Caroline de Koninck (Creative Arts, 2006), is a production line producer at Framestore, a visual effects company with offices in London and Montreal. Over the last three years, de Koninck has had the opportunity to work on major productions like Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Netflix’s The School of Good and Evil and the Apple TV series Foundation.

In her role, de Koninck coordinates assets and manages a team of VFX artists to keep post production running smoothly and on schedule. She’s been working in the film industry for the better part of a decade as a video editor and VFX production coordinator, building on a love for film she discovered at Champlain College Saint-Lambert.

“It was in Cegep that I realized I liked film and animation,” she said. “That’s where I discovered that passion.”

In high school, de Koninck excelled in math and science but wanted to pursue her interest in the arts as well: “All my teachers thought I was crazy going into arts but I didn’t listen to them,” she said. “In Cegep it was finally freedom for me. It was really liberating to finally be doing classes that I wanted to do.”

At Champlain, de Koninck studied digital imaging studio arts and had plenty of chances to work with her hands doing sculpture, woodworking, hand drawn animation and painting.

“I really enjoyed that time because I still use those skills now as a creative outlet,” she said.

After Champlain, de Koninck completed a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts in Film Animation at Concordia University.

“While I was at Concordia, I also discovered I loved post production and working in after effects and doing motion graphics,” she added.

After graduation, de Koninck worked at the Apple store on Ste-Catherine Street in Montreal, teaching people to use Apple software.

After moving to Calgary in 2012, de Koninck worked as a baker making cakes and cupcakes while taking freelance video editing projects on the side.

“I absolutely adored my time working as a baker, decorating cakes. I rediscovered how much I liked working with my hands,” she said. “I loved it, but it wasn’t something sustainable, waking up in 4 o’clock in the morning every day.”

In 2016, de Koninck started working for a French-language TV series produced in Calgary that needed a bilingual video editor. After two-and-a-half years working as an editor, de Koninck took on a role working as a VFX production coordinator at a small studio where she was able to learn the ropes of production.

“I remember in university, I thought production was all numbers and no creativity. I avoided production classes,” she recalled.

But once she tried it, de Koninck said it felt like a great fit and better yet, a stepping stone to help her get back to Montreal where the visual effects industry is booming.

She moved back to her hometown and started working at Framestore in 2020, where she’s been able to hone her skills and contribute to some high-profile productions.

de Koninck’s advice for current students and recent grads: “Don’t be afraid of picking a subject you are passionate about. It is important to think about work and where you see this degree taking you in terms of a job, but in my mindset, I find that it’s enriching to learn something that you’re passionate about and you can either make a career out of it or nourish that passion outside of work. Another thing: connections, connections, connections! They are so important! They will help you find your dream job! Don’t be afraid to strike a conversation!”

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