Psst! Wanna know a secret? We had a visit from a music sensation, and it was everything!
On March 11th, the one and only d4vd, the singer behind ‘Remember Me’ (Arcane Season 2, Episode 6) came to visit our studios and it was a morning filled with creative insights!
The day kicked off with a warm welcome and of course: a proper French breakfast. We wanted to give d4vd a real taste of the Fortiche touch as soon as he arrived!
He met our directors – Pascal Charrue, Arnaud Delord, and Bart Maunoury and they dove right into discussions about animation, music, and all the creative sparks related to Arcane before heading off the studios tour:
1st step : Storyboard & Editing:
d4vd explored the storyboard department and joined Gilad Carmel (Editor) in the editing suite. They talked about the intricate process of synchronising the animatic to music and how temporary tracks are often used in the early stages. Gilad also shared how, for Season 2, having a near-final version of ‘Remember Me’ early in the process made the editing much smoother. It allowed them to create a truly ‘personalised’ sequence – right from the start!
He showed d4vd the animatic of his sequence and he was absolutely blown away by it!
2nd step: Production, Assets and Creative Direction
d4vd then had the opportunity to meet the third member of the founding trio, Jérôme Combe! They shared a great conversation about the studio and its creative journey.
Next up, d4vd delved into the asset & art department.
Faustine Dumontier, the episode’s Art Director, walked him through the art direction and color key process – explaining how it sets the visual tone. She showed d4vd a selection of images from his sequence, really highlighting its unique, dreamlike aesthetic.
After that, it was off to the matte painting department to meet Martin Bailly, our Matte Painting Supervisor. Martin unveiled the magic behind this unique watercolor-style, explaining how everything was hand-painted – no filters involved!
d4vd got to see a dissected view of his emotionally charged sequence!
3rd step: Compositing, Fortichers goodies and shooting!
After a visit to the Layout department, we took d4vd to the upper floor, where the compositing team works their magic to bring all the elements together.
He also got to see the auditorium with its inspiring fresco, showcasing Fortiche’s artistic influences. Being a big fan of Japanese animation, he was thrilled by all the studio’s anime-related items!
(And, of course, we had a photoshoot in front of all the Arcane posters…).
The morning wrapped up with some fantastic conversations, buzzing with creativity and shared passion.
d4vd didn’t leave empty-handed! He snagged some seriously awesome Fortiche goodies – an art book, mugs …and a healthy dose of our studio’s lively spirit!
