RELEASE:
FRANCE (Feb 2024)
(REST OF WORLD COMING SOON)
Directors:
KIRK HENDRY & NEIL BOYLE
Cast:
Sally Hawkins, Cillian Murphy, Raffey Cassidy, Aaron MacGregor, Ken Watanabe
SCREENWRITER:
FRANK COTTRELL BOYCE
BASED ON THE BOOK BY:
MICHAEL MORPURGO
PRODUCERS:
CAMILLA DEAKIN, RUTH FIELDING, STEPHAN ROELANTS, SARAH RADCLYFFE, BARNABY SPURRIER, ADRIAN POLITOWSKI, MARTIN METZ, JEAN LABADIE, ANNE-LAURE LABADIE
Casting:
Lucy Bevan, Olivia Grant
Music:
Stuart Hancock
Editor:
Richard Overall
Sound Design:
Will Cohen
ANIMATION DIRECTOR:
Peter Dodd
Head Of Assitant ANIMATION:
Denise Dean
Art Director:
Michael Shorten
Assistant Director:
NICOLAS DEBRAY
Additional Voices:
Alfred Kodai Berglund, Cavin Cornwall
Lupus Films / Kensuke’s Kingdom Ltd
Voice Director:
Richard Overall
Character Designer:
Manddy Wyckens
Storyboard Artists:
Ludivine Berthouloux, Richard Fawdry
Assistant Art Directors:
Ciarán Fagan, Martin Oliver
Visual Development, Layout & Background Artists:
Holly Bowie, Mike Church, Richard Fawdry, Darren Fereday, Suzie Kellett, Jessica Leslau, Akemi Lucas
Animal Animation Supervisor:
Ludivine Berthouloux
Animators:
Sarah Airriess, Emem Barnaby, Dominika Brodowska, Helena Bonastre, Aude Carpentier, Qiao (Joe) Cheng, Heather Colbert, Irene Corral de Gaspar,
Matthias Cuciniello, Eliot Cseh, Giulio De Toma,
Gary Dunn, Tim Dillnutt, Victor Ens, Richard Fawdry, Christian Garland, Mia Rose Goddard, Joe Hick, Freya Hotson, Jessica Leslau, Joe Liang,
Andy McPherson, Uli Meyer, Robert Milne,
Laura Nailor, James Nutting, Alice Parkes, Vincent Petremann, Hannah Privett, Urs Shea, Ed Smith, Nicolette van Gendt, Tim Watts
Head of 2D Effects:
Sim Marriott
2D Effects Animators:
Rosanna Lyons, Steve McDermott, Christina Nerland, Eilidh Nicoll
Assistant Animators:
Alejandra Anguita, Mike Church, David Cisneros, Emanuele Contarini, Charlotte Davis, Martin Dray, Michael Douglas, Ryan Fairbanks, Gerry Gallego, Marie Geert Jensen, Lava Hijzelaar, Damien Jones, Iona Menzies, Helen Michael, Alison Oxborrow, Jane Poole, Eleonora Quario, Marcia Rojas, Michael Robson, Jack Sleeman, Simon Swales, Duane Uba, Jay Wren
Logbook Drawings:
Eva Boyle, Joseph Boyle, Jamie Boyle
Associate Editor:
Peter Duggan
Line Producer:
Adam Jackson-Nocher
Production Manager:
Clare Hernon
Production Coordinators:
Tyler Antin, Stephen Quenet
Production Assistants:
Daisy Link, Alix Vuillier
Runners:
Billy Owen, Roly Wheeler
Development Producer:
Anna Webster
Development Line Producer:
Maria Manton
Script & Development Coordinator:
Vanessa Wheeler
Training & Development Producer:
Abigail Addison
Production Consultant:
Ken Ochiai
Studio 352
Production Manager:
Fabien Renelli
Production Coordinator:
Aurélien Antezac
Studio Manager:
David Feraille
Production Administrators:
Emilie Pirotte, Vanessa Di Naro, Lenaïc Bladi
IT & Asset Manager:
Romuald Verdier
Production Assistant:
Marilou Etienne-Roussel
Storyboard Supervisor:
Denis Lambert
Storyboard Artists:
Stéphane Nedez, Asier Arrillaga Perez
352 Animatic Editor:
Aurélien Antezac
Layout & Asset Design Supervisor:
Stéphane Nedez
Layout Artists:
Asier Arrillaga Perez, Karell Clara, Isabelle Franck, Denis Lambert, Amandine Philippe, Céline Schiltz, Jean-Paul Teixeira, Olivier Weinberg
Background Supervisor:
Pascal Gérard
Background Artists:
Asier Arrillaga Perez, Simon Bazin, Léa Busché, Karell Clara, Isabelle Franck, Laurence Gavroy, André Odwa, Kim Orosz, Geneviève Penloup, Amandine Philippe, Andréa Schmitz
CG Design Supervisor:
Cédric Gervais
CG Design & Background Preparation:
Samuel Brasseur, Jean-Paul Teixeira, Valentin Weirich
Animation Supervisors:
Nicolas Debray, Gilles Rudziak
Animators:
Sophie Devautour, Denis Figueiredo, Tom Findrik, Sandra Gaudi, Joaquin Madrid, Jamie Merry, Isabelle Piolat, Janos Szabo, Thierry Torres, Régine Waleffe
Assistant Animation Supervisor:
Régine Waleffe
Assistant Animators:
Veronika Birova, Anaëlle Brême, Léa Busché, Adam Butcher, Louis Changeur, Tom Findrik, Maëlle Launay, Lou Rivière, Thomas Solbes, Marina Tisljar, Giorgia Velluso
Animation Colouring Supervisor:
Anaëlle Brême
Bumpybox Ltd
Production Coordinator:
Ana Marisa Romualdo
Technical Director:
Toke Stuart Jepsen
Lead CG Animator:
Leon Dexter
Lead CG Artist:
Aled Matthews
CG Artists:
Natalie Knight, Chandani Parekh, Danie Parness
Lead Ink & Paint:
Eirian Davies
Ink & Paint:
Eliot Cseh, Sam Grimwade, Kat Pickford, Maja Risvoll
Lead Compositor:
Neil Martin
Senior Compositor:
Luke Inderwick
Compositors:
Dan Collins, Thomas Chew, Kai Davies, Matthew Hawker, Weronika Holak, Jordanne Richards, Tony Rowlands, Klaudia Skalska, Maëlle Richard de Vesvrotte
String & Tins
Supervising Sound Editor / Re-Recording Mixer:
Will Cohen
Dialogue Editor / ADR Mixer:
Adam Smyth
Halo Post Production
DI Colourist:
Katherine Jamieson
DI Producer:
Marie Valentino
A young boy, shipwrecked on a remote island, discovers he’s not alone when he encounters a mysterious Japanese soldier who retreated there after World War Two. But as dangerous invaders appear on the horizon, it becomes clear they must join forces to save their fragile island paradise.
REVIEWS
“An unforgettable cinematic experience. It stands out for its ability to transform a survival story into a deeply human and moving story.” SORTIR À PARIS
"An environmental fable full of poetry that takes us through all the emotions, from wonder to tears. A marvellous ode to human bonds and the beauty of the planet.” LE FIGARO
“Sequences of great beauty and exoticism.” LE PARISIEN
“Breathtaking and moving.” LA CROIX
"This British animated gem focuses on a sublime visual universe and a poignant storyline.” LE JOURNAL DU DIMANCHE
“A magical universe where realism and emotion coexist.” AVOIR-ALIRE
"A hymn to peace.” FRANCEINFO
“Truly impeccable.” POSITIF
“Shines as a tale that one would have loved to have as a companion at the dawn of one's life.” LES INROCKUPTIBLES
FRENCH PREMIERE
Author Michael Morpurgo introduces the film at the UGC Normandie, Paris with directors Neil Boyle and Kirk Hendry and producers Ruth Fielding and Camilla Deakin.
Directors Kirk Hendry and Neil Boyle with Michael Morpurgo, Paris.
