Martin Villeneuve: How I made an impossible film

Summary

The speaker shares his journey of creating the science fiction film 'Mars et Avril' in Montreal, set 50 years into the future. Despite a limited budget, he leveraged time, love, and creativity to overcome challenges, engaging talents like Robert Lepage and collaborating with artists like François Schuiten. He emphasizes how constraints can enhance creativity, turning problems into opportunities, and encourages pursuing even the most ambitious ideas.

Takeaways

• 🎬 The film 'Mars et Avril' is a science fiction movie set in a futuristic Montreal, which was a unique venture in Quebec due to its high cost and heavy reliance on visual effects.
• 🚀 The director's childhood dreams and passion for science fiction, inspired by comic books, fueled the creation of this film despite its financial challenges.
• 💰 The film was made on a budget of 2.3 million, which is only 10% of what American producers assumed was needed, showcasing the power of resourcefulness and creativity within constraints.
• ⏳ Time was a crucial factor in the film's production, taking seven years to complete, emphasizing the importance of patience and perseverance in creative projects.
• ❤️ The success of the film was also attributed to the love and generosity of everyone involved, turning constraints into opportunities and fostering a collaborative spirit.
• 🔮 The director's early work in graphic novels laid the foundation for the film's narrative and visual style, integrating experimental and theatrical elements.
• 🌟 Robert Lepage, a renowned stage director and actor, played a pivotal role in the film, both as an inspiration and as the character of Eugène Spaak, demonstrating the influence of personal connections in creative projects.
• 🕶️ The innovative use of holography for Robert Lepage's character was a creative solution to the challenge of his unavailability, blending technology with artistic vision.
• 🎻 Imaginary musical instruments, central to the film's narrative, were realized through a partnership with Cirque du Soleil, illustrating the power of creative ideas to attract support and resources.
• 🎨 The film's visual world was brought to life by the collaboration with Belgian comic book artist François Schuiten, highlighting the importance of seeking out and working with admired talents.
• 🌈 The director's approach to overcoming financial limitations was to offer creative freedom and a shared dream space, rather than monetary compensation, inspiring commitment and passion in the team.

Q & A

What is the title of the science fiction film set in Montreal in the future?

The title of the film is 'Mars et Avril'.

Why was it considered impossible to make a science fiction film set in the future in Quebec before?

It was considered impossible because such films are typically expensive to produce, require a lot of visual effects, and are often shot on green screen, which was not common in Quebec.

What was the perceived budget for 'Mars et Avril' by American producers?

American producers thought the budget for 'Mars et Avril' was around 23 million dollars.

What was the actual budget for the film 'Mars et Avril'?

The actual budget for 'Mars et Avril' was only 2.3 million dollars, which is 10 percent of the perceived budget.

What two factors did the filmmaker attribute to the successful creation of 'Mars et Avril' within a limited budget?

The two factors were time, as the project took seven years, and love, which refers to the generosity and creativity of everyone involved in the project.

How did the filmmaker manage to involve Robert Lepage, a busy stage director and actor, in the film?

The filmmaker turned Robert Lepage into a hologram by shooting him with six cameras and later combining his head with a mime's body in post-production.

What was the solution to creating the imaginary musical instruments needed for the film without sufficient funds?

The filmmaker partnered with Cirque du Soleil's CEO, Guy Laliberté, who was interested in the idea, allowing the instruments to be created and featured in the film for free.

Who did the filmmaker collaborate with to design the future world of Montreal in the film?

The filmmaker collaborated with Belgian comic book master François Schuiten as the production designer.

How did the filmmaker convince Carlos Monzon, a lead compositor on major films like 'Avatar', to work on 'Mars et Avril'?

The filmmaker offered Carlos Monzon a space to dream and be creatively involved, which was more appealing than working on the next Spielberg movie.

What is the core message of the filmmaker's talk about constraints and creativity?

The core message is that constraints, even big creative ones, can actually boost creativity and lead to innovative solutions and outcomes.

What advice does the filmmaker give to those with seemingly impossible ideas?

The filmmaker advises to pursue those ideas despite the challenges, as dealing with problems as allies rather than opponents can lead to amazing results and experiences.

