For several years, Strasbourg has been making a name for itself in the world of animated cinema. Many local studios can boast of having worked on films awarded at the Annecy festival, in the running at Cannes or even nominated for the Oscars. All this, with the support of the Eurométropole, which offers a support fund and two grants, to finance projects and help structures grow. Today, focus on the Amopix studio, which recently attended the Cannes Film Festival with not one, but two animated films!
A few meters from the Cathedral, Amopix is bubbling with creativity. The 100% Strasbourg animation studio flourishes in its strange offices, a sort of giant maze on 5 floors, with spiral staircases, hidden offices, secret rooms and above all a view of Môman to die for. All in the city center.
While the last offices will soon be completely renovated, Amopix is benefiting from its success: in 2024, two films that the animation studio was working on were presented at the Cannes Film Festival. First of all Angelo in the mysterious forest, by Vincent Paronnaud (co-creator of Persepolis with Marjane Satrapi), then The most precious of goods, by Michel Hazanavicius.
A success which made Mathieu Rolin, its creator, say that that’s it, Amopix has become “ and referent in the Grand Est in the field of animation ». A story that was built with as many detours as there are mazes in the offices ; like an atypical studio, which has established itself in the city.
What is Amopix?
For Amopix, the story begins in the early 2000s. Very far from the crash announced by the transition to the 21st century, Mathieu Rolin decides to embark on a crazy adventure. Likes to tinker with his camera and computer, passionate about cinema and cabinetmaking [il a fait les Compagnons du devoir, ndlr]the young Strasbourg resident tried his hand at short films and false advertisements as a teenager.
I compare what we do a lot to craftsmanship.
Under the advice of his father, he decided to create his own company in 2001/2002. A sign that it was yet another era, paper directories were ze place to be. And to appear first on this type of object, the company name had to start either with a number or with an A. Hence the idea of Amopix, or art of moving pixels [l’art des pixels en mouvement, ndlr].
Although today he has specialized in animation, Mathieu Rolin has not forgotten his first loves: “ What we are called upon to do is not at all far removed from the woodworking professions. We have not adopted an industrial logic, we do a lot of tailor-made things. »And it works since 22 years later [soit la moitié de la vie de son créateur, ndlr]Amopix shines more and more.
A progressive crush on animated cinema
Like its offices, Amopix is diverse; the Strasbourg company touches everything in the field of animation. At the beginning, however, this was not the case: Amopix specialized mainly in compositing [créer un plan en mélangeant effets spéciaux et images tournées sur fond vert ou en live action, ndlr].
But Mathieu Rolin and his company took a first turn towards animation in 2011, when France Télévisions detected him: “ They tell me that they want to test me in Nancy for a few days, to see how I work, to then set up a compositing team in Strasbourg, with the aim of working on a feature film.. » It went very well, and the film toured the world. His name? Honey skin colorwho notably received the audience prize at the Annecy animation festival.
Each project we want to release must be a gem.
For Mathieu Rolin, it’s a favorite: “ At that moment, I said to myself “How beautiful is animated cinema!” “. He then made a first change with Amopix, creating two departments: one which made corporate communication films, another which made animated films. A shift which became more pronounced from 2015/2016 and which resulted almost ten years later in 3 feature films designed by Amopix, plus two films on which the studio worked, and which went to Cannes. Be patient, we'll come back to this later.
Today, Amopix is not just one company, but three: “ Amopix Lab makes communication films and all the stages of finalizing a film, the studio ensures the manufacturing and production of animated films and a new sound post-production company called “It turns to sound” ensures sound recording during filming. » To summarize, Amopix can now do almost everything. With one goal: “ Each project we want to release must be a nugget. »
“We always have 12 ongoing projects with us”
According to Mathieu Rolin, the company now does delegated production: “ We seek funds, we work with authors in order to support them so that they can carry out their project. We are also a 2D and 3D manufacturing studio, with animated painting animation techniques, which allows us to manufacture the projects that we produce or that are entrusted to us.. »
And indeed, for several years, the Strasbourg company is increasingly doing full executive production, which means that it makes a film from start to finish. Pour The Great Animal Christmas, released on November 27, for example, they accompanied director Caroline Attia during all the production phases of one of the five episodes, from story-board upon delivery of the film.