“At its heart Kensuke’s Kingdom is a film about how much we need each other, and about our responsibilities, not only to other people, but to all the creatures we are marooned with on this little island we call Earth.” Directors Neil Boyle and Kirk Hendry
”What I want the audience to take away from the film of Kensuke’s Kingdom is how important love is between people and between ourselves and the planet. It's a story about reconciliation, old and young, them and us, ourselves and the world about us, which comes through the sensitivity of Michael, but also through the wisdom of Kensuke, and the relationship between the two.” Author Sir Michael Morpurgo OBE
BBC Radio 4 Today programme interview with Kirk Hendry:
POSTERS
THE BOOK
PRESS
BBC Radio 4 Today programme interview with Kirk Hendry
OFFICIAL SELECTION
ANNECY
FRANCE
2023
WORLD PREMIERE
OFFICIAL SELECTION
CHICAGO
USA
2023
OFFICIAL SELECTION
LONDON
UK
2023
OFFICIAL SELECTION
DINARD
FRANCE
2023
OFFICIAL SELECTION
CINANIMA
PORTUGAL
2023
OFFICIAL SELECTION
ZURICH
SWITZERLAND
2023
OFFICIAL SELECTION
BUCHEON
SOUTH KOREA
2023
OFFICIAL SELECTION
TALLIN
ESTONIA
2023
OFFICIAL SELECTION
SPARK
CANADA
2023
OFFICIAL SELECTION
MANCHESTER
UK
2023
OFFICIAL SELECTION
HAIFA
ISRAEL
2023
OFFICIAL SELECTION
KIDFILM
USA
2024
OFFICIAL SELECTION
ANIMA
BELGIUM
2024
OFFICIAL SELECTION
NEW YORK
USA
2024
OFFICIAL SELECTION
LUXEMBOURG
LUXEMBOURG
2024
OFFICIAL SELECTION
BAA
UK
2024
OFFICIAL SELECTION
NIIGATA
JAPAN
2024
OFFICIAL SELECTION
CARDIFF
UK
2024
OFFICIAL SELECTION
ANIFILM
CZECH REPUBLIC
2024
OFFICIAL SELECTION
FICAM
MOROCCO
2024
OFFICIAL SELECTION
ZLIN
CZECH REPUBLIC
2024
OFFICIAL SELECTION
STUTTGART
GERMANY
2024
OFFICIAL SELECTION
INSTITUT FRANCAIS DE COTE D'IVOIRE
WEST AFRICA
2024
OFFICIAL SELECTION
ALBACETE
SPAIN
2024
OFFICIAL SELECTION
BRIGHTON
UK
2024
DANCING ON ICE
POLAR BEAR & SQUIRREL
“This is my quest, to follow that star.
No matter how hopeless, no matter how far.”
CREDITS
CLIENT:
DANCING ON ICE
AGENCY:
ITV CREATIVE
ECD:
TONY PIPES
HEAD OF CAMPAIGN PRODUCTION:
KATIE CAREW
PRODUCTION COMPANY:
HUSH LONDON
DIRECTOR:
KIRK HENDRY
STORYBOARD:
JAMES GIFFORD
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:
RU WARNER
POST PRODUCTION COMPANY:
FABLE FX
VFX PRODUCER:
KAJ STEVEMAN
ANIMATION & PRODUCTION SUPERVISOR:
JANAK THAKKER
VFX EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:
THOMAS DEUTSCHMANN
PIPELINE / RENDER:
MIKAEL JOHANSSON
LOOK DEV:
CHRISTOPHER KARLBERG / ULF LUNDGREN
MODELING:
VENKAT SUDHAKAR
GROOMING:
DAJEONG PARK
COMPOSITING:
MARTIN CONTEL / DAVID NELIN
FUR SIMULATIONS:
MARIO REITBAUER
VFX:
IMPORTANT LOOKING PIRATES
MUSIC: STUART HANCOCK
SOUND: LUKE HATFIELD AT VAUDEVILLE
GRADE: SIMONE GRATTAROLA
Following the success of last year’s epic, Promax gold-winning spot, ITV Creative and animation company HUSH teamed up once again to create another Promax gold-winning spot that is even more ambitious than the first – this time, featuring the adorable child of the polar bears who paired up in the previous film.
Directed by Kirk Hendry and with VFX by Stockholm based Fable FX, the visually-stunning 60-second spot begins with an inquisitive polar bear cub leaving her slumbering parents to go and explore. Before long, the youngster clumsily tumbles onto the frozen lake and knocks a squirrel onto the ice. As the ice cracks under their weight and they float towards a waterfall, the unlikely partners must do some quick teamwork to avoid the obstacles. Despite their size difference, the polar bear cub and squirrel perform an exhilarating figure skating routine packed with plenty of pirouettes, jumps, and a final triumphant lift.
With so many tonal turns in the story this year, Hendry suggested the team hire a composer to score the film, weaving in ‘The Impossible Dream’ melody from last year into the drama. The result is a bespoke orchestral score recorded in the iconic Slovak Radio Building in Bratislava by award-winning composer Stuart Hancock.
