From piano lessons in Vankleek Hill to afternoons on Mont Rigaud, Nathaniel Larouche’s rural upbringing shaped the creativity that led to an Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Visual Effects for his work on HBO’s The Penguin, including the episode “Bliss” and the iconic mirror mask. Now based outside of Toronto, Larouche sees potential for bringing emerging creative technologies back to small communities.
“I remember that eternity before they read the name,” Larouche said, reflecting on the award ceremony held in Los Angeles on September 6 and 7. “You’re completely tense, then suddenly catapulted up with your arms in the air, running to the stage.”
Larouche spoke to The Review about how his roots in rural Ontario inspired his big-screen prowess, also crediting early teachers for sparking his creativity.
“Mr. Clermont at Vankleek Hill Collegiate Institute (VCI) and ian Hepburn were some of my main influences,” Larouche said. “Mr. Clermont would give us an end goal and encourage students to choose their own style and direction for art class. That approach worked best for me.”
Larouche also explained that his piano teacher, Hepburn, taught him about the spontaneity of music and how to get into a creative flow: “That carried over into my visual work.”
Growing up, Larouche split his time between school and his home life in St-Eugène, near Mont-Rigaud. Those rural experiences continue to ground his artistic outlook.
“When I visit home again, I remember friends and activities that helped shape me.”
For Larouche, who started out as a hands-on VFX artist before moving into supervision, recognition was never the goal. “The award was just a byproduct of keeping my head down, learning as much as I could, and making the best art possible,” he said.
His proudest achievement is the seamless digital mask in Watchmen, describing it as “probably the most invisible effect I’ve ever done.”
Transitioning into leadership came with challenges, he admitted: “It’s easy to criticize, but it’s harder to give praise. You also have to try to let everyone’s strengths shine.”
He explained that moving from artist to supervisor required shifting from doing the work himself to empowering others to take ownership of their creativity.
Larouche has now shifted away from traditional Hollywood effects toward emerging creative technologies. He said he wants to explore how emerging tools like generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) can help people tell stories in small communities like the one where he grew up.
“I’d love to mix these new tools with hobbies people already have. Maybe a course or creative camp someday, since the tools are so accessible now, even outside the city,” Larouche said.
For the next generation of VFX artists and storytellers, Larouche emphasized focusing on the basics first before adapting to more complex projects. “Exercise storytelling. Memorize ghost stories, tell them around a fire with friends, then start writing your own,” he said.
“The tools are easy to access, but what matters is if an audience cares. Today’s phones are more powerful than any camera ever made, so there’s no excuse not to create.”
“For now, I’m moving into a team tasked with experimenting with new tech to create new, original and creative projects and stories. But we’ll see what the future holds,” Larouche concluded.
