Yanick
Dusseault
ABOUT
Yanick Dusseault is a prominent name in the world of visual effects. With over 30 years of experience, he has contributed to prestigious projects at renowned studios such as ILM, Lucasfilm, and Weta Digital. Known for his ability to bring the visions of demanding directors to life, he has worked alongside cinematic icons like Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, and Peter Jackson.
Previously, Yanick served as a senior art director at ILM, which he joined in early 2001 after working as a senior matte painter on The Lord of the Rings trilogy in Wellington, New Zealand. He has received numerous awards and honors, including the VES Award for "Outstanding Created Environment in a Photoreal Feature" for Star Wars: The Force Awakens in 2015 and "Outstanding Matte Painting in a Motion Picture" in 2004 for his work on Pirates of the Caribbean. He was also part of the Oscar-winning visual effects team for What Dreams May Come in 1999.
In 2012, J.J. Abrams invited him to join the art direction team for the Star Wars franchise, a role he held until 2018. That same year, Yanick left ILM to become a partner at Raynault VFX.
Driven by a desire to bring his passion for visual effects to a team he could inspire, and proud to see his contributions directly impact its success, Yanick joined Raynault in 2018. As a creative partner, he wears multiple hats: art director, concept artist, and matte painter, adding even more depth to an already accomplished team.
From rough paintings to more photorealistic illustrations, concept art needs to capture the essence of a director’s vision and provide a strong guide for the creative team that is meant to bring that vision to life in film.
If concept art starts the conversation, a digital matte painting completes it by turning the abstract into the authentic. It requires a highly-trained eye to add the photorealistic touches and skillful lighting that integrate the real world of a live action plate with digitally generated elements in a way that is undetectable.
