Renaissance, a futuristic thriller filmed in motion capture, animated in 3D and rendered in flat black and white, defies categorization. All images © Onyx Films/Millimages/Luxanimation/Timefirm Ltd./France 2 Cinema.

Renaissance is a futuristic animated thriller that’s filmed in motion capture, animated in 3D and rendered in flat black and white. In the year 2054 in Paris, police and the Avalon Corp. are trying to find a kidnapped researcher who holds knowledge that can transform the future of the human species altogether.

The film was in development well before Robert Rodriguez put together his demo of Sin City and Robert Zemeckis started work on Polar Express. “We came up with the first Renaissance concept back in 1997,” explains Marc Miance, founder of Attitude Studio, a facility dedicated entirely to the recreation of high-end virtual characters. “At the time, we were thinking of an animated CG film shot entirely in black and white with no shades of gray set in Paris.”

When Miance met Aton Soumache and Christian Volckman, Soumache had just produced Volckman’s short film, the multi award-winning Maaz that had been shot with real actors and then hand-painted frame by frame with Painter. They loved Miance’s idea and decided to produce a demo together. “We were naïve and ardent enough to go out there and pitch our film,” smiles Soumache. Very quickly, they convinced French TV channel France 2 and French distributor Pathé to pre-purchase the project.

At the time, there had been no Shrek to prove that an animated feature could appeal to the 15-35 demographic. Moreover, shooting the film entirely in black and white seemed an odd choice, not to mention the fact that sci-fi movies are not a genre that can easily find French financing. Adds Soumache, “The first question distributors would ask was “Who’s the audience?” The 15 million Euro budget was considered expensive for a European film, particularly since it was the director and the producer’s first feature, and that Miance was only beginning to set up Attitude Studio to handle the technical side of the project.

Financing came from France 2, Pathé, Disney and other Luxembourg and U.K. entities.

“But,” continues Soumache, “the strength of this film is its singularity. It is unique, ambitious, stunning and different. Renaissance has the French touch, but it deals with universal values that people from around the world can relate to. And so, while some worried about costs and audiences, others were immediately seduced by the project and wanted to be a part of it.” That’s what happened to Canadian film producer Jake Eberts who became an invaluable ally in the film’s financing. He saw the treatment and the three-minute demo, said, “That’s Matrix in animation!” and took the project to Hollywood.

Disney took the plunge, “It’s the first time that Disney pre-purchased a French film based on a script and a pilot,” says Soumache. Disney’s contribution made up 30% of the budget. Beyond France, international financing came mainly from Luxembourg and the U.K.