Inside Modus

As an aspiring artist, a technical enthusiast, a CGI instructor and now as a studio owner and CEO, Marc has dabbled in numerous aspects of visual effects production over the past 15 years. His structured approach to production challenges made him an experienced problem-solver and pipeline expert for demanding digital productions. He later developed skills in company management, business financing and corporate relations.

At the start of his career as a 3D artist and later as a senior technical artist, he helped develop postproduction pipelines to bring forward intricate visual effects, early stereoscopic workflows and high-volume deliveries on many feature films. Putting his focus and creative energy on reshaping business practices in the digital effects industry, he contributed to the initial structure of new large scale digital hub in Montreal, Modus FX. Marc co-founded Modus FX in 2007, with a desire to set up its base as a high-end digital effects and animation studio, with subsidiaries in training, R&D and production investment in development.

As CEO of Modus FX, Marc oversees the company's rapid growth and long-term development. His desire to share knowledge and build strong ties in the visual effects and computer animation communities are also core philosophies at Modus FX.

Yanick is best working with people, and VFX production is all about people. A great communicator with clients and colleagues alike, he thrives on bringing the best out of everyone he meets. In his fifteen-year-long career, his natural abilities led him to VFX project management and client relations. He started his career in the mid-90's as a CG animator before turning to the VFX film industry, where he supervised the 3D departments of important VFX studios in Montreal on major VFX-driven feature film productions.

Always aiming for better results, he constantly strived for pipeline development, and for setting efficient management practices in place. Yanick also played a key role in designing software solutions and stereoscopy display tools. Co-founder of Modus FX in 2007, his role as VP of Production has conferred upon him the role of supervising producer of all of Modus' projects. He also bridges Modus FX Montreal and Modus FX Los Angeles and actively participates in business development for every part of the company.

With a solid background in business administration and development, Patrick would be considered the “backbone” within the company structure. As Vice President of Operations and Finance, his thorough attention to detail and precise scrutiny of Modus FX operations keeps the numbers in order, leaving the artists plenty of room to work their magic.

After studying advertising and public relations, Valerie’s career led her through the domains of sports marketing and event management (including tennis, football, alpine skiing, adventure tourism and hockey) before she leapt into the world of visual effects with Modus FX. Her role as Sales & Marketing Director brings her to oversee company image, the development of new projects, and all aspects of communications (both internal and external). At each stage of production, Valerie also coordinates and monitors budgeting concerns (change orders, additions, etc.) and is in charge of ongoing client relations in this regard. Thanks to her conscientious and hard-working attitude, dynamism and interpersonal skills, she contributes to the diversification and growth of Modus FX.

Having studied Journalism, followed by a year of teaching French in Liverpool (England), Anouk then embarked upon a career in coordinating digital effects for large-scale film productions such as Predators, 300, Final Destination 4, Sin City and Dragonball: Evolution to name but a few. With over 30 feature films under her belt, plus a total of 16 years of project management experience, she is undeniably a valuable asset to the team at Modus FX in maintaining excellence in customer relationships, meeting delivery deadlines, and keeping strictly within budget requirements. Her in-depth understanding of visual effects, both of the technical approaches and of production pipelines, and her talent for clearly grasping each and every client’s expectations were key in developing the kind of relationships she established with Directors, Producers and Visual Effects Supervisors during her eleven years at Hybride Technologies. A seasoned traveler, Anouk is passionate about human interactions, exercises great tact and discretion, and possesses remarkable organizational skills.

Being a VFX producer in the world of digital effects is an arduous burden necessitating a plethora of skills; Modus FX is fortunate enough to have Jacinthe on its team. Her career path is as impressive as it is complete. Starting as a production assistant at Hybride on Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow and Sin City, she later explored all the aspects of digital production as an assistant editor, digital compositor, VFX coordinator... Jacinthe has seen it all and puts her skills to good use as our Director of Production, overseeing efficient project management, smooth deliveries and client communications.

