Martin Villeneuve – Demo Reel 2023 from Martin Villeneuve on Vimeo.

Cirque du Soleil alumnus and TED speaker Martin Villeneuve is a Montreal-based screenwriter, director, actor and producer. With a strong background in advertising, he has directed numerous commercials for Cirque du Soleil, in addition to music videos, short films and series. His feature film debut, the pioneering sci-fi romance “Mars & April,” starring Caroline Dhavernas (“Hannibal”) and internationally renowned stage director Robert Lepage, cost only a stunning $2.3 million CAD to produce. The film received 10 nominations including one for “Best Adapted Screenplay” at the Canadian Screen Awards, and toured in 20 festivals worldwide, starting with a World Premiere in Karlovy Vary. “Mars & April” has been described by io9 as “one of the most beautiful, and immersive, sci-fi worlds ever put on film.” Also, it brought Martin to TED where he became the first (and so far, the only) speaker to come out of Quebec, and the third filmmaker to give a TED Talk after James Cameron and J.J. Abrams. His talk has been subtitled in 33 languages and viewed more than a million times. In 2014, he won an award for his performance in his short film “Imelda”, for which he shot two sequels released in 2020. His second feature film, “The 12 Tasks of Imelda” – starring Robert Lepage, Ginette Reno, Michel Barrette, Lynda Beaulieu, Antoine Bertrand, Marc-François Blondin, Anne-Marie Cadieux and Yves Jacques – had its world premiere at the QCFF, and hit theaters across Quebec on October 28th, 2022. Among other projects, he is currently writing and directing the “Red Ketchup” animated series, to be aired on Adult Swim in 2023.

Watch Martin Villeneuve’s TED Talk: ted.com/talks/martin_villeneuve_how_i_made_an_impossible_film

SOURCES:

• Item 7 – “Aquarica” Animated fantasy feature film, currently in development, in collaboration with European comic book masters François Schuiten & Benoît Sokal.

• Prends ça court ! – “Imelda 2: the notary” & “Imelda 3: Simone” In these two sequels, Martin Villeneuve reprises the role of his grandmother, alongside co-stars Robert Lepage & Ginette Reno (2020).

• Prends ça court ! – “Imelda” Award-winning comedy short film starring Martin Villeneuve as his own grandmother (2014).

• TED Talks – “How I made an Impossible Film” Martin Villeneuve’s TED Talk about “Mars & April,” the sci-fi spectacular he made with virtually no money over a seven-year stretch (2013).

• Moment Factory – “AC Dreamin’” Mapping show projected on Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City (2013).

• Mars et Avril Inc. & Alliance Vivafilm – “Mars & April” Quebec’s first true science fiction feature film starring Robert Lepage, Caroline Dhavernas, Paul Ahmarani, Jacques Languirand, Jean Asselin, Stéphane Demers, Jean Marchand, Kathleen Fortin, Marcel Sabourin, André Montmorency and Gabriel Gascon (2012).

• Sid Lee & Cirque du Soleil – “Zumanity,” “KÀ,” “Corteo” Advertising (2003-2013).

It's cool right? They'll get in…

Zine Folding Schemes!

I created s a tip sheet for my old Making Comics classes that referenced the excellent info here on wikibooks to make sure it didn’t leave out any important bits.  I started making comics in the mid 80s in high school, and along with some of my classmates started a school comics company! To print them, we used the art department’s photocopier, and created B&W Zines! Sometimes called Ashcans in…

