INTERVIEW

What are you working on at the moment?

After the past two years, where I was teaching in different animation schools in Europe as well as Asia, Singapore and Taiwan, I'm now back in Los Angeles with the team from the Dreamworks film I worked on before leaving, which is called for the moment How to Train Your Dragon. It's an adventure comedy set in Viking times. I'm supervising animation along with four old colleagues and friends. I should be working about two years on the film, which is scheduled for release in 2010.

Have you already got future projects in mind?

If I have the time, which doesn't seem likely, I'm going to develop a film I've had in mind for a few months that I would like to make in France.

A few words on your recent "discoveries": a film that stood out for you, a young director that looks promising to you...

No film has stood out for me recently, but that's probably because I don't really have the time to go to the cinema at the moment!

A promising director: Pierre Coffin, an established director but who still has the future ahead of him (also because he's a former student of mine).
Someone who hasn't yet made a film but should: Alexandre Heboyan (also because he's in the office opposite mine). Someone who has already proved he is one of the best out there and who is at the Festival this year with a TV series in competition: Jean-Jacques Prunès (also because I was his assistant and he taught me everything).

What is your favourite film, animated or not?

Children of Paradise, City Lights, Grave of the Fireflies, Amadeus...