Director, Writer and Producer of Full Throttle
Your project has entered in our festival. What
is your project about?
This movie is about un
unknowed young man, who sit in a Porsche car, parked in a downtown street and
who goes driving around the city of Toulouse.
What are your ambitions with your project?
My ambition was, for my
first short film, to tell this story and show three different directing style
effects : the theme music, the end freeze frame and also the rock music
style. All that matched with a sunny and dynamic shooting.
Tell us something about your shooting? What
pleasantly surprised you?
The shooting was really
pleasant and I easily got the necessary authorisations to shoot on public
roads. I also could end the shooting half a day earlier than scheduled, and
very important, I obtained a beautiful car for free from a cars salesman. In
addition the weather was the one I expected, set fair on Toulouse « The Pink
Town » The team was friendly
and dynamic, some people around, above all children applauded when racing
scenes. My favorite surprising
moment was on the final scene when I said « action ! » an A380 Airbus
plane crossed the camera field and gave more dimension to this plan.
For what group of spectators is your film
targeted?
It is au PG movie. Both
young and old can watch it, unrestricted.
Why should distributors buy your
film?
Plein Gaz was made in a
good dynamic, because it is essential to transmit this mood to the audiance who
wants to enjoy different sort of show, new movie makers.
This is also a first film, and the first car race shooted in the streets of Toulouse. This film was inspired from Claude Lelouch « c’était un rendez-vous ». He remains very popular and he is car enthusiast.
How would you specify your work? What
characterizes your film?
For this movie, I
decided to immediatly imposed a visual style game, similar to Top Gun. The
theme music, the rising sun that allow to show the general style. I wanted to
use various and high standard colours, a steady pace that captivates the viewer
until the end. In my point of view, the music is an essential element in the making of a film.
It highlights the staging and transmits emotions, that is why there are three
peaces of original musics
Why did you decided to become a
filmmaker?
The very first time, I
was 12 years old, when I discovered Steven Spielberg « Jaws ». I
became interested in this director who revolutionised cinema with his
entertainment films. Over time I also had stories to tell and began to write
some in order to realise them and make that people enjoy.
Who is your role model?
My model is Tony Scott first, who is, in my
point of view a virtuoso of directing. He had a great carreer whether in
cinema, or add, or music video. He has got his own style.
Which movies are your favorites? Why?
My first favorite movie is of course Top Gun from Ton Scott, for the story in three parts, the acting like a music video, the colours, its orginal music definitly pop rock and the actors, above all Tom Cruise who is extremely believable as Maverick. My second favorite movie is Speed from Jan de Bont. It was his first movie and it really is a stroke of genius. For me, this film is a lesson in cinema concerning the original music from Mark Mancina at also for the rythm of the movie
My third favorite film is an adventure movie : Romancing the Stone from Robert Zemeckis. After that all his movies were successful. All what you can look for in a movie from the 80’s is in this one, and you find the best : the store from Alan Silvestri, the dynamic acting, the humour of the high-end scenario from Diane Thomas
Where do you look for inspiration for your films?
Essentially from music, I write the scenes after listening them and I create the story around. Of course, I think about what I would like to watch at cine. The city where I was born, Toulouse in south of France, inspires me a lot because it is not showed a lot in movies despite a real interesting esthetic.
Which topics interest you the most?
I would say my personal succes because, for me, it is important to fulfill oneself throughout life. I also think about dream, we all have a dream or should all have dream to have a good reason to move forward. It is like the story of a movie. Finally, freedom is also very important for me because, it seems important to me to do things freely
What do you consider your greatest achievement in your career?
Until today, I would say the directing of my first short movie, because is the beginning of my carreer. I allow to show my way of working and my style, that is what I wanted to show with Plein Gaz. As for any movie maker beginning, the first short film is important because it is the time when one creates his own movie style.
What do you consider most important about filming?
The organisation ; respect of schedule ; respect of the team. It is important for me that people working on a movie, enjoy to be there, and take pleasure to work on the project. If the projet is well prepared, things go really easier.
Which film technique of shooting do you consider the best?
The counter dive which allows to iconize the chararcters, create a feeling of greatness and power, that does Tony Scott in his movies. The counter dive highlights things a lot. Mickael Bay use it as well in many of his movies.
How would you rate/What is your opinion about current filmmaking?
I would say current filmmaking has lost its greatness. Both French cinema and American one. France use to have genius directors like Luc Besson, jean Jacques Annaud, Jean Marie Poiré and also genius producers like Claude Berri or Alain Sarde. These men use to have strong tempers and we could feel that in their movies. Unfortunately, some of them have disappeared and my opinion is that nowadays many movies are similar. In America, famous director « mentor directors » like Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, Brian de Palma leave room, little by little, to a new generation of directors who make similar movies without particular style.
I think that cinema needs a new breath like it happened with 60/70’s New Holliwood
What can disappoint you in a movie?
It is often the quality of the scenario, but I could also say the lack of rythm. It is important to fascinate the audience. Music can take part of it even if sometimes the dialogue is boring.
Who supports you in your film career?
My family is my first support, and my friends. They are very important for me, for my motivation to go ahead and keep full my desire to work in cinema
Full Throttle
A young man gets into a gleaming Porsche and rushes at breakneck speed through the streets of Toulouse.
© Cannes Film Awards 2020 - 2024