Tony Pipes, ECD of ITV Creative commented “We wanted to return to the winter wonderland of our Polar Bears, but push the narrative to pull out some of the jeopardy and danger that is involved in the show. Kirk has done a great job of balancing the warmth of the original and the spectacle of the show - with a little bit of added drama. The result is heart warming and a perfect sequel to one of our most loved ads”.
Watch the 'Dancing On Ice' scoring session:
POSTER
The Slovak Radio Building, Bratislava.
DANCING ON ICE
POLAR BEAR
“This will make you smile - A LOT!”
-TORVILL & DEAN
CREDITS
CLIENT:
DANCING ON ICE
AGENCY:
ITV CREATIVE
CREATIVE:
TONY PIPES / ALEX MATHIESON / ANTON EZER
AGENCY PRODUCER:
HANNAH COOPER
PRODUCTION COMPANY:
HUSH LONDON
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:
LYDIA RUSSELL
DIRECTOR:
KIRK HENDRY
POST PRODUCTION COMPANY:
GOODBYE KANSAS
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:
CLAES DIETMANN
PRODUCER:
LINDA ÖHLUND
VFX SUPERVISOR:
STAFFAN LINDER
3D LEAD:
JOHAN GABRIELSSON
3D ENVIRONMENT:
GUSTAV ALEXANDERSSON
MODELER: MAGNUS ERIKSSON
ANIMATION LEAD:
CHRISTINA SIDOTI
ANIMATORS: JONATHAN SKIFS / LAURA TRESPIOLI / RAOUL CACCIAMANI / FREDRIK OLSSON / JONAS FORSMAN / ROBERT ROSÉN / JESUS RUIZ-TORRES
CONCEPT ARTIST: MIKAEL ERIKSSON / MIKAEL WIDEGREN
RIGGING: JIMMY JOHANSSON / PETER JEMSTEDT
MUSCLE AND FUR SIMULATION: LUDVIG ELIASSON, PASCHALIS MOURIKAS
LOOK DEV ARTISTS: JOHAN GABRIELSSON, ERIKA JOHANSSON, JACOB MOILANEN
LIGHTING ARTISTS: JOHAN GABRIELSSON, ERIKA JOHANSSON, ALEXIS ANDERSSON, CARINA ÖHLUND
COMPOSITING LEADS:
RICHARD SÄLLQVIST / DANIEL NORLUND
COMP ARTISTS: MAX WESTER / FREDRIK MANNERFELT / TIM HARRYSSON / EDU LEON / ROBIN ZEIJLON / PETER BLOMSTRAND / DENYS HOLOVYANKO / DAVID NELIN / SVEN AHLSTRÖM
MO-CAP TEAM:
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: SIGTOR KILDAL / ANTON SÖDERHÄLL
MOCAP SUPERVISOR: SAMUEL TYSKLING
MOTION ANIMATOR: JESUS RUIZ-TORRES
MOCAP LEAD: DAVID GRICE
MOCAP OPERATOR: MARKO MARINKOVIC
SENIOR TRACKER: NILS AULIN
PRODUCTION ASSISTANT: OSKAR OLSSON
Figure skating polar bears dazzle in this epic, Promax gold-winning promo for the return of ITV’s Dancing on Ice. ITV Creative teamed up with production company HUSH to bring the ambitious 60-second promo to life – which sees the competition return to our screens after a three-year hiatus.
The story sees the bears advance from their first faltering steps on the ice to become proficient figure skaters in the fairytale setting of an ice bound lake below flickering Northern Lights.
London-based production company HUSH and director Kirk Hendry created the most ambitious promo to date for the ITV show, working with Stockholm VFX house Goodbye Kansas. Hendry and the Goodbye Kansas team completed the extensive work in just eight weeks. Using a mixture of keyframe and motion-capture techniques, the animation experts brought the pirouetting polar bears to life entirely in CG.
ITV’s head of entertainment marketing, Jess Byars commented: "To celebrate the return of the biggest and best show on ice, we wanted a bold campaign that would give it the stature it deserves, and a story that reflects the warmth, charm and distinctiveness of the show itself."
ECD, Tony Pipes added: “We wanted this film to be full of warmth, Christmas fuzz and most of all magic and with Kirk and the team at Goodbye Kansas, we found our magicians”.
