Interview: Simon Eléphant is slowing down
interview-simon-elephant-is-slowing-down
October 19, 2011
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# Interview: Simon Eléphant is slowing down
**Simon Eléphant** is one of France's hot young directors. Recently
commissioned to direct the **COS Frieze Art Fair** short, Eléphant's
career spans high-fashion movies, pop music videos and commercial videos
for other French brands. **Maison Martin Margiela** have appointed
Eléphant chief filmmaker to promote their collections, causing **Vogue
France** to extol the director's abilities. **Electronic Beats** caught
up with Eléphant post Frieze Art Fair to chat about his work.
**Vogue France recently praised your films for Maison Martin Margiela's
collections -- do the ideas come from the designer, or from yourself? To
what extent do the collections inspire your work?**
For the past two years, I've been collaborating with MMM. I did many
products films for them and two films for shows. Each project is a
collaboration between me and the art director Sophie Toporkoff who comes
up with many ideas. It's very interesting work, since we are a real
team, and we are complementary.
I am more inspired by the MMM spirit than the specific collection I'm
working on and I am very much inspired by the minimalistic vision of MMM
and the simple, falsely low-fi appearance of the MMM collections.
**You have directed COS' Frieze Art Fair film -- a minimal, engaging
film, did you attend the festival?**
COS invited me, but unfortunately I am working on another project right
now -- so I did not manage to go to London to the Frieze art fair.
Hopefully I'll be able to visit the fair next year ...
[COS -- FRIEZE ART FAIR 2011][1] from [Simon Eléphant][2] on [Vimeo][3].
**Which directors do you find exciting right now?**
Spontaneously, I would answer with Terrence Mallick, Alain Cavalier,
Rabah Ameur-Zaïmeche and David Cronenberg. It's always difficult for me
to make a list of "the best" directors cause there are so many good ones
!
**How do you choose which music videos to direct?**
I am a pop music lover, so I mainly work for pop music groups.
Moreover, the experience has shown me the track should not bore me after
the second time I listen to it as I'll have to hear it around five
hundred times when I do the editing!
Actually, I would be interested to try new experiences and work for
electronic music composers.
**You've been making films for many years, how has your style developed
over time?**
I'm getting more and more convinced that less is more! As Truffaut
said, I'd rather show ten ideas in one shot then ten shots in one idea.
I am slowing down, using black and white, trying to eliminate everything
that is useless to the topic of the film in order to oppose this culture
of "fast-food" disposable images.
I want to take my time and offer a breath of fresh air to my
spectators, to make them feel the atmosphere "off screen" rather than
bombarding them with gratuitous images.
[MAISON MARTIN MARGIELA -Men- Spring Summer 2012][4] from [Simon
Eléphant][2] on [Vimeo][3].
**What's the difference between making commercial films and music
videos?**
Well, at first making a music video allows me much more freedom but
sometimes with brands like MMM or COS, even if there are more
compromises to make, I'm still happy with the result.
**What does the future hold for you?**
A feature film !
[1]: http://vimeo.com/30392459
[2]: http://vimeo.com/simonelephant
[3]: http://vimeo.com
[4]: http://vimeo.com/25686048
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title: 'Interview: Simon Eléphant is slowing down'
date: 2011-10-19T16:22:42+02:00
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<p> <strong>Simon Eléphant</strong> is one of France’s hot young directors. Recently commissioned to direct the <strong>COS Frieze Art Fair</strong> short, Eléphant’s career spans high-fashion movies, pop music videos and commercial videos for other French brands. <strong>Maison Martin Margiela</strong> have appointed Eléphant chief filmmaker to promote their collections, causing <strong>Vogue France</strong> to extol the director’s abilities. <strong>Electronic Beats</strong> caught up with Eléphant post Frieze Art Fair to chat about his work.</p><p><strong>Vogue France recently praised your films for Maison Martin Margiela’s collections – do the ideas come from the designer, or from yourself? To what extent do the collections inspire your work?</strong><br>
For the past two years, I’ve been collaborating with MMM. I did many products films for them and two films for shows. Each project is a collaboration between me and the art director Sophie Toporkoff who comes up with many ideas. It’s very interesting work, since we are a real team, and we are complementary.<br>
I am more inspired by the MMM spirit than the specific collection I’m working on and I am very much inspired by the minimalistic vision of MMM and the simple, falsely low-fi appearance of the MMM collections.</p><p><strong>You have directed COS’ Frieze Art Fair film – a minimal, engaging film, did you attend the festival?</strong><br>
COS invited me, but unfortunately I am working on another project right now – so I did not manage to go to London to the Frieze art fair. Hopefully I’ll be able to visit the fair next year …</p><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/30392459">COS – FRIEZE ART FAIR 2011</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/simonelephant">Simon Eléphant</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p><p><strong>Which directors do you find exciting right now?</strong><br>
Spontaneously, I would answer with Terrence Mallick, Alain Cavalier, Rabah Ameur-Zaïmeche and David Cronenberg. It’s always difficult for me to make a list of “the best” directors cause there are so many good ones !</p><p><strong>How do you choose which music videos to direct?</strong><br>
I am a pop music lover, so I mainly work for pop music groups. Moreover, the experience has shown me the track should not bore me after the second time I listen to it as I’ll have to hear it around five hundred times when I do the editing!<br>
Actually, I would be interested to try new experiences and work for electronic music composers.</p><p><strong>You’ve been making films for many years, how has your style developed over time?</strong><br>
I’m getting more and more convinced that less is more! As Truffaut said, I’d rather show ten ideas in one shot then ten shots in one idea. I am slowing down, using black and white, trying to eliminate everything that is useless to the topic of the film in order to oppose this culture of “fast-food” disposable images.<br>
I want to take my time and offer a breath of fresh air to my spectators, to make them feel the atmosphere “off screen” rather than bombarding them with gratuitous images.</p><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/25686048">MAISON MARTIN MARGIELA -Men- Spring Summer 2012</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/simonelephant">Simon Eléphant</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p><p><strong>What’s the difference between making commercial films and music videos?</strong><br>
Well, at first making a music video allows me much more freedom but sometimes with brands like MMM or COS, even if there are more compromises to make, I’m still happy with the result.</p><p><strong>What does the future hold for you?</strong><br>
A feature film !</p>
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# Interview: Simon Eléphant is slowing down **Simon Eléphant** is one of France's hot young directors. Recently commissioned to direct the **COS Frieze Art Fair** short, Eléphant's career spans high-fashion movies, pop music videos and commercial videos for other French brands. **Maison Martin M...
Chunk #2 (Position: 1)
It's very interesting work, since we are a real team, and we are complementary. I am more inspired by the MMM spirit than the specific collection I'm working on and I am very much inspired by the minimalistic vision of MMM and the simple, falsely low-fi appearance of the MMM collections. **You ha...
Chunk #3 (Position: 2)
Moreover, the experience has shown me the track should not bore me after the second time I listen to it as I'll have to hear it around five hundred times when I do the editing. Actually, I would be interested to try new experiences and work for electronic music composers. **You've been making fil...