also to supply the animators in the fields with this material. This means a demo in England will be the same as the one in Montreal or L.A. We need to keep a consistency in the message we carry.
What's a normal day for you like when there is no shows?
A normal day… mmmm. Ok let’s start, When I get to the office I start to do 15 minutes of Tai Chi in the morning. We have this little gym on the second floor of the building and I take the time to do this. I started getting some problems with my wrist 2 years ago and since I started practicing every morning it just went away. Then I sit at my desk and the fun begins… emails to reply, follow up on past event, prepare the next one, booking hotel and plane ticket, practice the demos, get acquainted with the new material, the new features, make DVD for animators in the field and a lot more…
As you can see I’m in a mode I affectionately call: IR. Interrupt Request. A colleague comes up to me, is it an emergency? I jump on the problems.
What is a show like for a demo artist?
It is like going to the dentist! You always fear the worst and when it is over you feel numbed by a great loving feeling from the audience. I think we could compare this to a racing team… We create the program, we prepare the material, we prep everybody and then the race is on to convince the world we are the best!
Any funny stories that happened at a show?
Something you will always remember... My first demo! It was during a games seminar at Siggraph. Like I mentioned earlier I was the QA for the Animation Mixer. That was the part I knew best, and the only one at the time. So when 20 animators from Asia came up to me and ask to see some modeling I just blanked out! Luckily my supervisor Michael D. Smith explain the modeling in version 1.0 and passed me the ball for the animation.
I learned some modeling demos in 15 minutes and the rest of the day was a breeze. I was doing a 30 minute demo every hour on the hour from 9 am till 7 pm. I at the end of the day I was dead but so happy. Then my big boss got wind of the exploit and ask me to demo since then.
What do you like most about your job?
Showing the software to everybody, I really like to explain stuff to the audience and make them understand how it works.
I was in Miami 2 weeks ago for their first user group meeting. We started the demo at 7h30pm and I stopped at midnight and still, there was more stuff to show. This was the best presentation, casual and friendly. I think there is a lot to be said about our users. They are young, energetic and eager to learn. Soft users are the best.
With all the stress of demo-ing and the preparation it requires, what do you do to relax yourself? Any ritual before doing a demo or show?
There is no way I can relax… It is just like going on stage to do a play, you can’t control the stress!
Where do you take all this energy that you so generously give during demos?
It is the adrenaline talking. A 2 hours demo feels like a 10 minute one in my mind.
Tell us about your office space. I heard they moved your office cause you couldn't fit anymore toys in it...
Ah the story of my life, Toys, I just love them, especially the old vintage (from my youth) and the new cool one. Whenever I buy something it is because I like it. But recently I found out that some of my toys were worth a lot of money, so I just sell a couple on ebay, then I can buy some more!
What's with all the hot wheels(small toy cars) on your wall?
This is a funny one, actually it happened by mistake, my first office was a cubicle in an open space. I wanted to decorate the tiny wall I had. I started buying hot wheel that I would pin to the wall, next thing I knew, I had bough 4 of them, which corresponded to my 4 months at soft, so I kept on going, now I’m approaching the 5 year mark, you should see the wall now!
Who's your idol?
I have to many, to select just one is impossible. But I could mention George for Star Wars, Steven for all his sci-fi films and Indy series, Ray for the Stop-motion creatures, Nick for Wallace and Gromit… Sometime people ask me if I know them because I called them by their first name. I don’t, I just feel I have spent so much time reading about them and looking at there film that I can call them by first name (of course if I would meet them I would simply baffles and say: Mm..m..mm…, Mister Lucas !
Would you like to go back in production in the future? If yes what project would you like to be part of?
For the past 10 years, I have cherished the adventures of Henry, an alien I created when I was studying animation at Concordia. That’s what I want to attack in 2003, I need to refine, write and define the environment this creature lives into and push it to TV as a series, this is my dream.
Big thanks to you for taking the time to spend a little moment answering all these. Have a holy jolly Christmas, enjoy your vacations!
Marc-André, it is always fun to chat with you! Merry Christmas to everyone!
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