Ninja Turtles: “We didn’t think we were going to make a 2D image because it’s cool”

Julien Meesters : The interaction we had with the studio and the directors — of the same generation as us, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fans — was very good, and there was a real desire to collaborate. They told us: “It’s also your film!”. We all started to create in the same direction, with the same desire. Sometimes it was even a game between us and the United States, who was going to push the graphic style the furthest.

Julien Meesters : Usually, we are sent references and specifications, and we have to stick to that. On this project, the references were scribbled, it was out of shape… And above all we had the directive to avoid all digital effects: perfect blurs, loss of points… In short, it was anything but classic 3D animation.
Arnaud Philippe Giraux : Director Jeff Rowe gave us a lot of references: we were asked to be explosive in the painting and in the graphic style, to bring in elements of naivety like the little rays of the sun, or the fact of not finishing the windows of a building, as if by laziness of adolescence… He also cited more adult references, such as Spike Jonze, Spike Lee, and the film birdman at the calibration level. We were able to create with a lot of energy, but with our adult eyes.

Julien Meesters : I think everyone will see the reference, but it’s not that obvious. In ninja turtles, the style is completely dictated by the story: we are in this world of teenagers, who listen to music, find their style, scribble on the tables… We didn’t say to ourselves “we’re going to make an image 2D because it’s cool”. It’s a graphic style that comes deeply from the origin of the film universe, and it shows through all its elements, be it the visual language, the animation, the writing or the music.

Arnaud Philippe Giraux : In the universe of the Ninja Turtles, the adolescent facet of the characters had not yet been exploited. Until now, we had always ended up with muscular, adult, hero Turtles. In this film, we are in anti-hero, adolescence, the Turtles are looking for each other, they wonder who they are, where they are going. We are also in an assumed New York, dirty, dark and extremely urban and modern. With all this, the graphic style becomes borderline natural.

Vincent Le Roy : Between the first assets and the final plan, 550 people worked on the film, in three countries and for two years. A little less even, since we worked on it from September 2021 to June 2023. In total, there are around 1400 shots in the film, for as many versions… You add to that a billion liters of coffee, and you’re good .

Nathalie Masseret : One of the scenes that I like is a flashback where we see baby turtles, they are so cute. It’s a musical scene, the sound is good, and we have a 70s Splinter master who is quite funny. I really like.
Arnaud Philippe Giraux : For me, this is the last shot I worked on. He’s in the post-credits scene…and I won’t say more. I let the spectators discover it in theaters.