In celebration of Valentine’s Day, we spoke with Mikros talent about how they fell head-over-heals in love with animation, characters that hold a special place in their hearts, and artists that they admire.  

Today we’re shining a spotlight on Lead Software Developer, Laurent Clavier, out of our Paris studio. 

How and when did you discover your love for animation?   

It came quite naturally and was ingrained in many parts of my life. While doing photography, while working for the cinema at the time of the film, while seeing this magnificent and fragile object unfold its photograms, while playing with an ATARI, and in the first digitalization interfaces during my studies at ATI. With my first stop motion film made with a friend at university, Un sac à dos bien gourmant.  

Which artists in the industry do you admire? Who has been your biggest inspiration? 

I’m going to say Hayao Miyazaki, because My Neighbour Totoro is a gem that I can’t get enough of. But before that, Disney’s Fantasia was a revelation and Katsuhiro Otomo’s Akira was a slap in the face. 

The beginnings of 3D with Pixar’s Knick Knack was, for me, the first project that freed itself from technical demonstration and told a story.  

Animation is a great place to experiment. A notebook and a pencil are enough to make a flipbook.  

Which Mikros Animation character do you like the most?   

This is a difficult question, because I have empathy for all of them. Except maybe for Ronald McDonald in Logorama (which marked the beginning of the Mikros Animation adventure). He’s a real villain we don’t dare remake.

I have a lot of tenderness for the big innocent guys: Obelix and Captain Underpants (not in his principal form, of course). I also love Pectine for what she represents and Asterix’s boars (Grouiiiik!).

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