Walking With Animators

Walking With Animators

2026 – 105 minutes

Started in 2018, shot in several countries and supported by many major studios, this documentary offers an unprecedented immersion in the world of animators. Focusing as much on drawing as on stop-motion, on paper cut-outs as on computer-generated images, the film captures the magic of an art form often left in the shadows, more than ever threatened by the development of Artificial Intelligence. The cast features more than 70 artists, including Doug Chiang (Beowulf), Joe Dante (Gremlins), Glen Keane (Beauty and the Beast), Nancy Kruse (Zootopia), John Landis (The Blues Brothers), Floyd Norman (Sleeping Beauty), Jay Oliva (The Dark Knight Returns), Regina Pessoa (Kali The Little Vampire), Joanna Quinn (Affairs of the Art), Peter Ramsey (Spider-Man : Into The Spider-Verse), David Silverman (Monsters Inc.), Shay Stone (Encanto), Phil Tippett (Mad God) or Paul Wee (The Simpsons).

Written and Directed by: Gilles Penso & Alexandre Poncet

Starring:
Rony Abovitz, Jojo Aguilar, Deborah Anderson, Lucie Arnissolle, Marco Balsamo, Aaron Blaise, Daniel Callaby, Eloi Champagne, Doug Chiang, Stephen Chiodo, Delphine Coudray, Ri Crawford, Steve Cutts, Joe Dante, Jim Davidson, Chris DeFaria, Andreas Deja, Chuck Duke, Adam Eliott, Tom Gibbons, Hal Hickel, Joe Johnston, Glen Keane, Nancy Kruse, Yoko Kuno, Jessica Lackey, John Landis, David Lauer, Julien Lestel, Julie Lockhart, Peter Lord, Floyd Norman, Takashi Okado, Jay Oliva, Kara Oropallo, Regina Pessoa, Bill Plympton, Michael Polcino, Barry Purves, Joanna Quinn, Peter Ramsey, Justin Rasch, Marcia Rojas, Toby Seale, Henry Selick, Tara Sibel Demren, David Silverman, Shay Stone, Drew Struzan, Richard Taylor, Morten Thorning, Shannon Tindle, Phil Tippett, Eric Towner, Ted Ty, Theodore Uschev, Glenn Vilppu, Paul Wee, Dan Wool, and many more.

Editing: Gilles Penso

Music: Alexandre Poncet

Color grading: Chloé Robert

Sound mixing: Loris Bernot

Title design : Brett & Cie

Mad God by Phil Tippett

Mad God by Phil Tippett

2023

An experimental animated film inspired by Jerome Bosch, Mad God took almost thirty years to complete for its creator Phil Tippett, responsible for the revolutionary visual effects of RobocopJurassic ParkStarship Troopers and the original Star Wars trilogy.
Having followed and documented the creation of Mad God for almost ten years, the Frenetic Arts team produced a detailed making of in 2023 for the Collector’s Edition published by Carlotta Films.

Writing, Directing and Editing: Gilles Penso & Alexandre Poncet

Starring: Phil Tippett, Dan Wool, David Lauer, Chuck Duke et Tom Gibbons

Music: Dan Wool

LEARN MORE

The documentary Phil Tippett : Mad Dreams and Monsters
The book Mad Dreams and Monsters : The Art of Phil Tippett and Tippett Studio

The Frankenstein Complex

The Frankenstein Complex

2015 – 1h42

From the first costume experiments to make-up special effects, from animatronics to CGI, The Frankenstein Complex looks back at more than a century of techniques that gave birth to the famous monsters such as Godzilla, Yoda, the Queen of Aliens or the tyrannosaurs of Jurassic Park.

Directors Alexandre Poncet and Gilles Penso give voice to the artists behind each creature, such as Phil Tippett and Rick Baker, and to filmmakers whose films have left their mark on the history of special effects, such as Joe Dante and Guillermo del Toro. The Frankenstein Complex celebrates this ever-changing art form and pays homage to these new Dr. Frankensteins, who continue to amaze generations of viewers with their inventiveness and unique craftsmanship.

Written and Directed by : Gilles Penso & Alexandre Poncet

Starring: Guillermo Del Toro, Joe Dante, John Landis, Kevin Smith, Phil Tippett, Dennis Muren, Rick Baker, Greg Nicotero, Mike Elizalde, Steve Johnson, The Chiodo Brothers, John Howe, Richard Taylor, Joe Letteri, Chris Walas, Christophe Gans, Steve Williams…

Music: Alexandre Poncet

Editing: Gilles Penso

Visual and Credits Effects: Brett & Co.
Mixing: Vega Prod
Color Grading: NOD

Festivals

Sitges / PIFFF /Gérardmer /Trieste / FEFFS / NIFFF/ Monsterpalooza /Colcoa

Award

French Union of Film Critics :
Curiosity Prize 2017

Listen to the music
Learn more

On the occasion of the exhibition “Special Effects: burst the screen” of the Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie de La Villette, the co-directors of the Frankenstein Complex give some keys on the nature and secrets of special effects in cinema for the show Entrée libre sur France 5.