Gédéon

The opening of Paris 2024 will not only be remembered as a spectacle of superlatives, for the countless animations during the games also contributed to the striking aesthetics. Gédéon, France’s leading TV design agency, staged these different moving images to create a visual concert. For example, the 14-minute perfect synchronisation of images in motion with 60 dancers during the opening ceremony will remain unforgettable. “Without ever having a full rehearsal”, as the creative team revealed to us …

Interview with Emmanuelle Lacaze

Red Dot: How long did you work on this project and what were the biggest challenges?

Our collaboration with Paris 2024 was a five-year-long project which began with the secrecy of the emblem reveal. Then we were charged with animating the overall visual identity of the Games. Our challenge was to give life to a very complex and rich visual identity, initially thought for print and that needed to be adapted for very different uses and formats. As an example, we had to adapt these guidelines to the entire athlete presentation kit for the stadiums and to deal with 15 totally different and extremely large screen configurations. Then, after the Games, when the IOC added a last-minute 5th ceremony in central Paris, they needed animations for the Arc de Triomphe. We immediately suggested using the square formats we produced for social media. These designs, initially intended for very small screens, were perfectly adapted to the shape and scale of the monument. It was funny to see these animations, made for the size of a small mobile screen, displayed on this big monument. This example shows how adaptable our design system was.

Countless animations were created. How did you approach the overall concept?

To ensure consistency, we worked with Joachim Roncin, the artistic director of Paris 2024, to create and produce guidelines and animation kits for the look of the Games. Having realised hundreds of media branding projects, we are used to creating unique and cohesive designs, regardless of usage and format. For this project, we created the guidelines with a focus on motion and invested a lot of time to ensure that we would exceed expectations for such a global event. For example, we put together customised teams depending on the nature of the project and the skills required. We even set up a small animation studio to work on the mascots, the famous Phryges.

What was it like working with Thomas Jolly on the production of the opening ceremony?

It was a very special, innovative and exciting project. We felt privileged to have been chosen by Thierry Reboul to work with Thomas Jolly, the artistic director of the ceremony, and his team. It was great to collaborate with him, as he was very open to our ideas. After presenting us with his ideas on the concept and values, he listened to our creative suggestions and gave Gédéon free rein.