Outlines

00:00

🎬 Overcoming Impossibilities in Filmmaking

The speaker, a filmmaker, shares his experience of creating 'Mars et Avril,' a science fiction film set in a futuristic Montreal. Despite the common belief that such a film would be too expensive to produce in Quebec, he managed to make it with only 10% of what American producers assumed was his budget. The key factors to his success were time, taking seven years to complete the film, and love, as he received generous support from everyone involved. The speaker emphasizes the importance of creativity born from constraints, turning problems into opportunities. He also recounts his early work in graphic novels and his admiration for stage director and actor Robert Lepage, who played a significant role in his project, despite his busy schedule, by being portrayed as a hologram in the film.

05:03

🎼 Creativity from Constraints: The Imaginary Musical Instruments

In this paragraph, the filmmaker discusses how financial constraints led to creative solutions in the design of imaginary musical instruments for his movie. Unable to afford the actual creation of these instruments, he approached Cirque du Soleil's CEO, Guy Laliberté, with a proposal that benefited all parties involved. The instruments were designed by artist Dominique Engel, and the filmmaker received them for free, illustrating how constraints can foster creativity. The paragraph also touches on the collaboration with Belgian comic book artist François Schuiten as the production designer, who brought the future Montreal to life through his drawings, which were then transformed into reality by VFX artist Carlos Monzon and his team at Vision Globale.

10:07

🚀 Embracing Constraints to Fuel Creativity

The speaker concludes by encouraging the audience to pursue their seemingly impossible ideas, arguing that the perception of impossibility is a strong motivator. He suggests that viewing problems as allies rather than adversaries can lead to unexpected and rewarding outcomes. The filmmaker's journey, from the initial concept to the final production, is a testament to the power of imagination and the ability to turn limitations into opportunities for creative expression. He ends with a note of inspiration, suggesting that with the right mindset, one might even achieve the extraordinary, like going to Mars.

Keywords

💡Science Fiction Film

A 'science fiction film' is a genre of movie that explores imaginative and futuristic concepts often involving advanced science and technology. In the context of the video, 'Mars et Avril' is a science fiction film set 50 years in the future in Montreal, embodying the director's childhood dreams and comic book inspirations.

💡Visual Effects

Visual effects, often abbreviated as 'VFX', are the digital or physical alterations made to a movie to create environments, objects, or characters that cannot be achieved in live-action footage alone. The speaker mentions the extensive use of visual effects in 'Mars et Avril', which were achieved on a limited budget through creative problem-solving.

💡Green Screen

A 'green screen' is a technique used in film production where a scene is shot in front of a solid color (usually green) background, which is later replaced with other footage or images during post-production. The script discusses the use of green screens in the making of 'Mars et Avril', despite the limited budget.

💡Creativity

Creativity refers to the use of imagination or original ideas to create something. The video's theme revolves around how constraints can actually boost creativity, as demonstrated by the director's approach to making 'Mars et Avril' with limited resources.

💡Constraints

In the context of the video, 'constraints' refer to limitations, such as budget or time, that can force individuals to think outside the box and come up with innovative solutions. The director discusses how financial constraints led to creative workarounds in the film's production.

💡Hologram

A 'hologram' is a three-dimensional image created by the interference of light beams from a split laser source, used in the film to incorporate the busy actor Robert Lepage into the movie despite his tight schedule. The script describes how the director humorously suggested turning Lepage into a hologram, which became a reality in the film.

💡Cirque du Soleil

Cirque du Soleil is a Canadian entertainment company known for its innovative circus performances. In the script, the director approached Cirque du Soleil's CEO for funding to create imaginary musical instruments for the film, illustrating how partnerships can overcome financial constraints.

💡Imaginary Musical Instruments

These are fictional instruments that the director envisioned for the film, which carry a significant story and aesthetic value. The director's financial constraints led to a creative solution involving Cirque du Soleil, showcasing how constraints can drive creative collaboration.

💡François Schuiten

François Schuiten is a Belgian comic book artist whose work was admired by the director and incorporated into the film's design. The director's approach to involving his childhood hero in the project demonstrates the power of reaching out to admired professionals to overcome creative challenges.

💡Carlos Monzon

Carlos Monzon is a VFX artist who has worked on major films like 'Avatar'. The director managed to convince him to work on 'Mars et Avril' by offering him a space to dream creatively, illustrating the importance of inspiring imagination as a form of compensation when financial resources are limited.

💡Vision Globale

Vision Globale is a post-production company in Montreal that provided artists to work on the film 'Mars et Avril'. The mention of this company in the script highlights the collaborative nature of film production and the importance of partnerships in overcoming creative and financial challenges.

Highlights

Martin Villeneuve made a science fiction film 'Mars et Avril' set in Montreal 50 years in the future, which was considered impossible due to its high cost and extensive visual effects.

