PORTLAND, OR — Director Julien Vanhoenacker is now being represented exclusively in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand by Bent Image Lab, here. Vanhoenacker is a skilled live action director who also brings the innovative perspective of an experienced VFX and CG artist. He is currently working in Bangkok, Thailand, and has a list of credits that include surrealistic short films, commercials and music videos.
His work often explores the boundaries of live action paired with stunning visual effects to tell brand stories in cinematic style. To date, Vanhoenacker has worked with brands that include Samsung, Isuzu, Mazda, Cadillac and Motorola.
“Getting a new project is a balancing act,” he says. “I like to look at the board or script and let it sink in while at the same time being careful not to allow it to engrave itself in stone in order keep flexibility and leave room to new ideas. Bent understands my approach and that is a key reason why I signed with them.
“Relying on the extensive work of pre-production, planning and experimenting, shooting live action is always a mix of teamwork, focus and enjoying the moment,” he continues. “I especially love mixing in-camera footage and CGI because it adds a lot of life to the final picture. It is important to allow for the unexpected, the little mistakes that can turn into interesting bits of character.”
Vanhoenacker’s latest spot for IMG Worlds of Adventure in Dubai, called The Magic Ticket, showcases both live action with the emphasis on action and his ability to create believeable fantasy with CG animation.