Watch the 'Dancing On Ice' making of:
POSTER
JUNK
SHORT FILM
“C'est super!”
-SYLVAIN CHOMET
CREDITS
AGENCY:
UK FILM COUNCIL
WRITER / DIRECTOR:
KIRK HENDRY
PRODUCER:
LYDIA BARRAS
NARRATOR:
BARRY CLAYTON
MUSIC:
JANINE FORRESTER
DESIGN:
KIRK HENDRY
CHARCATER ANIMATION:
MICHAEL BURGES
3-D:
FLO RICHER / VIKTOR BERG / TOM TENNANT
/ LLYR WILLIAMS
/ SAM MILLER
/ AMINATA JOSEPH
/ SHAUN WHORISKEY
COMPOSITING:
ROSS MACDOWELL
/ PETE BAXTER
/ MEITAL MISELEVICH
/ LEWIS DARBY
/ VIKTOR BERG
/ STUART FORTUNE
/ RAVI VISWAMI
SOUND:
LUKE HATFIELD
COLOURIST:
LEE CLAPPISON - LIPSYNC
MASTERING PRODUCER:
KEVIN PHELAN - LIPSYNC
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER FOR TH1NG:
DOMINIC BUTTIMORE
EXECUTIVE TO UK FILM COUNCIL:
AARON YOUNG
Made with support from the UK Film Council's 'New Cinema Fund', JUNK tells the story of a boy with an obsession for junk food and the importance of following your gut instinct.
After premiering at the Annecy International Animation Festival in France, JUNK has had official selections at over 100 film festivals around the world. It has gone on to win numerous prizes along the way including The Creative Circle Awards (Most Promising Newcomer), Festival du Film Merveilleux et Imaginaire in Paris (Best Screenplay and Best Music), The Pentedattilo Film Festival in Italy (Best Animation), as well as nominations for 'Best Short Film' at the British Independent Film Awards, British Animation Awards, Rushes Soho Shorts.
Interview about JUNK with Flip Magazine -
FLIP: What's behind the story?
Kirk: Well, I guess it stems from living in cities my whole life being surrounded by concrete. How virtually every part of daily life seems man-made or pre-packaged. It's no big social statement, more that some part of my genetic memory craves mud and green things and when it does, my daily surroundings seem completely insane. It's as if my genes have adapted reluctantly.
FLIP: Why did you chose to tell the story in silhouettes?
Kirk: I had previously made a film called Round that was made entirely with hand shadows, so was a big fan of the drama of silhouettes. I had made the animatic for 'Junk' without tying it to a particular style. Then I saw The Adventures Of Prince Achmed by Lotte Reiniger. After seeing Achmed, I got excited about doing that cutout/lightbox style with computers. It became an exercise in lighting that has been very useful ever since.
FLIP: How did you create the film? It has a mixed media look to it.
Kirk: That's right, it is a mixed media film. Thrown in there are silhouette cutout characters, live-action effects footage shot against black (snow, sparks, rain, milk-in-water-clouds etc) thousands and thousands of cut out photographs, 3-d models, miniatures, all set up in 3-d space and made to look like it was shot in-camera. That was the goal anyway. That seamless blend of mixed media is something I think is very exciting about the future of animated films. To move beyond them being either simply hand drawn, stop motion or CG. They can be anything now, with charming new styles coming through driven as much by accident as by the inventiveness of the film makers.
A distillery that sent unmatured malt whisky into space to study the effect of near-zero gravity on flavour has described its findings as "groundbreaking".
Ardbeg Distillery, on Islay, sent a vial to the International Space Station in a cargo spacecraft in October 2011.
Another vial of the same whisky was kept at the distillery for comparison.
The distillery said its space samples were "noticeably different" in terms of aroma and taste.
The company had set up the experiment to investigate how micro-gravity would affect the behaviour of terpenes, the building blocks of flavour for many foods and wines as well as whisky spirits.
It has now identified "major differences" in its analysis of the two sets of samples.
Ardbeg was invited to take part in the space experiment in late 2011 by Texas-based space research company NanoRacks.
The vial was launched by Soyuz rocket from Baikonur in Kazakhstan and spent nearly three years in space.
The Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan
POSTER
SAVE THE CERRADO
WWF
“This art is another way of drawing. Instead of using a pencil, I use my hands.”
