It’s not easy tracking down director Thierry Poiraud. However, SHOOT managed to do just that via email when the on-the-go Frenchman found himself with a few spare moments while shooting in “a remote part of the globe.” The interview happened thanks to Claude Letessier–co-owner of Paranoid Projects (formerly Entropie), Paris, and Paranoid Projects: Tool. The former entity represents Poiraud and his brother/frequent co-director Didier in Europe, while the latter company handles them in the U.S.
The Poiraud brothers have been making noise both here and abroad for years but recently, thanks to his solo work on some high-profile spots for Hewlett-Packard (“Into the Printer” for Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, San Francisco), DirecTV (“Anticipation” and “Kite” for BBDO New York) and Pepsi (“Maze” via BBDO)–Thierry Poiraud got a bit of the spotlight all to himself.
Hewlett-Packard’s “Into the Printer” is an effects-driven ride through the process by which a printer creates photographic images. The commercial focuses on a neighborhood copy shop where individuals come and go and conduct business. The twist: The action is unfurled in a left-to-right camera motion that mimics the way a color printer operates. The camera then delves inside an H-P inkjet printer to provide a glimpse of the 36,000 drops of color that move through nozzles we’re told are a third of the size of a human hair per second. The spot ends on the H-P logo and the tagline, “Invent.”
DirecTV’s “Anticipation” serves up similarly stunning visuals, with televisions in various locales–from living rooms and bars to gyms and electronic stores–seen independently repositioning themselves towards windows or the outdoors. Images of the eager TVs keep coming as a voiceover explains the pilgrimages: we learn that DirecTV will soon deploy a satellite that will deliver more than 1,500 high definition stations to homes across the country (hence the TVs’ zeal to face skyward). The intriguing ad ends with the question, “Your TV is ready, are you?”
Pepsi’s “Maze” features a guy going through a maze, coming upon a slice of pizza, which he eats, and a Pepsi, which he drinks. In a bit of role reversal, it turns out that the guy’s timing and response is being studied by life-size mice, who after putting him through the maze take Pepsi drinker and plop him into a habitat with other test subjects–including a guy running on a hamster wheel.
Each of the spots possess the kind of childlike awe and Tim Burton-esque style of storytelling that Poiraud utilizes so masterfully. His inspiration, he says, is derived from a combination of his dreams and the surreal creature-type movies Hollywood churned out in the 1950s. Thierry describes himself, and his brother Didier, as being a couple of “big children” at heart and believes that shared sensibility is at the heart of their successful directorial partnership. “Since day one, we’ve worked as this sort of polymorphous entity,” Thierry explains jokingly of his frequent collaborations with Didier. “It might seem complicated to some, but it is simple: Neither of us is solely responsible for any specific aspects of a project. We just bounce ideas and visuals off one another and get our answers in each other’s eyes. It is a very honest and organic process. That’s the way we’ve worked since day one.”
The siblings’ close working relationship has also allowed both to venture out on their own from time to time. “Our partnership is built on something more solid and positive than competitiveness or sibling rivalry,” says Thierry, who adds that he and Didier always confer with one another before embarking on solo projects.
French Connection
Thierry’s story begins in Nantes, Bretagne, France, where he and Didier found themselves taken with offbeat, over-the-top movies. The two went on to study animation and film at the Beaux-Arts School in Paris and later teamed to helm short films (The Wild Loafer among them). By ’95, the Poirauds’ work caught the eye of Letessier, who was intrigued by the way the brothers “combined dark humor with live action, animation and visual effects” to tell their stories. He suspected the duo would shine in the commercial realm–a suspicion that proved correct. Since then, the brothers have brought their unique talents to spots and campaigns for clients such as Hollywood Gum, Sony PlayStation, Orangina and Canon Airbus, among others, via Entropie (now Paranoid Projects), Paris. Paranoid Projects: Tool is a satellite of bicoastal Tool of North America. Per a reciprocal representation deal, Paranoid Projects directors are repped stateside via Paranoid Projects: Tool, while the Tool of North America directors are repped in France by Paranoid Projects. In 2001 the Poirauds made their U.S. debut with “Twister,” for MasterCard. The ambitious, live-action/visual spot teamed Thierry and Didier with McCann Erickson, New York, and marked the first time the directing team had worked on a project specifically for the U.S. market. (The spot was produced The vivid :30 homage to The Wizard of Oz featured a destructive tornado hurdling towards a small house. It exemplifies the kind of surrealist splendor evident in much of their work, which according to Thierry, wouldn’t be possible without the help of frequent collaborators at visual effects house BUF Compagnie, Paris. “BUF has been instrumental in allowing me to really push the limits and explore new visual territories,” explains Thierry. “DirecTV, for instance, was a shoot that really benefited from BUF’s involvement. Their CGI work was an integral part of that project.”
Another of Thierry’s recent projects (this one a joint venture with Didier) is the French feature film Atomik Circus – Le retour de James Bataille. It also relies heavily on effects, and brings starfish-like creatures (capable of decapitating drunk partygoers) and face-sucking aliens to life.
In addition to the movie, Thierry recently completed an Impulse spot for Bartle Bogle Hegarty, London. He is currently shooting a Peugeot 206 spot via BETC Euro RSCG, Paris. Didier, meanwhile, just wrapped two spots for Canal+ out of BETC Euro RSCG, Paris. The siblings are scheduled to team up yet again on what is described as “a video and light installation” that will be featured in the streets of Paris in May.