Jean-Pierre Jeunet

1. Jean-Pierre Jeunet the art house darlingof French cinema Mr. Keith Trice (Luc)

2. “I was an only child for eleven years but I never got bored. I didn’t like people to bother me. I still don’t!” – Jean Pierre Jeunet

3. Early life: • Jeunet was born on September, 3rd 1953 in Roanne, France • Not much at all is known about Jeunet’s personal life; he is very private • Worked for a telephone company like his father • Bought a Super 8 camera at the age of 17 to experiment with

4. The Imagination + the Charm of Super 8 • Jeunet realized this camera was all he needed to make movies • “When I was a kid, I used to escape from my family with my imagination, and I kept this spirit into my adult life” • Imagination inspired his dark, light-hearted, and romantic visions

5. Super 8 Film • In the early 20th century, 8mm film was the solution to cutting both size and cost of equipment • George Eastman Kodak company introduced this new film in 1932 • 25” spool of 16mm with two sides; after each side of 8mm film was exposed, the two films were split and spliced together at the ends • This made it cheaper to experiment with film • In the 1960’s, Super 8mm film was introduced: bigger surface area to record more

6. Super 8 film – New York in Super 8 • Super 8

7. Jeunet’s Early Career • In his early 20’s, Jeunet moved to Paris as a handyman for a phone company • Attended university at Cinèmation Studios • Began making short films with Marc Caro • The two make several war-torn dystopian shorts– “The Bunker of the Last Shot” (1981) establishing their names in the film industry • Jeunet is known for his directing and casting; Marc Caro is known for his artistic direction– eventually they separated

8. Le Bunker de la DernièreRafale • The Bunker of the Last Gunshot (1981)

9. A Decade Apart… • Jeunet and Caro worked separately for ten years before their next collaboration • They made music videos and commercials in the meantime to finance their next film • Jeunet realizes later in his career that all you need in France is one major success to live off of in cinema

10. Delicatessen (1991) A major debut from Jeunet and Caro, Delicatessen is a hybrid mix of romance, comedy, and horror set in a post-apocalyptic surrealist city. TRAILER Awards

11. Continuing their Partnership… • Delicatessen awarded Jeunet and Caro with four cesars • Cesars included best new director(s) • They later went on to direct City of Lost Children in 1995 • In both films, Jeunet and Caro split responsibilities: Jeunet handled the directorship, storyboard, and actors, while Caro worked on the artistic direction

12. Jeunet and Caro Separate • After City of Lost Children, Jeunet and Caro pursue other endeavors • Jeunet is called to Hollywood to direct Alien: Resurrection in 1997 • The fourth installment in the Alien series is a flop because of poor writing (from Joss Whedon) and a mediocre cast • Jeunet returns to France keeping his thoughts on a special project, and the hopes that it will be his one success

13. Amélie • Amélie was written as a very special project for Jean-Pierre • The film is released to critical success in 2001 • In interviews, he points out that the main character, Amélie, is a representation of his childhood self • Set in Montmarte, Jeunetcreates a beautiful vision of the city of Paris • Amélie is Jeunet’s great success, setting him up for life

14. A Mastered Visual Style • The streets of Montmartre are colored in a beautiful, sepia-style warm filter (vivid reds and green, non-existent blue colors) • Graffiti on the streets were removed in post to make it as visually clean as possible • Shot in very wide angles (14, 18, 21, 25, & 27mm lenses) to capture as many details as possible; also to correct his actor’s facial features • Jeunet’s focus is to show you his interpretation of reality– one filled with warmth and imagination

15. The Color Process of Amélie • Colors are edited in post (this is called color-grading) • A technicolor filter was added to make red and green tones prominent, while de-saturating all blue tones • A warm filter was applied to mask the film in an orange tint • The combined results are a very warm image (possibly between 6500-7000 degrees in kelvin) • This same color-grading process may have been used in Jeunet’s earlier film, Delicatessen as it is also a very warm-looking film Color-grade Comparison

16. Amélie (cont.) • Original Trailer in French Amélie is a story about a young woman with a fantastical imagination, who because of a sheltered childhood, seeks to find the objects of other people’s pasts to re-acquaint them with their child-like sense of joy and wonder in the world. Awards

17. Successes After Amélie • Amélie was a film in which Jeunet had set the bar in France; consequently, he would be critiqued heavily for not keeping to his standards– especially after the release to Americans • Jeunet went on to direct “A Very Long Engagement” starring Audrey Tautou and Dominique Pinon • It received positive reviews, but it fell short of American movie-goer’s expectations

18. A distinction between French Cinèma and American Film • Jeunet had the “complete freedom” to work as he wanted on his French productions • In Hollywood, with “Alien: Resurrection”, he felt as if that freedom was stolen from him • American film is set around pre-establishment • French cinèma is based on the moment • Artistic direction in French cinéma is much more lax in this regard

19. An Interview with Jean-Pierre Jeunet • A life in pictures is an interview filmed in 2010 in which Jeunet explains his collaboration with Caro, his feelings on American cinéma and Hollywood, and his successes with Amélie • A Life in Pictures • Jeunet is working on an American film “The Young and Prodigious Spivet” which will feature an American cast including Helena Bonham Carter set to release in late 2013

20. Sources Used: • Link, Adrianna. "The Summer of Super 8: A Look at the Film's Technological Origins." Web log post. The Atlantic. Smithsonian, 16 June 2011. Web. 20 Apr. 2013. • Aftab, Kaleem. "Magic Moments: Jean-Pierre Jeunet." Web log post. The National. N.p., 15 July 2010. Web. 20 Apr. 2013. <http://www.thenational.ae/arts-culture/film/magic-moments-jean-pierre-jeunet>.

21. Sources Used (cont.) • "Jean Pierre Jeunet - Biography." IMDb - Jean Pierre Jeunet. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 20 Apr. 2013. <http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000466/bio>. • Richards, Evan E. "Deconstructing Amélie." Rev. of Amélie. Web log post. @ Evan E. Richards. N.p., 30 June 2011. Web. 20 Apr. 2013. <http://evanerichards.com/2011/2120>.