Champagne Valentine Toasts With Nexus

Nexus Signs Interactive Directing Team Champagne Valentine

UK-based animation and mixed media studio Nexus has signed the directing team Champagne Valentine, also known as Geoffrey Lillemon and Anita Fontaine. The signing is designed to take the studio into new areas of design and narrative, particularly in the interactive space.

Champagne Valentine blends motion graphics and live action with interactive techniques, producing work that draws upon their backgrounds in fine art, new media, online video games, animation, advertising and motion graphics.  The directing duo’s client roster includes campaigns for Diesel, VH1, Napster, Comedy Central and the audio-reactive live concert visuals for Paul Oakenfold’s 2008 world tour. They have also developed iPhone applications and have modified video game systems to create interactive installations.

The first completed project from Nexus and Champagne Valentine is an interactive music video for Sony artists Placebo titled “The Never Ending Why.”  It takes the viewer through an interactive landscape full of shadows, monsters and psychedelic kaleidoscopes of color. The duo also added another dimension to the video by creating an online interactive version, hosted by the band’s digital partner, Big Eye Deers.  The site allows users to immerse themselves and interact with elements of the  “The Never-Ending Why” world just by moving their mouse.

Other Champagne Valentine projects in the works are a three-dimensional website for the Tate Modern gallery in London and commercial projects where the duo will collaborate with existing Nexus directors

 “Nexus and Champagne Valentine opens up new story telling opportunities, pushing further our creative, design and production edge,” says company EP Cedric Gairard. “I’m also looking forward to what will come out from their collaboration with other Nexus directors.  It is going to be full of good surprises!”