Saturday, February 05, 2011

Folimage do it again

Just saw the new  film from Folimage.
Le vie de chat.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xbc62e_une-vie-de-chat-trailer_shortfilms

I loved how the cezanne type styling was not confined to the backgrounds and how the characters movements and the storytelling itself was as stylised as the the backgrounds.
Fantastic stuff. Possibly the most visually daring animated feature I've seen in a long long time. The scenes in the complete dark with only white outlines showing the characters are really clever and the rendering on the characters is really lovely and organic with almost no evidence of the typical compositing tricks we are getting so familar with these days. Its a style we have never seen before on screen , telling a clever and sophisticated story using all the techniques and unique devices that animation can bring. Yet it could have been made at any time in the last 50 or 60 years and will surely not date as fast as this years shiny CG offerings.

Another masterful film showing yet again that the possiblities for graphic storytelling in 2d animation have barely
begun to be tapped.


Ahh how great it would be to live here in France where there is a culture that embraces such stylistic variations in feature films . Avignon has a great little cinema "Utopia" which had a full screening room today of all ages from kids to older folks enjoying this latest French opus.

6 comments:

  1. Hello there, I just wanted to say that I've just watched "The secret of Kells" and I found it simply stunning! Great job really, it was quite some time I didn't see such a work of art. Keep it going!

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  2. Julia, from ArgentinaFriday, February 18, 2011

    I too have just watched "The Secret of Kells" and loved every single image. Thank you!

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  3. Hi Tomm, My wife and I were spellbound watching Secret of Kells the other night. I am finishing revisions on a novel which incorporates pre-Celtic imagery and imagination, echoes of Brendan's voyage, and - doh! - a character named Aisling. I so appreciated your film and felt as though the animators must have been living in my head, though I realize in truth we have just been drinking from the same well. May I send you a copy in a couple months when it is close to publication? I am excited for Song of the Sea and would love to see the blog - not sure how one gets invited to see it. In another strange parallel, I had not heard of selkies but for some reason seals played an important role in my story. In any case, thank you for your work. I just posted a reflection on my blog upon watching Secret of Kells. You can see it here - www.vahatrilogy.com If you are ever in Lancaster, PA I'd love to buy you a drink. Peace.

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  4. Hi Tomm, great to hear you liked "Une vie de chat". I animated on this featurefilm and that was a wonderfull experience. (almost as wonderfull as animating for "The Secret of Kells" :-))
    By the way the sequence in black and white comes from my hand ;-)
    The directors of the film are trying to pull of a new featurefilm but you probably know that already. I'm curieus for "Song of the Sea". I hope it goes in production soon. Wish you all the best!
    Pascal

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  5. Hi Tom
    Folimage is building a strong track record of very nice films and, like you, I believe this time they have done it again...

    and...

    Aye to living in France :-D

    HC

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  6. Excellent work, Tomm! Just by the way... there's a typo... there are two "c's" in Academy, on the first page of your website.

    Best regards,

    Owen Jennings.

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