The Mill Paris collaborated with Renault, Publicis 133 and Quad on a visually immersive journey through time, blending art, history, and culture using cutting-edge VFX. This film explores iconic moments in French history by highlighting different types of revolutions—cultural, social, and artistic—each represented through a unique visual style that reflects the era.
Thibault Froment, copywriter at Publicis said “We wanted to create something never seen before in advertising, with a visual object that is both innovative and bold.”. The goal was to develop a film that felt immersive, a journey into memory by placing the viewer at the heart of each scene. "This film is a dreamlike journey through time, and the moving particles add a deconstructive effect to the image, symbolizing the passing of time."
Even though each sequence has a distinct visual style, the concept of point clouds and particle animation forms the common thread of the artistic direction.
"The core idea was to create a genuine sense of immersion in each era, with one of the primary inspirations being the work of artist Benjamin Bardou. His art evokes the essence of memory from a narrative standpoint."
Alexis Baillia, VFX Supervisor
The Mill conducted an in-depth exploration of the look and feel of each particle in every sequence. "For instance, in the New Wave sequence, the base particle is a dot, reflecting the grainy texture of film. Meanwhile, in the French Cancan sequence, each particle becomes a brushstroke, resulting in a visual style more closely aligned with a painterly aesthetic." Alexis Baillia explained. The transitions between eras were developed in collaboration with the director, Bruno Aveillan, avoiding simple particle fades and instead relying on strong visual cues that define each epoch, such as film reels, camera flashes, and clouds of smoke.
A standout scene set at the Moulin Rouge bursts with vibrant energy, capturing the lively spirit of cabaret culture. Using a dynamic painting effect, we added color and motion, amplifying the dance of the French Cancan performers, while maintaining the clarity of the iconic Moulin Rouge setting.
From the elegance of 1950s Paris to the vibrant celebration of the Moulin Rouge, the project evokes a dreamlike exploration of French art, culture, and history, culminating in an reinterpretation of Delacroix’s masterpiece with the appearance of Marianne, a symbolic figure of the French Revolution. “As soon as she appears, we immediately recognize the reference to Delacroix’s painting,” said Froment. This final scene reinterprets Liberty Leading the People by incorporating figures from different revolutionary moments throughout history, bringing the dreamlike journey to a climax.
This project showcases The Mill’s expertise in visual storytelling, blending historical references, artistic movements, and modern visual effects into a cohesive, bold narrative.