Pascal Blanchet & Rodolphe Saint-Gelais – ‘The Procession’ Q&A
The Procession marks the first directorial collaboration between illustrator and graphic novel writer Pascal Blanchet and animator and filmmaker Rodolphe Saint-Gelais. Taking its visual inspiration from a mid-20th-century aesthetic and Art Deco, the film’s uniquely stark approach to layout, design and colour contributes enormously to its atmosphere of elegance, sadness and formality.
Produced at the National Film Board of Canada by Julie Roy and starring Alarey Alsip with music by Pierre Lapointe and Philippe Brault, The Procession explores the miasma of emotions we endure in times of tragedy. After a car accident leaves Catherine dead, her widower Philip processes his grief by absorbing a decade’s worth of memories whilst simultaneously going through the motions of restrained decorum at her funeral.
Following the film’s recent inclusion at Animafest Zagreb and ahead of its participation in this week’s Annecy International Animated Film Festival, Skwigly spoke with the filmmakers Pascal and Rodolphe about the experience of collaborating on this exceptional film.
Can you tell us a bit about your respective artistic backgrounds?
P.B.: I come from the worlds of illustration and graphic novels.
R.S.G.: And I’ve worked in animation for a little over a decade and done everything from ads to music videos. That’s why people often say that Pascal’s and my collaboration is like a marriage of illustration and animation! The Procession is our first auteur animation film.
How did you come to be aware of one another’s work initially?
P.B.: Through the National Film Board of Canada, which put us in contact with each other.
R.S.G: We didn’t know each other before we worked together. We got to know each other personally and artistically while working on the project.
Pascal Blanchet and Rodolphe Saint-Gelais (Photo: Allison Cordner)
What circumstances led to the two of you coming together to work on The Procession?
P.B.: Because I’d never animated a film, I had to work with an animator. The film’s producer, Julie Roy, organized “dates” with animators for me, and that’s how Rodolphe and I began our collaboration on The Procession.
R.S.G: That’s exactly right. I came onto the project as an animator. But the connection between us was so positive that we both embraced the project and I became the co-director, along with Pascal.
What is the background of the film and where does the story originate from?
P.B.: I’ve always been fascinated by loss, from the point of view of the person left behind. The story comes from the intersection of this feeling and the aesthetics of death.
R.S.G: When I saw Pascal’s storyboard, it immediately struck a chord with me because of my fascination with 1940s cinema and film noir. The film was built around our mutual passion for films of that era.
The Procession/Le Cortège (NFB)
The Procession has a notably striking, graphical visual style – is this informed more by Pascal’s comics background or Rodolphe’s illustration background – or did the final look of the film evolve from your collaboration?
P.B.: The film’s visual style was defined right from the very start. I would say the artistic direction came from me, but the characters developed along the way as they were adjusted to Rodolphe’s hand.
R.S.G: Pascal and I often joke that everything that’s motionless comes from him and everything that moves comes from me.
The marriage of blacks, whites and pinks in the colour palette is particularly interesting and effective, what sort of process went into determining the colours and how did you land on this look?
R.S.G & P.B.: The idea of the pink is a touch that was there from the start, representing the dead woman’s personality. We considered using gold at one point! However, the pink took over pretty quickly, to the extent that it colours some scenes in the film nearly completely.
Further to that last question, can you break down what each of your main responsibilities were on the production?
R.S.G.: Before starting a sequence, we would go back to the storyboard and rewrite the scene together. Every time, this exercise allowed us to know if we had explored each idea to its full potential. Our backgrounds in advertising led us to constantly think about whether or not each idea is clear, simple, and relevant to the story.
The Procession/Le Cortège (NFB)
What were some of the major positives/advantages to producing the film at the NFB?
R.S.G & P.B.: Lots of resources. And the possibilities for exploration. Taking the time to try things out, and even rewriting during production. The confidence that our producer, Julie Roy, showed in us had a lot to do with that.
Were there any elements of working on this film that pushed you out of your respective comfort zones?
R.S.G: Working collaboratively was a very satisfying challenge. And I think the film is stronger because of that collaboration.
P.B.: Yes, working as a team. I didn’t have much experience as part of a team. It’s a way of working I feared before production started. Now, it’s become an approach that I love.
The Procession/Le Cortège (NFB)
Has the experience of making this film had any effect on how you approach your other artistic outlets (illustration etc) or is it too early to say?
R.S.G: I don’t know yet… but probably! At this point, I don’t feel like I’ve quite come out of the experience of making The Procession yet.
Would you be enthusiastic to collaborate again in the future?
R.S.G: Absolutely. While we were working on The Procession, we had plenty of ideas that we couldn’t use in this film. I’d like to more deeply pursue some artistic paths that we’ve just barely touched on. For one thing, we’d like to make a film in colour!
The Procession screens in Annecy 2019’s Short Films in Competition 1, which takes place at the following times/venues:
10/06 10:30am – Cinéma Pathé Pathé 1
10/06 2:00pm – Bonlieu Grande salle
10/06 9:00pm – Cinéma Pathé Pathé 1
12/06 4:00pm – Cinéma Pathé Pathé 1
13/06 6:30pm – Cinéma Novel
14/06 4:30pm – La Turbine
15/06 10:00am – Cinéma Pathé Pathé 5