For the love of music and anime: VICTOR JARDEL

I'm a 27 years old French, I live in Paris. I spent 5 years in a Parisian graphic school and made 2 short films with my friends Eddy Loukil and Ghayth Chegaar there -- I was mainly focused on the animation, and listened Senbeï's music in a loop.

After I started to work as a freelance animator. And one night when I went to see Smokey Joe and The Kid playing live (a group former by IRB and Senbeï), I wanted Senbeï's autograph on my newly bought album, just like all fans… but I got to talk to him about my job. I told him that I really wanted to make animated music video. Our collaboration started there. 

I started this collaboration with the clip Robbery Anthem Song: a universe had already created in my mind by its sound. I stayed in contact with my friend Eddy Loukil and told him (as an also Senbeï's fan) he could help me to make that clip. So the Grey Monkey Production was created. 

We made another clip together for Smokey Joe And The Kid (with Senbeï so) Slow Drag.

I made videos for Senbeï's live then, but Senbeï wanted some simple visuals, so I did it on my own.

Then Senbeï wanted me to make the clip Rain. I really wanted to make live video and feature my characters in 3D. It is a type of video that I really wanted to have in my portfolio. So I went filming in some corners of Paris I like. 

It took me 2 months and a half to complete that video (including the inspiration time and the pre-production). I would like to have much more time, but I saw this small leap like a challenge.

My main inspirations come from Ghibli’s universe (the productions studio, Princess Mononoke, Le Voyage de Chihiro ...), Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas, and some draws I make.

The art is for me the expression of our dreams or nightmares. My creativity comes a lot from my nightmares, I’ve had some sleeping troubles for a while and I think that affects my ideas. I can't complain much because it helps me with work and I love my work.