Villeneuve created the film with only 10% of the budget American producers assumed, using just 2.3 million dollars instead of 23 million.

Lack of funds led to a seven-year production timeline, emphasizing the importance of time when resources are limited.

The film relied heavily on the love and generosity of everyone involved, turning constraints into opportunities.

Villeneuve's early work in graphic novels laid the foundation for the storytelling and characters in 'Mars et Avril'.

Acclaimed stage director and actor Robert Lepage played a significant role in the film, despite his busy schedule, by being filmed as a hologram.

Villeneuve innovatively used six cameras to capture Robert Lepage's head from multiple angles for the holographic effect.

A mime artist portrayed Lepage's body, wearing a green hood to facilitate post-production head replacement.

Villeneuve's desire for unique musical instruments in the film was fulfilled by partnering with Cirque du Soleil, who sponsored their creation.

Cirque du Soleil's CEO Guy Laliberté was intrigued by the idea, leading to a win-win collaboration.

François Schuiten, a Belgian comic book artist, was invited to design the film's futuristic world, bringing Villeneuve's childhood imagination to life.

Carlos Monzon, a leading VFX artist known for his work on 'Avatar', was convinced to work on 'Mars et Avril' due to the creative freedom offered.

Villeneuve emphasizes the power of constraints in boosting creativity, as demonstrated by the film's production.

He encourages embracing problems as allies rather than opponents to achieve seemingly impossible creative projects.

Villeneuve's talk concludes with an inspiring message to pursue crazy ideas, no matter how impossible they may seem.

The film's post-production was made possible by the collaboration with Vision Globale and their team of 60 artists.

Transcripts

Translator: Joseph Geni Reviewer: Morton Bast

I made a film that was impossible to make,

but I didn't know it was impossible,

and that's how I was able to do it.

"Mars et Avril" is a science fiction film.

It's set in Montreal some 50 years in the future.

No one had done that kind of movie in Quebec before

because it's expensive, it's set in the future,

and it's got tons of visual effects,

and it's shot on green screen.

Yet this is the kind of movie that I wanted to make

ever since I was a kid, really,

back when I was reading some comic books

and dreaming about what the future might be.

When American producers see my film,

they think that I had a big budget to do it,

like 23 million.

But in fact I had 10 percent of that budget.

I did "Mars et Avril" for only 2.3 million.

So you might wonder, what's the deal here?

How did I do this?

Well, it's two things. First, it's time.

When you don't have money, you must take time,

and it took me seven years to do "Mars et Avril."

The second aspect is love.

I got tons and tons of generosity from everyone involved.

And it seems like every department had nothing,

so they had to rely on our creativity

and turn every problem into an opportunity.

And that brings me to the point of my talk, actually,

how constraints, big creative constraints, can boost creativity.

But let me go back in time a bit.

In my early 20s, I did some graphic novels,

but they weren't your usual graphic novels.

They were books telling a science fiction story

through images and text,

and most of the actors who are now starring

in the movie adaptation, they were already involved

in these books portraying characters

into a sort of experimental, theatrical, simplistic way.

And one of these actors is the great stage director

and actor Robert Lepage.

And I just love this guy.

I've been in love with this guy since I was a kid.

His career I admire a lot.

And I wanted this guy to be involved in my crazy project,

and he was kind enough to lend his image

to the character of Eugène Spaak,

who is a cosmologist and artist who seeks relation

in between time, space, love, music and women.

And he was a perfect fit for the part,

and Robert is actually the one who gave me my first chance.

He was the one who believed in me

and encouraged me to do an adaptation of my books

into a film, and to write, direct,

and produce the film myself.

And Robert is actually the very first example

of how constraints can boost creativity.

Because this guy is the busiest man on the planet.

I mean, his agenda is booked until 2042,

and he's really hard to get,

and I wanted him to be in the movie,

to reprise his role in the movie.

But the thing is, had I waited

for him until 2042, my film wouldn't be

a futuristic film anymore, so I just couldn't do that. Right?

But that's kind of a big problem.

How do you get somebody who is too busy

to star in a movie?

Well, I said as a joke in a production meeting --

and this is a true story, by the way —

I said, "Why don't we turn this guy into a hologram?

Because, you know, he is everywhere

and nowhere on the planet at the same time,

and he's an illuminated being in my mind,

and he's in between reality and virtual reality,

so it would make perfect sense

to turn this guy into a hologram."

Everybody around the table laughed,

but the joke was kind of a good solution,

so that's what we ended up doing.

