The arrival of Illogic Studios, Fortiche Studio, and Karlab confirms the attractiveness of a 2D/3D/VFX ecosystem that continues to grow stronger in the Mediterranean city.
A bastion for video games, Montpellier is also on the way to becoming a key location for 2D/3D animation and VFX special effects. Its advantages have not gone unnoticed by studios and production companies, such as Illogic Studios, Fortiche Studio and Karlab, which have decided to set up in the Mediterranean city.
The reasons for their choice are not lacking. "Until recently, everything in animation was very centralized in Paris, but we chose to set up in Montpellier because it is a dynamic city, a great place to live, where the animation sector is developing strongly," states Théophile Dufresne, CEO of Illogic Studios. The decision was further reinforced by the presence of a network of schools that teach animation and special effects, but also by the presence of an international airport that makes Montpellier a "southern city that is not too far from Paris."
Another determining factor is the vitality of the cultural and creative industries ecosystem. Illogic Studios moved into Halle Tropisme facility as soon as it opened in January 2019, where it established collaborations with its neighboring animation studio, The Beastmakers. A year later, Illogic expanded and moved into premises in Montpellier's historic center.
By developing 3D animations featuring animals, the studio continues the momentum set in motion by its creators. They have indeed, raked in more than 70 awards and a nomination at the 2018 Oscars for the short film Garden Party, and then via the Illogic collective, several awards for the release: Maestro.
It has been the same path for Karlab. "When we created our studio, we wanted to have one foot in Paris and another somewhere else in France. Montpellier was chosen very quickly. We knew several studios there and we knew that we could recruit the talent we need to perfect our team," observes Laurent Guittard, one of the studio's two co-directors, alongside Ali Hamdan.
Appreciated welcome and support
Karlab has been based at MIBI since July 2020 and has chosen to transfer its headquarters from the Île-de-France (Paris) region to Montpellier. "Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole welcomed us and is providing us with good support. Here, we are not just a number. We really appreciate that.”
Specializing in the creation of 3D characters, the studio's clients include Illumination Mac Guff, Mikros Animation and Ubisoft. It works with In Efecto, Dwarf Animation and Menhir FX, all based in and around Montpellier.
In the choices made by the studios, the quality of reception and support is a point that comes up often. The Parisian Fortiche Production will not say the opposite. The fact that it had already agreed to accompany Alexis Wanneroy, the animation supervisor, who had decided to settle in Montpellier, made the decision all the easier as the Montpellier Métropole teams facilitated the project by providing personalised support.
"As well as helping us in our search for premises, the Montpellier Métropole offered us an ideal and flexible base in the Millénaire business centre. This allowed us to start our activity in the autumn of 2020”, says the Parisian studio. Fortiche Animation started with about fifteen people and the studio is growing. "Montpellier is not for the short term," confirmed Emmanuelle Aubeau, the head of recruitment at Fortiche, to the daily newspaper Midi Libre.
An ecosystem producing masterful works
The animation film ecosystem continues to grow, with dynamic momentum that makes it shine. Josep is a brilliant example of this. Awarded a Cesar in 2021 in the Best Animated Film category, it is the result of a masterful combination of local talents, from the designer Aurel, based near Montpellier, to the production company Les Films d'Ici Méditerranée, via the studio Les Fées Spéciales.
In the Montpellier Métropole, success also comes in the form of collective ventures.
