BANDITS
French director Jean-Baptiste Mondino and producer Philippe Dupuis-Mendel established Bandits in 1989, with business based on advertising and music videos. "Mondino didn't like to be a manager. Today, he only works as a director," says Dupuis-Mendel. Bandits' reputation is worldwide, and the company hires foreign directors like Jonathan Glazer (UK) and Johan Renck (Sweden). "Bandits was the first company to represent Propaganda's directors in France through an agreement with them," says Dupuis-Mendel. "Today, our work is based on opportunities with American agencies. In the UK, we work with Academy and Outsiders."

Besides Mondino, whose work has been famous since the '80s (advertising campaigns for Calvin Klein, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Dior and Kenzo and videos for Madonna), Bandits works with French directors such as Eric & Pascal and Vincent Jérôme, and produces an average of 20 spots every year.

"The French marketplace has been moving for several years. First, the advertising and video clip industries are less isolated and that helps to find new talent who often begin by directing a video clip," says Dupuis-Mendel. "Then, French advertising [spots] are produced with smaller budgets than American and English [spots], but our attraction is our creativity, a mix of Nordic and Latin influences."

ENTROPIE
With an average of 20 commercials every year and US$12.5 million in annual revenues, Entropie is part of France's young and creative production company community. The shop is managed by Nicolas Leclercq, who first worked as an engineer in the French Dassault company. "Advertising is the best way to approach the movie industry. I started to work for BBDP agency, then I produced video clips," says Leclercq, who divides his time between advertising, cinema and television. Entropie recently finished the production of a Pepsi spot for BBDO Spain that will run in Brazil. It has also produced a Euro RSCG BETC spot for Hollywood Chewing Gum (a Kraft Jacob Suchard's brand).

Entropie works with French directors such as the Poiraud brothers (see story page 21), Thierry Rajik and Pierre Salvadori, and foreign directors such as Othmar Sweers (Holland). "We would like to institute representative agreements with foreign production companies, so our directors could work out of France and we could work with their directors. It's in discussions," says Leclercq, who cares about the strong personality of his directors. "The marketplace is always looking for young talent, and our job is to find some," he adds.

PARTIZAN MIDI MINUIT
Partizan Midi Minuit is one of the French production companies that has been successful in its worldwide strategy of growth. The Paris-based company opened its London office in 1991 and in the US (Los Angeles and New York) in 1996. "We have an international view of our work," says producer Georges Bermann, who started Midi Minuit in 1986. "In the three countries, we have the same profile of a creative and innovative company that keeps its size small and makes good [spots]."