AB/CD/CD

How did you get into directing?
We’ve always directed stuff. As kids, we used to use our parents camera to make fake tv shows. Then we began connecting with other people to direct different small projects. Every time we had an opportunity or a subject to work on, we would take it. If we were not working at our jobs, we were working on films. We often worked in pairs, so it happened naturally that we eventually gathered as a collective. That was our way of making it official that we were directors.

Dozier: I used to film my friends rollerblading and started directing shorts around that.

Dauteuille: I used to make some fictional films with my buddies, basically we just tried to redo Beverly Hills 90210.

Boutin: I used to make illustrations for books, started telling stories, and sometimes I tried to animate it.

What is your most recent project?
We are currently finishing director’s cuts of a commercial we shot in Brazil a few weeks ago. It’s for Orange in Belgium. It’s pretty close to what we did for Lily Allen. The last thing we released is a music video for a band from Brooklyn called Acrylics. And yes, our minds are already on a few new projects!!!

What is the best part of being a director?
Being confronted with a lot of different things. We probably got into directing because we love video but also because it’s a job that allowed us to work a wide range of disciplines. It’s wide in terms of the subjects we tackle and the activities we do every day as directors. And in these past six months we traveled a lot around the world.

Have you a mentor and if so, who is that person (or persons)
and what has been the lesson learned from that mentoring which resonates most with you?
As three, we have different mentors, so they don’t really come up often in our discussions. We more clearly have different styles and a different approach on various subjects. We’ll use directors’ or artists’ names to describe something, but we’re not sure we talk about mentors. A few young director friends are motivating us a lot. You know, it’s like in a class when everyone pushes the other to be better. It’s a gentle competition. They are very good and it makes us be always more demanding about the quality of work we do.

Who is your favorite director and why?
Dozier: Eric Rohmer. It’s all about characters. The scenario is always a pretext and it doesn’t really matter. And even though the dialogues are really well written, there is a big part of “nothing”.  That he doesn’t manipulate much (in some movies) and still creates individuality has always impressed me.

Dauteuille: Actually it changes all the time. I mean, you have different favorite directors at different times. For now, my favorite seems to be Micheal Haneke for his scan of human behavior and his cold framings.

Boutin: It’s weird but I don’t think I have a favorite director, I come from illustration and animation, so I like directors who want to create real personalities and universe. Henri Verneuil, George Lautner, Martin Scorcese, Wes Anderson.

What is your favorite movie? Your favorite commercial?
Dozier: Movie: the trilogy Flesh, Trash and Heat by Morrissey, produced by Warhol (1968, 1970, 1973). Commercial: Chanel “Egoiste” by Jean-Paul Goude (1990).

Dauteuille: Movie: Gummo by Harmony Korine (1997). Commercial: Citroen CX by Jean-Paul Goude with Grace Jones (1984).

Boutin: I don’t have a favorite movie. Actually I’m obsessed with Wizard of  Oz by Victor Fleming, and Annie (musical), I like dancing. Commercial: JB Mondino for Kodak, “Les Voleurs De Couleurs” (1987) for the idea, the simple effect and the characters.

Tell use about your background (i.e. Where did you grow up? Past jobs?)
Dozier: Born in Paris, raised in Burgundy, studied Multimedia at les gobelins; started as a graphic designer for websites, magazines, brands, got into animation for commercials/music videos, worked for subakt for two years, Kuntzel+Deygas for a year, postproduction companies in Paris for a year (Wizz etc).

Dauteuille: Born/raised Paris, studied Multimedia at Supinfocom and Master of CGI at l’Universite Marc Bloch de Strasbourg; for the past four years, graphic designer and CG artist in many French production companies (Mathematics, Partizan, Wizz design, Evostruct, etc)

Boutin: Born/raised Paris, studied Graphic Design at ENSAAMA Olivier de Serres and Graphic Design and Multimedia at les Gobelins; started as graphic designer for the directors, Kuntzel+Deygas; also was an illustrator for children books, magazines, advertising agencies (represented by Lezilus in Paris).

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