Nicolas Ménard takes on 18 films for Facebook Groups

It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of Nicolas Ménard’s work. “Somewhere” is one of my favorite short films to date. What I find so intriguing abut Nicolas’ work is his ability to break down a complex subject into its simplest possible form. He is a designer first and foremost, and every frame he touches feels considered.

Nicolas’ recent work for Facebook is no different. In this instance, he took on the arduous task of creating 18 microfilms — and you know what? They’re all good!

Produced at Nexus with the help of Antfood for original music and sound design, Facebook Groups charts various user experiences during three of life’s major milestones: becoming new parents, parents of preschoolers and finally college students.

One aspect that I particularly enjoy about Facebook Groups is the use of color. Nicolas uses colors that border on being abrasive but does so in a way that is clean and sophisticated. The restrained palette used throughout each microfilm helps you quickly digest the graphic language, and its consistency creates a clear hierarchy that allows you to focus on what is most important, the character-driven storylines.

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Outside of the graphic, stylized characters; these films mashup the mundane and the whimsical in a wonderful way. In each story, we are presented with a relatively normal scene acting as an establishing shot. However, reality is quickly broken as we are swept along in a fun and energetic ride with the protagonists who, having used Facebook Groups, are reaping the rewards.

As with all of Nicolas’ work, the strength of his voice is clear and prominent. In the current climate of trending styles Nicolas’ work stands out and, as always, it’s abundantly clear that the work is his own.

Links

Credits

Client: Facebook
Agency: The Factory at Facebook
VP of Brand Marketing: Rebecca Van Dyck
VP, Executive Creative Director: Scott Trattner
Product Marketing Director: Kate Rouche
Director of Marketing Communications: Jennifer Henry
Creative Director: Luke Martin, Chris Trumbull
Art Director: Melinda Keough
Copywriter: Kevin Tenglin
Executive Producer: Margaret McLaughlin
Producer: Brian Coate
Brand Marketing Manager: Alyssa Rogers
Brand Strategy: Ravi Khanna
Comms Planner: Deborah Kang
Product Marketing Mananger: Devanshi Mehta Bhandari, JK Ogungbadero
Marketing Research Manager: Oliver Raskin
Marketing Insights Analyst: Jon Kaslow

Nexus Productions
Production Company: Nexus Productions
Director: Nicolas Menard
Executive Producer: Julia Parfitt
Producer: Mariano Melman
Project Lead: Mark Davies
Production Manager: Greet Kallikorm
Production Assistant: Rebecca Archer
Design Lead: Nicolas Ménard, James Graham
Storyboards: James Graham
Design: Sarah Deane, Jessica Robinson
Animation: Iris Abols, Tom Bunker, Andrew Clarke, James Hatley, Isaac Holland, Sean Weston, Felix Massie, Claudio Salas
Compositing: Alasdair Brotherston
Final Edit: Dave Slade
Studio Manager: Natalie Busuttil
Runner: Lucy Caetano

Sound Design / Music: Antfood, NY
Mix: Tom Joyce / The Factory UK, John Bolen / Formosa LA

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About the author

Joe Donaldson

/ www.joedonaldson.tv
Joe Donaldson is a director, designer, and animator who worked on Motionograpgher from 2014-2020. Previously, he was an art director at Buck. Over the past decade, he's lived and worked in Chicago, New York City, and Los Angeles and has directed work for clients such as Apple, Google, Instagram, The New York Times, Unicef, Etsy, and The New Yorker. In addition to his creative work, in 2018 he started Holdframe. He's now working as a professor at Ringling College of Art and Design and when not teaching he can be found spending time with his family or out running.