Here's how we did it. We shot Robert with six cameras.

He was dressed in green and he was like

in a green aquarium.

Each camera was covering 60 degrees of his head,

so that in post-production we could use

pretty much any angle we needed,

and we shot only his head.

Six months later there was a guy on set,

a mime portraying the body,

the vehicle for the head.

And he was wearing a green hood

so that we could erase the green hood in postproduction

and replace it with Robert Lepage's head.

So he became like a renaissance man,

and here's what it looks like in the movie.

(Music)

(Video) Robert Lepage: [As usual, Arthur's drawing

didn't account for the technical challenges.

I welded the breech, but the valve is still gaping.

I tried to lift the pallets to lower the pressure in the sound box,

but I might have hit a heartstring.

It still sounds too low.]

Jacques Languirand: [That's normal.

The instrument always ends up resembling its model.]

(Music)

Martin Villeneuve: Now these musical instruments

that you see in this excerpt,

they're my second example of how

constraints can boost creativity,

because I desperately needed these objects in my movie.

They are objects of desire.

They are imaginary musical instruments.

And they carry a nice story with them.

Actually, I knew what these things would look like

in my mind for many, many years.

But my problem was, I didn't have the money

to pay for them. I couldn't afford them.

So that's kind of a big problem too.

How do you get something that you can't afford?

And, you know, I woke up one morning with a pretty good idea.

I said, "What if I have somebody else pay for them?"

(Laughter)

But who on Earth would be interested

by seven not-yet-built musical instruments

inspired by women's bodies?

And I thought of Cirque du Soleil in Montreal,

because who better to understand the kind of

crazy poetry that I wanted to put on screen?

So I found my way to Guy Laliberté, Cirque du Soleil's CEO,

and I presented my crazy idea to him

with sketches like this and visual references,

and something pretty amazing happened.

Guy was interested by this idea

not because I was asking for his money,

but because I came to him with a good idea

in which everybody was happy.

It was kind of a perfect triangle

in which the art buyer was happy

because he got the instruments at a cheaper price,

because they weren't even made.

He took a leap of faith.

And the artist, Dominique Engel, brilliant guy,

he was happy too because he had a dream project

to work on for a year.

And obviously I was happy because I got the instruments

in my film for free, which was kind of what I tried to do.

So here they are.

And my last example of how constraints

can boost creativity

comes from the green,

because this is a weird color, a crazy color,

and you need to replace the green screens eventually

and you must figure that out sooner rather than later.

And I had, again, pretty much, ideas in my mind

as to what the world would be,

but then again I turned to my childhood imagination

and went to the work of Belgian comic book master

François Schuiten in Belgium.

And this guy is another guy I admire a lot,

and I wanted him to be involved in the movie

as a production designer.

But people told me, you know, Martin, it's impossible,

the guy is too busy and he will say no.

Well, I said, you know what, instead of mimicking his style,

I might as well call the real guy and ask him,

and I sent him my books,

and he answered that he was interested

in working on the film with me

because he could be a big fish in a small aquarium.

In other words, there was space for him to dream with me.

So here I was with one of my childhood heroes,

drawing every single frame that's in the film

to turn that into Montreal in the future.

And it was an amazing collaboration

to work with this great artist whom I admire.

But then, you know, eventually you have to turn

all these drawings into reality.

So, again, my solution was to aim

for the best possible artist that I could think of.

And there's this guy in Montreal, another Quebecois

called Carlos Monzon, and he's a very good VFX artist.

This guy had been lead compositor on such films

as "Avatar" and "Star Trek" and "Transformers,"

and other unknown projects like this,

and I knew he was the perfect fit for the job,

and I had to convince him,

and, instead of working on the next Spielberg movie,

he accepted to work on mine.

Why? Because I offered him a space to dream.

So if you don't have money to offer to people,

you must strike their imagination with something

as nice as you can think of.

So this is what happened on this movie,

and that's how it got made,

and we went to this very nice postproduction company

in Montreal called Vision Globale,

and they lent their 60 artists to work full time

for six months to do this crazy film.

So I want to tell you that, if you have some crazy ideas

in your mind, and that people tell you

that it's impossible to make,

well, that's an even better reason to want to do it,

because people have a tendency

to see the problems rather than the final result,

whereas if you start to deal with problems

as being your allies rather than your opponents,

life will start to dance with you

in the most amazing way.

I have experienced it.

And you might end up doing some crazy projects,

and who knows, you might even end up

going to Mars.

Thank you.

(Applause)