Quentin Chevreau

Quentin Chevreau, camera operator: “At CinéCréatis, you’re in the right school!

Graduating from CinéCréatis in 2021, Quentin Chevreau has just 3 years of professional experience under his belt. And yet, with his appetite for projects and challenges, he already has an impressive list of collaborations! Focus on his career path, as he visits the Nantes campus.

A decisive internship

When he joined CinéCréatis in 2018, one thing was clear to Quentin Chevreau: he wanted to discover the world of audiovisual production. And his gamble paid off? During my studies at CinéCréatis, I discovered all the different film professions, and in particular how they work together,” he explains. With hindsight, I can say how important it is to know how each profession works, so as to be able to work effectively on a shoot afterwards“.

It was during his end-of-studies work placement that his professional career began: while working as a grip trainee for the TSF group – which specialises in the hire of film equipment – Quentin met Gaston Grandin, head grip, who took him under his wing and agreed to train him on several feature films. It was on this occasion that he joined the shoot of L’Abbé Pierre – Une vie de combats as an assistant grip: “I learnt a lot there,” says the young grip. There were a lot of installations and pre-ligths*, and it was a big film crew. It was the ideal place to learn!

From short films to Jacques Audiard

After this first big break, Quentin went on to work on a series of projects, including Ama Gloria directed by Marie Amachoukeli, and LT-21 by Mélisa Godet. It was in April 2022 that he gained his first experience as a camera operator, on the Les Scintillements video directed by Théo Fauger.It’s a job that involves taking care of the installations for all the camera movements, the safety of the camera, the safety of the cameraman, or even the attachment of cameras, whether on cars, boats, trains or planes,” explains the young technician. We’re also responsible for installing the green and blue backgrounds, in collaboration with the VFX teams.”

There followed a series of experiences, each more rewarding than the last, on feature films, music videos, commercials and short films. He worked on Alix Delaporte’s film Vivants , the series Furies directed by Cédric Nicolas-Troyan and Bertrand Bonello’s film La Bête. In April 2023, he joins the film Émilia Pérez directed by Jacques Audiard.It ‘s a job where there’s no such thing as routine,” he says. You discover new sets every day, you never shoot with the same people, and it’s really rewarding to cross-fertilise your experience!

And the young man is not short of recommendations! If he had to give one to current students? “It would be to ask no questions! Don’t hesitate, do internships, be curious, meet people… Cinema is a small world, a small network, and you only work through contacts. At CinéCréatis you’re in the right school, and your network starts now!This is invaluable advice for all our students, from someone who sees himself as head stagehand in a few years’ time. That’s all we hope for!

* prior installation of lights and lighting equipment