Meet the Allegorithmic team in Montreal, as they tell us more about their background and the presence of Allegorithmic in the famous French-speaking Canadian city.
Alexandre
I just celebrated my 4th year at Allegorithmic, and the great thing is that each year has been very different. I first started at our LA office when the game industry started to shift massively toward Substance, and I worked on anything related to sales, marketing, and communication. About 2 years later I went back to Paris for a while and then opened the office in Montreal last summer. Today I lead the entertainment side of things (game, VFX/animation and broadcast) focusing on sales and strategy.
How and when did you move to Montreal?
This happened quite naturally – comparing a map of our users and a map of our offices, it seemed obvious that Allegorithmic was underrepresented on the east coast. Montreal was the main candidate; being a hub for both game development (where some of our biggest clients are located such as Ubisoft, Eidos or WB Games) and VFX/Animation (where companies like Framestore, Technicolor & Digital Dimension were already adopting the tools – and our friends at Double Negative opened shop here at the same time!). So, we’d been toying with the idea for a while, and what I think pulled the trigger was our push into the VFX/Animation world last year, as well as, quite simply, the fact that I was personally pretty excited to move there! And so that move happened last June.
Where are you in Montreal?
I started in the very hip Mile End (where I enjoyed a few too many St Viateur Bagels) and now just moved closer to the office, just north of Concordia sitting on the side of the beautiful Mont Royal.
The Montreal office is in the Old Port district close to companies like Autodesk or Rodeo FX. We actually share an office with our friends from Ballistiq (the wizards behind Artstation!) who were kind enough to give us a spot. I think it was their way of thanking us for the beautiful shader balls (& cylinders) with which our vibrant community fills their homepage.
And aren’t they glorious?
What are the expectations for the Montreal office in the short and long-term?
For now, our main goal is to keep supporting the team effort in North America, working with clients mostly in Entertainment. We’re also often on the road on the other continents. In the longer term, to be honest, no one really knows! Things change quickly at Allegorithmic and I wouldn’t be surprised if a new project causes the team to expand in the future.
Do you encounter cultural differences? Did you find you had to adapt your work style?
Tricky question… I’ll simply say yes, and let you wonder. Let’s just say it’s more subtle than growing a beard and wearing lumberjack shirts.
Poutine: for or against?
Putin? Well, this is a tough question but an important one; thank you for asking it. Considering the current geopolitical arena and what is happening in… Wait, what are we talking about?
Casimir
I’ve been a surfacing artist for 5 years now. I’ve been working at Fortiche Production, Digital Banana, Cybergroup Studio and also Illumination Macguff. And since October I’ve been a texture artist at Allegorithmic, doing demos, training and producing content.
How and when did you move to Montreal?
I was in the top 50 for the Meet Mat contest Allegorithmic did, and then Sebastien Deguy sent me an email to give them high-quality renderer for a book they are making. In the postscript of the email I asked, “By any chance, do you need any artists?” And now here we are; amongst the opportunities I’ve been presented with I was given the chance to move to Montreal. And I said yes because I wanted to move far away from Paris, and start something new!
Where are you in Montreal?
I live in the Jean Talon neighborhood, but the studio is downtown. So I travel to work by bike every day, even when it’s -30° C!
What are the expectations for the Montreal office in the short and long-term?
To support every studio/user on the east coast and in Canada.
Do you encounter cultural differences? Did you find you had to adapt your work style?
Yeah, so many. First of all with the language – there are some subtle differences and a new accent. The general spirit here is open-minded and happy. For the work style, only the hours of work are different here; they’re more flexible.
Poutine: for or against?
Definitely for, with pog and extra cheddar. Also, smoked meat from Schwartz’s!
Quentin
Hey there, I’m Quentin. I have a pretty atypical background. I graduated from two master’s degrees, in Civil Engineering, and in Innovation Projects Management & Entrepreneurship. I previously worked in Bouygues’ Innovation division in Paris. I’ve been with Allegorithmic since September as a business developer for the entertainment market.
How and when did you move to Montreal?
When working on an innovation project for Bouygues in Warsaw, Poland, I had the opportunity to work on the business development aspect of it as well, which was really exciting since it was an unexplored territory in terms of possibilities and opportunities for me and my team. I enjoyed that a lot, so I decided to pursue that field, though I wanted to do it with an innovative tech company, which is something I’d already been keeping in a corner of my mind for some time. I also love traveling (I lived in Poland for 18 months, and in Romania for 6 months) and Canada had always been on my list of countries to live in at some point. So after that last project, I decided it was the right time for me to move on. I eventually got in touch with Allegorithmic, who has been growing exponentially, and who encompassed everything I was looking for. And a few months later, here I am! It seems that I have a thing for cold and gray yet effervescent cities. 🙂
Where are you in Montreal?
I live in the Plateau area at the moment. I know that’s not very original for a French person, but did you know that according to a study conducted by Radio Canada, in 2014 French people from France actually only represented 5.24% of the Plateau population? Yeah, I’m fun at parties 🙂
The fact is I live with 100% authentic Quebecers made of real Canadian matter. The neighborhood is really nice and lively, and I’m 2 minutes away from the La Fontaine park which is filled with lovely squirrels that have the nasty habit of tearing up my garbage bags. Plus, there’s a boulangerie downstairs. What more can one ask for?
Do you encounter cultural differences? Did you find you had to adapt your work style?
There definitely are a lot of cultural differences but I won’t be able to mention them all. Just to name a few, I’d say Canadians are probably more positive and do-ers. Lively debates are also not as common as in France, which is something I actually miss. The country is among the most gender-equal and they tend to put more emphasis on work-life balance as well, which is nice compared to what it’s like in Paris. Vive le Québec libre!
Poutine: for or against?
Is that a real question? FOR. Hands down. #ProTip: try the 7kg Crise Cardiaque (‘heart attack’) from Poutineville. It efficiently helps you transform into a fat seal so you can deal with the harsh winter… Or die, from a heart attack.