When Dominic made the move to Modus FX, he came with over 10 years of experience under his belt, having worked in technical departments at various visual effects and animation companies. As Director of Technology he plays a crucial role in Modus’ day-to-day operations, making use of his know-how and being eager to confront each and every challenge that he encounters. He and his team ensure that all of our artists, technicians and managers have the appropriate tools to carry out their tasks and that each stage of production runs smoothly. All in all, a colossal task that Dominic handles with ease, due to being dedicated, flexible, logical and having extensive knowledge of the industry.

Yannie is Modus FX’s Human Resources wizard. She handles recruiting and integration of all new employees, in addition to advising managers on all matters pertaining to corporate training, performance evaluation and the implementation of internal policies. And it's far from an easy task when you consider Modus’ exponential growth. Her impressive career path – Cirque du Soleil, Moisson Laurentides, Katimavik, to name a few - has allowed her to acquire an outstanding leadership record and a sense of strategic planning that make Yannie a high-quality asset. Results-oriented, she has developed a symbiotic relationship with employees and management to maintain a healthy and pleasant working atmosphere.

After graduating in Civil Engineering in 1993, Eric always wondered if his future was missing something a bit more in the creative realm... Determined to become a pro CG artist, he had already become a very proficient particle effects and simulations artist in the mid-90s. He joined Meteor Studios in 2002 and became their FX lead on projects such as Alien Planet and Exorcist: The Beginning. His minute attention to detail and strong communication skills led to his becoming a CG supervisor on Meteor Studios’ larger projects, such as Fantastic Four, Slither, Final Destination III, 300 and Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D. Eric joined Modus in 2008 and is now overseeing, as VFX Supervisor, the quality of all work created by the company.

Martin is a highly experienced 3D texture/lighting artist and matte painter. After earning a diploma in graphic design from Laval University in 2000, he pursued his studies for an additional year of professional 3D training at Cyclone in Quebec City. Since then, he has been working “non-stop” as a lighting, texture and matte painting artist in renowned effects houses such as Hybride Technologies and Buzz. Martin is a member of CGunit.com, a popular website dedicated to CG artists and designers. On top of his contribution to numerous TV spots, his filmography includes Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Racing Stripes, Sin City, Snakes on a Plane and 300. His keen eye for color pallets and shot composition is a great asset to Modus FX. Such skills are clearly displayed, among other projects, on the fantasy setting of Mr. Nobody, where he oversaw the overall visual styling for digital effects.

Wayne's career path is both impressive and full of exciting challenges that explain why he is so polyvalent. A master at his craft, he continues to perform at his best even under the intense pressure of tight production schedule and large team to supervise. Working with Wayne is a rare pleasure for the artists, producers and his fellow supervisors: professional, great problem solver, calm in every situation and hard worker, he represents passion for visual effects. After being a digital compositor on high end projects such as The Spy Kids Trilogy, 300, Sin City and Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D with Hybride Technologies and Mr. X, we moved to supervising compositing and VFX work. The Three Musketeers, Source Code, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1, The Thing, Hanna, Resident Evil: Afterlife, Beastly, to name a few, are now part of his extensive credit list. Wayne joined Modus in the fall of 2011 and is already a corner stone in the production team.

As a CG Supervisor for Modus FX, Moss bridges the gap between art and technology. As a teacher, he provides substantial know-how to his students. Moss started his career performing advanced database engineering for CAE and he rapidly rose through the ranks and secured positions with notable VFX companies. He is a skillful problem solver, an exemplary communicator, a fast learner and a positive leader. Moreover, Moss has a keen eye for creative aesthetics and applications. He has proven his ingenuity while proficiently working on Source Code (2011), Mr. Nobody (2010), Journey to the Center of the Earth (2008), Screamers 2 (2008) and 300 (2006). His commitment, expertise in high-end project management and ability to work under a tight delivery schedule make him a key player on all aspects of taking a job from inception to completion.