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Trends and Insight in association withSynapse Virtual Production
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Radar: New Passion Directors Manach & Bienvenu

10/12/2015
Animation
Paris, France
88
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Passion's new French animation directors take on a new commercial venture with Hermes

When Ugo Bienvenu and Kevin Manach began collaborating a few years ago, they combined their individual creative forces to create something truly special. A quick glance at their background is already enough to place them high on the international radar for illustration and animation. They both attended pioneering institutions Les Gobelins and CalArts, with Ugo then moving onto Les Arts Decoratifs in Paris. It was in California that they turned to animation as their main medium, forming a collaboration that has fostered imaginative, forward-looking work and invited international attention. The director-artist duo is an exciting new addition to Passion’s diverse roster of talent.

Going by the title of Manach & Bienvenu, the pair have cultivated a contemporary, experimental style, often reminiscent of the comic book aesthetic of the 40s and 50s. This lends itself to anything from experimental animated shorts, to music videos, to their recent venture into the commercial world with a charming Christmas spot for Hermès.

The duo have worked with the acclaimed French electro-pop band Jabberwocky several times, directing two of their music videos as well as the cover and booklet for the album ‘Lunar Lane’. This repeated collaboration may be testament to Manach & Bienvenu’s contemporary, perhaps unconventional style that has also landed them the task of creating short animated clips for David Lynch’s experiential and somewhat mysterious nightclub, ‘Silencio’.

Their latest spot for Hermès has allowed them to apply their talent to a commercial context, and it’s worked wonderfully. Using animation adapted from the iconic illustrations of Edward Koren, this Christmas spot tells the story of a reindeer waking up on Christmas Eve and setting off on a epic journey across the country to an Hermès shop window in Paris. Speaking to the guys about this project, they admit that the biggest challenge was, "respecting Koren’s freehand, spontaneous illustration while creating imagery that worked for animation".

Working with a fashion brand is something Manach & Bienvenu have always wanted to do, and this spot marks the beginning of an exciting new page in their career as directors. With a collection of beautiful work across a range of themes, and a vision to apply their creative edge to a range of commercial endeavours, there’s no limit to how far these guys can go, and Passion look forward to being a part of their development.

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