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Revisiting some old ideas about things I'd like to do to our cramped kitchen sink and counter. #sketching #drawing #creativemeditation (at Salgood Sam's Spilt Ink) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cog3UL8uCzo/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Lunar Rider Calling it done. Did a little looking for reference of the moons surface taken by a camera sitting on the regolith angled up at the lander or something, but realized this might not even exist, lots of reasons given how damaging the regolith is they wouldn't have done that with one of the 500Cs. But Ange had bagged some old flower and spices and rice to go into composting, and I thought, that would work in a tray with some lighting to create good reference. It did, in fact when I brought it in to use as a paint ref, I decided it looked so good I'd just photobash it in instead! I like the way the mix of ink and paint, digital work, and a bit of photobashed stuff is working together here. I've also taken a picture of a head I sculpted for a character in The New Armageddon Blues and worked him in as the hint of the Rider's face in the helmet, along with a reflection of what he's watching [a second Lunar Rider bounding up beside him]. #art #mixedmedia #pinup #MindEngine #drawing #scifi (at Salgood Sam's Spilt Ink) https://www.instagram.com/p/CoBSybQuZPK/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Did some fine tuning on two older images and decided to just go ahead and finish 'Moon Rider' up digitally. Close to done there, will sleep on it and consider in the morning! Can see already I'll probably revisit that front hub's shading. All three are going to be pinups in Mind Engine. That's the plan anyway. #art #comics #drawing #illustration (at Salgood Sam's Spilt Ink) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cn88Vi3Ozf1/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Someone forgot to turn off the lights. (at Dame Tartine - Déjeuner & Diner) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cnx2uPzsa1V/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Layouts for p4 of pg12, back to position two for the camera, now I'm thinking about where to gesture in a few more extras in the BG. Playing with PJ having the old man's hat on backwards - like she's going into mode - won't be shown in story but my thinking is he gives it to her so his neighbors recognize he's put her in charge for a few hours. #wip #comics #art #clipstudiopaint #drawing #layout #posing https://www.instagram.com/p/CnqZvDXOsKH/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Just thought I'd prep some notes while thinking about it about how the camera moves smoothly through this set of three shots. It's going to jump back in it's track to a wider pulled out version of the 2nd position for the 4th shot, cutting to a short time later and a costume and situation change for PJ, helping I hope to underline the change in time with the break in the motion. I move the pov of my 'camera' a lot in my comics, usually I'm thinking about it doing some kind of dolly or crane movement. And use breaks like this to underline the change in action/mood often. #process #sequentialart #layout #flowandtheeyelines #makemorecomics (at Drawing with Salgood Sam) https://www.instagram.com/p/CnoBM1JuMFE/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Was going to take a walk before bed, but then it started snowing and I ended up getting some personal stuff done instead. Bit more #wip on Nuts [Dream Life Book Two]. Like how that pantomime came out, spend way too much time on trying to get the gestures just right, but think I caught the look of skeptical but considering on the fruit sellers face there. #comic #drawing #graphicnovel #mindengine #clipstudiopaint (at Salgood Sam's Spilt Ink) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cnn_erSOdG1/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#wip on Dream Life book two. Recently decided to make that the subtitle of these instalments in Mind Engine, and use the old original working title of theis #comic, when I started working on it for book two. 'NUTS'. #digtitalart #clipstudiopaint #inking #art #drawing #process (at Salgood Sam's Spilt Ink) https://www.instagram.com/p/CnWAvS0OLWD/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Got a sexy package from @raidpress today, had Raid Two already so now the full set and some goodies. (at Salgood Sam's Spilt Ink) https://www.instagram.com/p/CnSp4K5vGrs/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Done for now, like leavening it simple with this one. #comics #art #inks #mindengine #drawing (at Salgood Sam's Spilt Ink) https://www.instagram.com/p/CnQuIG6uKhu/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#wip #Inking Cat Kafka, a one pager #comic prompted by an old friends FB post. Blue seems to not be working on my printer so pronted orange lines on Bristol, pigment pens and brush pens and presto pen. (at Salgood Sam's Spilt Ink) https://www.instagram.com/p/CnOKgn_MQaC/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

I haven't made a lot of #AntiAI memes, in the end my position is between the camps often, recently seen some arguing simply subjective moralizations of the #aesthetics of AI, and in the past gatekeeping what is #Art or who is an #Artist often, I don't really agree with those, or the idea that most people will simply lose interest in #human generated works in the first place. + #Automating the personal and the most enjoyable is madness #techbros, and because of that I think it will ultimately fail. But we do need to fight that in the courts both for our own self interest, and to make sure corporations understand it's legal minefield, as any other potential risk of #copyright #infringement is. And to do that we have to make training without consent infringement without question. For my own use though, I can see a use in having control over the rights, and training my own bot I can license out to do low end corporate work for reasonable fees. And for my #comics, I can see using very well controlled rendering tools that run on AI engines and mimic my work, directed by my intent, to make my own stories a LOT faster and frankly? Sustainably and healthier. Get a page done in a quarter of the time and still get in daily walks and eating right? Yes please. I'd be a mosaicist not to see the potential there. And it would free me up to do the choice bits myself or final touches, take more time and care with those. And because I still have faith in humans, I don't think those who care about my stories and ideas now, will not care even via additional tools, Or that they will prefer the one sided mirror of a purely algorithmic creation that shows them nothing more than a reflection of their own interpretation. I could see some being interesting as reflections of humanity as a whole, as it is our work the AI are trained on. but it is of the gestalt, and no one in particular. Even as a hermit I care more about other individual humans, than nameless masses in the end, or our collective cast shadows on our cave walls. (at Salgood Sam's Spilt Ink) https://www.instagram.com/p/CnA6lthuA-p/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Processpod 12: Happy Global Orbital Anniversary! Remembering Bill Paul saving my hide, forgetting to do things, and not a list of resolutions for the new year. https://mindengine.substack.com/p/processpod-12-happy-global-orbital #podcast #ASD #ADHD #art #scientific #illustrations (at Salgood Sam's Spilt Ink) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cm8KzJvu0_m/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

A rough mock up for a pin up for #MindEngine : Moon Biker! Not sure if I'll finish it digital or use this as a rough for an analog painting. The Earth and stars are a RU of art from Page one of Dream Life [ink and wash on paper] the rest is built up in #ClipStudio #art #drawing #scifi #rover #nasa (at Salgood Sam's Spilt Ink) https://www.instagram.com/p/CmIg2h_OOt8/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=