We know who to choose to accompany the director and which person is best suited to tell each story.
After many changes, Amopix has established itself well in Strasbourg in the animation landscape, with 40 workstations in their Strasbourg offices and 6 in their new offices in Annecy. It must be said that the projects never dry up: “ We always have 12 ongoing projects with us. » With always a desire, to rely on local talents, and in particular those of HEAR.
From Strasbourg to Cannes, a 100% Alsatian success story
Among these projects, some have been very successfulas Mars Expresswhich went to Cannes in 2023. On this project, Amopix did compositing on 800 of the 1,100 shots of the film, in addition to co-producing it. The company also made sets for the short film Pachydermwhich went all the way to the Oscars. But in 2024, the Strasbourg studio has gone even further, shining doubly on the Croisette.
However, Mathieu Rolin never imagined one day being able to go to Cannes, when he accompanied young people to the festival 20 years ago. Amopix took its time, but the delay was made up in 2024 with 2 selected films : Angelo in the mysterious forest in the “Special Sessions” category and The most valuable commodity by Michel Hazanavicius, in competition.
Cannes is always a world that frightens me. My eyes were shining and I said to myself that if one day I got there, it would be great.
For the first, Amopix participated in the financial strategy of the film by co-producing it, and did the compositing and 3D animation. For the second, they were executive producers and mainly produced 10 minutes of animation out of the 70 minute film. A titanic job, which represented 8 months of work for 8 peoplebut which bore fruit.
Today, Amopix is growing more and more, has new offices in Annecy and has numerous projects in the pipeline: 5 in production, around ten in development but also 5 others which will soon come to the studios. A future as beautiful as their cathedral view, and the assurance of continuing to place Strasbourg on the map of cities that are influential in the field of animation and creation. As Mathieu Rolin summarizes: “ It's growing and in a good way. »
Strasbourg, a city that is growing in animation and creation, with the support of communities
Historically a land of documentaries thanks to the presence of ARTE and France Télévisions, Strasbourg is gradually making a place in the world of creation and animation. Amopix is a good example, but other Strasbourg companies also shine in the field of animated cinema.
The post production company Innervisionthe animation studio Paragon Animation and the Strasbourg section of the production company Sacrebleu Productions worked on Sirocco and the Kingdom of drafts, Audience Award at the last Annecy International Animated Film Festival. Amopix and the sound and image post-production company Will Production worked on Mars Expressnominated for the Césars in 2024 for best animated film, while Sacrebleu Productions Strasbourg worked on Flow, the cat who was no longer afraid of waterwhich received four awards at Annecy and is part of the pre-selection for the 2025 Oscars
In addition to the many creative companies in the field of animated cinema, Strasbourg is also starting to weigh in on the field of educationincluding the studio Nojo which offers training in animation or opening this year rue des Magasins de Studio M school for the creative, video games, design and audiovisual professions.
Another common point of all these structures, is that they have all, at one time or another, benefited from subsidies from the Eurométropole to equip themselves, expand and carry out their projects.. While the Pays de la Loire region has decided to cut cultural funds by 73%, the Eurométropole still offers a support fund for audiovisual and cinematographic production, aid for the image sector and aid for the concept, which it launched in 2023 and which has been praised by the profession, in particular Mathieu Rolin: “ It's a real lever, because one of the poor things we knew locally was the lack of authors.. »
He also explains that support for the image sector has allowed him to hire new people, now on permanent contracts, but also to buy equipment. As for help with the concept, it allows him to support an author in her project, which will be produced at the Strasbourg company. Thanks to the help and talents of the structures that are developing, Strasbourg is therefore slowly beginning to find a place in the sun in the field of animation and creation.
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