We had a chat with Senior Director of Animation Teppei Takehana, an industry veteran who joined us in 2022. Get his thoughts on Reflector culture, how he got here, and what makes working in Montreal unique.
How and why did you end up joining Reflector?
I was working in Paris when Reflector reached out and offered me the role of Director of Animation. Taking the job was a big decision! After all, it’s not easy to pick up and move your family overseas.
But the company did a fantastic job of demonstrating Unknown 9: Awakening’s potential. They showed me the studio’s creative vision, its unique approach to game design, and the ways it supports its employees. The fact that Reflector was part of Bandai Namco Europe was also a plus!
How is working at a Montreal video game studio different?
The biggest difference is the international aspect. I’ve worked in Japan and in France, but in Montreal, there’s so much more diversity. I get to collaborate with people who have different personalities, skills, ideas, backgrounds, and thoughts on game design.
There are challenges—language barriers, for example—but this kind of teamwork gives rise to new lines of thinking and alternate ways of doing things.
What led you to work in the video game industry?
I’ve always loved video games—I’ve played them since I was little. I grew up in France and moved to Japan to study video game creation at the Konami School in 2002
I chose the Artistic branch, a general field, with zero idea I’d end up in animation. I started out learning how to build 3D characters, create concept artwork, et cetera. But after attending a master class on animation through meme creation, I was hooked.
After that, I honed my animation skills as an intern and then as a Junior Animator working on Metal Gear Solid 3 before taking on the role of Lead Animator of Cinematics for Metal Gear Solid 4. I eventually returned to France, where I worked in a leadership position on Beyond: Two Souls. In this role, I had the opportunity to improve the production pipeline between the motion capture studio and the animation team. Plus, I got to meet Elliot Page and Willem Dafoe!
In 2016, I made the move to a new company in which I was given the chance to build my very own animation team—an incredibly exciting experience, to say the least! By 2022, I had been promoted to Animation Director, managing a team of 40 and working on numerous production lines simultaneously, each with its own unique art direction.
By the end of that same year, I joined Reflector Entertainment x Bandai Namco Europe and began work on Unknown 9.
What does a typical day at Reflector look like for you?
It starts by chatting with the different creative teams—Art, Game Design, and Level Design. Animation is at the intersection of these departments, so everyone’s got to be on the same page. We discuss tasks, prioritize problems, and clarify our milestones. Then, I brief my team on what was covered.
I spend a lot of time conducting animation reviews and feature reviews, and I work with technical teams to help evolve Reflector’s production pipeline. Sometimes I prep motion capture initiatives as well.
No matter how busy my days get, I always try to carve out some time to play video games. Right now, I’m playing Armored Core VI and Streetfighter 6.
What’s your favorite part of your job and why?
I love creating animations…when I get the chance! What I love most about my role of Senior Director is interacting with so many different people with different specialties, whether they be game design, programming, or artwork.
What do you find special or unique about Reflector’s animation team?
My team has a high level of professionalism and a great sense of humor. Everyone is open, up for any creative challenge, and always willing to go above and beyond for the sake of quality.
What advice would you give to someone starting out in video game animation?
What separates a good animator from a great one is truly understanding the physical aspect of anything you are animating. It’s not enough to assume—test things out for yourself. Go out and run 100 metres, observe the physical effects, and you’ll be ready to animate someone sprinting!
Video game animation comes with a lot of technical and gameplay constraints, so you’ll often be asked to modify movements you produce. To succeed, you must understand them extremely well. So, practice, practice, practice!
If you could shadow anyone at Reflector for a day, who would it be and why?
I would shadow Christophe Rossignol, Unknown 9: Awakening’s Creative Director. He has a global view of everything going on with the video game—he gets feedback from every department. And since a single decision can have a colossal impact on the game, it would be fascinating to see what goes into the calls he makes.
In two words, how would you define the culture at Reflector?
Challenge and originality!
Want to work with Teppei and other folks with a passion for game development? Check out our current career opportunities and apply!
