This week we are showcasing some of the incredible projects created by our francophone teams at The Mill Paris, MPC Paris & Liège & Mikros Animation. Take a look below ?
French animators are among the best in the world, because France puts a lot of emphasis on art education, and has many cultural treasures…They benefit from an immense cultural heritage.
Jeff Rowe, Director of Tennage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
MPC Paris & Liège
? Wingwomen
Starting with the MPC Paris teams, the artists brought their expertise to Director, Mélanie Laurent’s latest project, Wingwomen. Led by Arnaud Fouquet and Sébastien Fauchère, with VFX production support from Emmanuelle Pianko, the teams created 600 shots for the Netflix show.
? The Animal Kingdom
The MPC Paris teams, supervised by Cyrille Bonjean and Loriane Lucas collaborated on part of the VFX of The Animal Kingdom, delivering over 150 shots. The 100 artists who worked on the project, were recently recognised with the Best Special, Visual or Makeup Effects at Sitges 2023 ?
Find out more about MPC Paris & Liège here.
The Mill Paris
? Jean Paul Gaultier Divine
The Mill Paris team has once again partnered with François Rousselet, Puig Group, and Jean Paul Gaultier to craft a captivating Divine campaign. Featuring the magnetic Yara Shahidi, an actress, model, and activist, this campaign embodies a femininity that is unconditionally free and wonderfully diverse.
At its core lies a notable technical challenge: creating a bottle, a central element. During filming, the use of a real bottle, held by the actress, added authenticity, facilitating its subsequent replacement with a 3D model. The integration of the boat and the ocean was then achieved through the proficient application of computer-generated imagery (CGI), imparting an exceptional artistic and technical dimension to the production.
Integrating the ocean proved to be complex, requiring a delicate balance between the visual effect and scale to make it realistic while evoking the liquid inside a bottle. This meticulous step required diligent attention to detail. Additionally, significant emphasis was placed on lighting to recreate a sunlit storm, drawing inspiration from master painters, notably Rembrandt.
The Divine campaign stands as the culmination of an outstanding creative collaboration between François Rousselet, The Mill, and Puig Group. offering an unforgettable visual experience and celebrating diverse and empowered femininity.
Read more about the Divine campaign here.
? MSG Sphere
Director Marco Brambilla has already had the opportunity to appreciate The Mill’s work through previous collaborations. However, it was the masterful fusion of technical and artistic ingenuity by our VFX Supervisor, Stéphane Pivron, that particularly captivated him. Based in Paris, he had already assembled a competent team but was still looking to gather new talent to build and bring the entire structure to life. That’s how The Mill Paris team were invited to join this adventure.
The work was still in its early stages when we first discovered it, requiring a major technical overhaul while preserving the director’s original vision. Without even knowing the technological challenges ahead, we immediately accepted, as enthusiasm pervaded the entire studio at the prospect of being involved in this work.
Under Stéphane’s guidance and with the support of Alexis Baillia & Ghalia Chammat, a large-scale technological engineering effort was orchestrated, followed by the deployment of an agile in-house team. Behind the scenes, the entire team at The Mill, was aware of the technical challenges, but the determination and happiness of being involved in this project were invaluable. Everyone immersed themselves in Marco Brambilla’s creative vision while bringing their own expertise. With 800 video elements arranged in 6 categories, every detail required meticulous focus. The artistic input from The Mill’s team was significant, skillfully connecting the various elements and giving them volume and coherence from the existing sequences. Concrete proposals emerged regarding the transitions between the stages and the 3D modeling of Elvis’s head. A collaborative relationship was quickly established with the director, based on listening and trust. Every virtual reality visualization of the project was a revelation, allowing us to perceive the work in three dimensions. This adventure, initiated in July, was extended until September. Participating in such a project immersed the team back into the very essence of our profession, centered on the artistic aspect of the project rather than a typical commission. No product, no brand, but a profoundly enriching experience.
Find out more about The Mill Paris here.
Mikros Animation
Of course, we couldn’t forget about our Francophone teams at Mikros Animation! One of their most lovable characters and projects is the one and only Gus: The Itsy Bitsy Knight. Mikros Animation provided their services for seasons 1 & 2, spanning from IP creation, pre-production, production, animation and more!
Upbeat, funny, modern, vibrant and heartwarming, Gus, the itsy-bitsy knight dusts the cobwebs off the fairytale genre! The anachronisms and clash of codes between today’s world and the Medieval setting are the very DNA of the show and they will imbue the stories (ALT) episodes with a lot of freshness and humor while the fantastic, wacky world of the Karamel Kingdom and the heroes’ crazy ideas will give free reign to all manner of visual gags. But Gus, the itsy-bitsy knight is also an adventure show! The heroic quests embarked upon by our tender-hearted little friend will be packed with action and twists galore.
Find out more about Mikros Animation here.
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