A day with director Olivier Megaton

Students at CinéCréatis Montpellier were lucky enough to attend a masterclass with director Olivier Megaton.

It was a day of exchanges about his profession and his varied career in France and abroad.

His main advice: be curious, never stop creating and get out of your comfort zone!

Olivier Megaton is renowned for his unique graphic approach and his art of framing and lighting.

He has enjoyed a string of successes on the big and small screens in France and abroad. His film credits include Taken 2 and 3, The Transporter 3, Colombiana and The Red Siren.

The director of Taken 2 and 3 but not only… !

Olivier Megaton is also a well-known author in the world of short films and advertising. He’s also a big name in the music world, having directed videos for artists such as Jean-Louis Aubert, Alizée, Kool Shen, Tryo, Corneille and Patrick Bruel.

It was precisely this facet of his work as a music video director that the artist spoke about during this exceptional day. It took him a long time to talk about his career and his art of the image.

It was a lively discussion, punctuated by questions and answers, distilling invaluable advice for apprentice film-makers. The talk was part of the module on making a video clip, which the students will have to produce as part of their course.

Over the course of the day, our students heard many anecdotes about filming, with the common thread being the advice to keep creating and practising.

Many thanks to Stéphane Caput, head of the Production department at CinéCréatis and Olivier Megaton’s collaborator on a number of projects.