Nicolas Ménard makes whimsical illustrations, but that's not to say they're unsubstantial. After catching up with the graphic artist and animation director we found out he’s a thoughtful designer with the ability to take the minimal and give it a twist of the surreal. His clients include the likes of The New York Times, Google Play, XL Recordings and ARTV with his commercial animation represented by Nexus Productions. We’re huge fans of his work and with mediums ranging from animation to GIFs to illustrations, he’s got a whole lot of bases covered.
Tell us what you do for a living and who you work for?
I’m a graphic artist and animation director, so I mostly do a living out of illustration and animated films. I’m freelance, but since I’m represented by Nexus Productions, I spend most of my time in my studio space in their offices of Old Street, London.
What draws you to the animated image? Do you get different satisfaction from an animation than to an illustration?
Definitely, an animation brings an illustration to life. It’s a bit like magic. The notion of time and motion is unique and satisfying, even though the process can sometimes be slow and daunting. Some ideas can only work with animation, so it’s a good skill to own.
In fact, you turn your hand to a lot of different mediums – any favourite?
Yes! My favourite medium is the book. I’m very comfortable to work in that format, and it’s, to me, the most satisfying one. To be able to share a physical piece of work is highly satisfying. I love producing limited editions, too. I often start my films by making a book. It helps me nail the narrative and flow in a more intuitive way. How important is narrative to your work? I would say it’s becoming increasingly important. I just finalized the script for a new short film, and it’s the first time I’ve felt at ease writing one. My student films Loop Ring Chop Drink and Somewhere were both experiments and early attempts at crafting narratives. So these days I’m interested in two things: improving my design approach and improving my storytelling. I also like doing small experiments in narratives. I’ve been using Instagram for a few weeks now. It’s giving me the chance to try out some one liners from my sketchbooks, often in that sort of tragic, dark humour tone.
Even with commercial work such as California Inspires Me, your work has real heart – how do you approach a client’s work? Is it different to how you approach your work with Late Night Work Club?
Glad you think so! I try my best to put a lot of me inside each piece. With California Inspires Me, Jack Black’s fantastic storytelling had a lot to do with it. More recently though, I did a piece for CompHealth, a company promoting Locum Tenens doctors in the US. At first sight, the script wasn’t the most engaging piece of communication out there, dealing with a factual subject, but we did manage to put a lot of charm into it. I try to find has many engaging little ideas for the audience to enjoy these commercial pieces.
When it comes to personal work, it’s very different. I can communicate my vision freely. I can kill characters, use unexpected sound design and be more edgy with my designs. It is, to me, both liberating and necessary. What’s the craziest/most inspiring project you’ve ever worked on? Definitely the Tourist’s Illuminate music video. I loved the minimal, pop track that Will put together, and the client was really fun to work with. They were open to the strange visual universe I proposed, and that was really motivating. It was also my first experience as a director at Nexus. It couldn’t have been a better start (video above).
Any rituals you have when it comes to work?
England has teach me the benefits of a good cup of tea. I also find my best ideas when I procrastinate, usually when having a stroll or when cycling.
What's your all-time favourite piece of creative work?
Oh, that’s a hard one. I have a lot of favourites, but these two easily come to mind - Keith Haring’s big sculptures & Celyn Brazier’s Vitra film.
If you could give one piece of advice to an aspiring creative, what would it be?
Trust your instincts and obsessions, and use them as the foundation of your art.