-EL MAGO SERPICO
CREDITS
CLIENT:
WORLD WILDLIFE FUND
AGENCY:
NEO
DIRECTOR:
KIRK HENDRY
PRODUCER:
LYDIA BARRAS
SHADOW ARTIST:
EL MAGO SERPICO
DOP:
SAM WIDDOWS
CAMERA ASSISTANT:
CHRIS SKEENE
COMPOSITING:
CHRIS WALKER
COLOURIST:
DANNY ATKINSON
WWF-UK's “Save the Cerrado” film exclusively uses hand shadows to tell its story and raise awareness of the devastating effects of commercial agriculture in the Brazilian savannah of Cerrado.
The campaign is trying to protect one of the world's most unique ecosystems from deforestation caused by rapidly increasing soya production. Large areas of natural savannah woodland and forest are being lost to the production of a crop which in many cases is then sold for export to the UK, Europe and Asia.
Kirk says: “I had the good fortune of working with Serpico before and he was happy to come over from Argentina to help with WWF's campaign. When we began researching the Cerrado together, we were fascinated by the strange variation of life there - just more bizarre than you could make up yourself - and how we might bring these creatures 'alive' with nothing but Serpico's two hands. The process of studying their anatomy and movement gave us a real connection with these wonderful animals by the end of the production. ”
POSTER
CLICK IT OR TICKET
U.S. NATIONAL HIGHWAY SAFETY ADMINISTRATION
“A striking take on the public service announcement.” *****
-DAVID'S REVIEWS
CREDITS
CLIENT:
NHTSA (USA)
AGENCY:
TOMBRAS GROUP
DIRECTOR:
KIRK HENDRY
PRODUCER:
JOE BINKS
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:
MILANA KARAICA
MODELS:
JAMES INNES
ILLUSTRATION / DESIGN:
JAMES GIFFORD / JACK MUDGE
ANIMATION:
ANTHONY FARQUHAR-SMITH / JASON KOTEY / HARRIET GILLIAN / JE EUN SHIM
COMPOSITING:
BARRY MURPHY / SHIV PANDYA / MEITAL MISELEVICH / SEAN MARTIN / JE EUN SHIM
COLOURIST:
DANNY ATKINSON
Made for the annual National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA) campaign, these two films highlight the danger of not wearing a seatbelt and uses the 'Click It Or Ticket' message to communicate the statistical probability of being killed in a collision when not wearing a seatbelt.
Mixing a blend of live-action effects footgage, stop motion, and animated elements to create a unique 2.5D world.
Kirk says: “The agency saw our film JUNK, and thought the silhouette shadow-play style with its fun use of mixed media ideal for their campaign. With all the deaths occurring in these spots, I think the agency saw that you could tell the story in this technique with the requisite amount of humour.
POSTER
WORKING WITH SYLVAIN CHOMET
THE SIMPSONS
SYLVAIN CHOMET COUCH GAG
“Ou est Maggie!?”
-MARGE SIMPSON
CREDITS
CLIENT:
GRACIE FILMS / 20TH CENTURY FOX
DIRECTOR:
SYLVAIN CHOMET
PRODUCER:
RU WARNER
LEAD ANIMATOR:
NEIL BOYLE
ANIMATOR:
PETER DODD
LIGHTING DESIGN / LEAD COMPOSITOR:
KIRK HENDRY
MUSIC:
SYLVAIN CHOMET / OLIVER DAVIS
Kirk says: “I was lucky enough to be invited to work on this project as lighting designer and lead compositor. It was my first job with Sylvain and he was full of many fun, irreverent ideas - just like The Simpsons!
It’s so easy to take “The Simpsons” for granted: It’s on the air, has seemingly always been on the air and thanks to syndication will always will be on the air. Still, after 25 seasons, a show still has to create buzz online somehow — So why not bring in famous artists to mix up the show’s famous opening intro?
French animator Sylvain Chomet (The Triplets of Belleville, The Illusionist) gets the honors this week, with a truly bizarre take on the iconic couch gag. In this version The Simpsons turn French - we see Homer eating snails, Bart enjoying a DIY goose liver pate kit, Lisa playing the accordion and Marge speaking French while looking for Maggie.
The sequence was met with lots of laughter by Matt Groening and longtime producer Al Jean, who called the experience a ”dream come true.”
“We were totally surprised that these openings caught on so big.” Jean explained, “We’re really pretty easy with these guest couch gags. We just approach people that we admire and say, ‘It just has to have a couch’, and ‘make what you want'.”
