Céline Kerpelt – prepress

“What more can you ask for?”

I registered at the Haute Ecole Albert Jacquard because I basically wanted to create 3D animations and compete with Pixar ;) (I was very ambitious, I still am… ;)
And I found it so great that the first year allowed us to do a bit of everything (3d, web, prepress) and that you then had the opportunity to choose the area of expertise you liked. I finally chose prepress and I have never regretted it!!!

I am so happy about my training as well as the teachers who pampered me for three years…

I find my training really complete, mainly on the technical level… The only little drawback is on the creative level where I might still have some gaps (I’m busy filling them in), but I don’t think this is entirely due to the training I’ve received: I think this is partly due to a lack of interest on my side for the world of graphic design, exhibitions,… But I have understood this a little too late… I wish I had had more manual courses, like cutting out, montage, and a whole lot of other drawing techniques… But when I saw the projects displayed for the 2007 Open Day, like the posters and montages that I saw, I would have liked to be 1 or 2 years younger to create this kind of projects because I found them excellent!!!

As far as teachers are concerned, them being professionals is very interesting, because they can prepare us for the world of work, we can ask them for advice and they have to be constantly attentive to the latest evolutions that they will then teach us… What more can you ask for?

In my opinion this training has allowed me to have a good start in my working life and in graphic design, I was directly ready to work effectively. I was even sometimes surprised by my technical knowledge… The difference between the training you get at the HEAJ and in other graphic design schools: on the technical level, when you graduate from the HEAJ, you know the software like the back of your hand and you already have professional experience thanks to your 3-month work placement. According to graduates from creative schools in Brussels, they did not get a work placement during their studies (or very few did) and they don’t have a lot of technical knowledge. (…)

As far as I am concerned, I had the opportunity to do 4 months of temporary work in a graphic design agency in Brussels (XLS) as soon as I graduated, then in January I worked for Tapatoovu (a video studio), I was sent on assignment to work with a whole team on the credits for the RTBF’s (Belgian TV channel) Bonnie & Clyde show, then I went back to XLS in March.
For the moment, I am working as a freelance for XLS and I’m also trying to work a little on the side… I have some clients but I would like to find more… I would like to stand on my own two feet when I have acquired enough experience… I would like to have more responsibilities and to be my own boss.
Céline Kerplelt, Bachelor in Computer Graphics