Nexus Directors Chosen To Showcase Their Work At Motion Factory

Nexus directors Conor Finnegan and Johnny Kelly have been selected to showcase some of their best-loved work as part of an exhibition displaying tactile models and crafted props from some of the most respected animation directors in the world. The exhibition, Motion Factory, les ficelles du monde animé, will be in situ at the prestigious Gaîté lyrique in Paris, starting 24th April and open to the public until 10th August. 

An international overview of the world of short films, advertising, music videos, from Korea to Ireland by way of Belgium and the United States, Motion Factory incorporates the work of fifteen guest filmmakers, all invited to exhibit their work by guest curator and celebrated animation director Yves Geleyn. His choice of artists was based on the diversity of their animation techniques which provide an overview of the most innovative and esteemed forms of animation that are creatively possible. 

Johnny Kelly will be showcasing work from his Cannes Lions Grand Prix winning Chipotle Back to the Start spot alongside models and sets from his stop motion films for Salvation Army and Het Klokhuis. Conor Finnegan will be presenting models from his short film Fear of Flying, which has been a huge hit at festivals around the globe. They will present their films, making of's, stills, and storyboards, as well as models, sets, and figurines in one of the seven ‘factory’ style work stations.

Alongside the exhibition, Nexus producer Claire Spencer Cook will be presenting Stop. Look. Listen.an international selection of award winning short films, music-driven moving picture and rarely seen graphic experiments, with an emphasis on new talent, innovative storytelling and original style. The exhibition will take place in the Foyer Moderne space at Gaîté lyrique during the run of Motion Factory. 

Johnny Kelly, Animation Director, says: “I’m honored to be involved – It includes some farmers from Chipotle’s ‘Back to the Start’ and a full-size set from a Salvation Army campaign we finished last year. Far more excitingly however, it also features a plethora of objects created by many international superbrains working in the worlds of short film, advertising and music video. My inner (and outer) fanboy cannot wait to see some of the exhibits, and I think anyone with an interest in process will find it fascinating stuff too.

It’s a lovely opportunity to see how these things look in the painted/carved/knitted flesh - sometimes the most surprising thing is how huge, or how tiny they are in real life. You might watch a piece of animation expecting the puppets to be two foot high and when you then see them in real life they’re the size of a matchbox. Or the other way around. Prepare to be under and over-whelmed!  "
You can view Johnny Kelly's Showreel here

Conor Finnegan, Animation Director, says: " I'm totally honoured to be exhibiting in Paris alongside some of my favourite (and arguably the best) international directors and animators working today. I'm really looking forward to see all the behind the scenes stuff and the models from the shorts and commercials that'll be on show. I think it'll be really interesting for people to see the process behind this kind of animation- a lot of it is made so simply yet looks really beautiful when viewed through a lens. Hopefully this exhibition will help dispel some of the mystery behind this kind of work and inspire people to make more.”
You can view Conor Finnegan's showreel here