Watch the 'Simpsons - Sylvain Chomet couch gag' making of:
POSTER
CARMEN
STROMAE by SYLVAIN CHOMET
“In 1875, Georges Bizet compared love to a rebellious bird.”
-STROMAE
CREDITS
CLIENT:
STROMAE / MOSAERT
MUSIC:
STROMAE
DIRECTOR:
SYLVAIN CHOMET
PRODUCER:
RU WARNER
LEAD ANIMATOR:
NEIL BOYLE
LIGHTING DESIGN / LEAD COMPOSITOR:
KIRK HENDRY
He’s one of the biggest stars in the French-speaking world and his brilliant-in-any-language music videos have racked up over 400 million views on YouTube.
He’s conquered Europe and now, at long last, he’s bringing a unique brand of genre-bending pop stateside. Next week he’ll embark on his second North American tour, and today he’s releasing a new music video exclusively on BuzzFeed Music.
The animated Carmen clip was directed by the acclaimed French filmmaker Sylvain Chomet.
Chomet gave the cartoon his signature evocative style. Widely regarded as one of the best animators in the world, his films The Triplets of Belleville and The Illusionist were both nominated for Academy Awards.
Stromae first teased the video on Instagram, an appropriate strategy given that it follows his drawn doppelgänger as he falls into the social media abyss.
“In 1875 Georges Bizet compared love to a rebellious bird.” Stromae told BuzzFeed. “140 years later (and in 140 characters-messages) love is a blue bird.”
From 
With so many tonal turns in the story this year, Hendry suggested the team hire a composer to score the film, weaving in ‘The Impossible Dream’ melody from last year into the drama. The result is a bespoke orchestral score recorded in the iconic Slovak Radio Building in Bratislava by award-winning composer Stuart Hancock.
From 
London-based production company HUSH and director Kirk Hendry created the most ambitious promo to date for the ITV show, working with Stockholm VFX house Goodbye Kansas. Hendry and the Goodbye Kansas team completed the extensive work in just eight weeks. Using a mixture of keyframe and motion-capture techniques, the animation experts brought the pirouetting polar bears to life entirely in CG.
Made with support from the UK Film Council's 'New Cinema Fund', JUNK tells the story of a boy with an obsession for junk food and the importance of following your gut instinct.
WWF-UK's “Save the Cerrado” film exclusively uses hand shadows to tell its story and raise awareness of the devastating effects of commercial agriculture in the Brazilian savannah of Cerrado.
The campaign is trying to protect one of the world's most unique ecosystems from deforestation caused by rapidly increasing soya production. Large areas of natural savannah woodland and forest are being lost to the production of a crop which in many cases is then sold for export to the UK, Europe and Asia.
Kirk says: “I had the good fortune of working with Serpico before and he was happy to come over from Argentina to help with WWF's campaign. When we began researching the Cerrado together, we were fascinated by the strange variation of life there - just more bizarre than you could make up yourself - and how we might bring these creatures 'alive' with nothing but Serpico's two hands. The process of studying their anatomy and movement gave us a real connection with these wonderful animals by the end of the production. ”
Made for the annual National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA) campaign, these two films highlight the danger of not wearing a seatbelt and uses the 'Click It Or Ticket' message to communicate the statistical probability of being killed in a collision when not wearing a seatbelt.
Kirk says: “The agency saw our film JUNK, and thought the silhouette shadow-play style with its fun use of mixed media ideal for their campaign. With all the deaths occurring in these spots, I think the agency saw that you could tell the story in this technique with the requisite amount of humour.
Kirk says: “I was lucky enough to be invited to work on this project as lighting designer and lead compositor. It was my first job with Sylvain and he was full of many fun, irreverent ideas - just like The Simpsons!
From the 
The sequence was met with lots of laughter by Matt Groening and longtime producer Al Jean, who called the experience a ”dream come true.”
“We were totally surprised that these openings caught on so big.” Jean explained, “We’re really pretty easy with these guest couch gags. We just approach people that we admire and say, ‘It just has to have a couch’, and ‘make what you want'.”
The animated Carmen clip was directed by the acclaimed French filmmaker Sylvain Chomet.
Chomet gave the cartoon his signature evocative style. Widely regarded as one of the best animators in the world, his films The Triplets of Belleville and The Illusionist were both nominated for Academy Awards.
