Victor Boccard : A talent to keep an eye on !
At first glance, Victor Boccard‘s good looks make him look like an actor or model, which is obviously what he also used to be. Today, he’s gone through the looking glass and is blossoming in directing, production and photography.
Raised in a family with a passion for cinema and photography, Victor had little interest in school and soon realized that he had little free time to devote to his true passion: cinema. So, he decided to leave the traditional school system to devote 100% of his time to what he loves. He briefly passed through a film-making school in Paris, where he admits he learned what not to do, before launching into acting, because he wanted to understand everything about the process of image making, whether cinematographic or photographic. Obsessed by aesthetics, his constant challenge is to find a certain satisfaction in each of his creations. His images and films are undeniably the fruit of his experience as an actor and art director in advertising. He seeks to convey strong feelings through powerful, striking images. His signature is his highly cinematographic framing, which is both pop and modern. He loves exploring new techniques.
As he prepares to make his final short fiction film (before taking the plunge into feature films), he is also developing his world through music, which is undoubtedly his greatest source of inspiration.
For him, the approach to a short film, fashion campaign, advert or music video is always the same: it’s all about telling a story.
His work as a photographer is superimposed on that of filmmaker, again using post-production, motion blur and background painting to reveal shots that reveal a chic, surreal world.
Website : www.victorboccard.com
Instagram : victor_boccard
What was your first photographic breakthrough?
Victor Boccard: I think it was photographing the Grand Canyon from a helicopter at the age of 7. After that, I totally forgot what photography was and lost myself in cinema. Then, around the age of 11, I started photographing models. This taught me to master light.
The man or woman who inspires you?
V.B.: Strange as it may sound, I’d have to say Alain Delon. He inspires me in my images because of his class, and no doubt because of the nostalgic side of the Samurai era. In fact, I think this whole period also inspired a whole generation of Asian photographers and film-makers who are now my inspiration, in particular the Chinese Leslie Zeng. Our aesthetic is very similar.
What image would you like to have taken?
V.B.: Any portrait of a young Alain Delon. At the time, he had the beauty of the devil. But also the iconic images of David Bowie taken by Japanese photographer Masayoshi Sukita. Today, they’re a must-have reference.
Which one moved you the most?
V.B.: The image that spontaneously comes to mind is that of Robert de Niro against a blue background in his Malibu apartment in Michael Man’s “Heat”.
And the one that made you angry?
V.B.: Not really angry. But isn’t the purpose of an image to provoke a reaction, whether positive or negative, in the person who sees it? A photo that leaves you indifferent is not a good picture.
A key image in your personal pantheon?
V.B.: There are several, including one by Leslie Zeng, of course, but also certain images by Irving Penn. On the other hand, I’d also mention paintings by Vermeer and Rembrandt, who for me are artists who produced very photographic paintings.
A photographic memory from your childhood?
V.B.: The American West. It was the trip I took in 2005 that forever imprinted my desire to become a filmmaker and photographer. The Utah desert and Ridley Scott’s “Thelma and Louise” are part of the imagery I grew up with.
In your opinion, what’s the quality needed to be a good photographer?
V.B.: I dare say there isn’t one. But I think the tool is just a tool to get the job done. For me, photography is all about staging, so you have to know how to work with a team and keep it alive right to the end. It’s also important to trust yourself and know how to surround yourself, but also to know how to listen to others.
What, if any, is the secret of the perfect image?
V.B.: I’m an aesthete, and I know that there’s no such thing as a perfect equation in the original sense of the word. I need an image to give me a sense of calm.
Who would you like to photograph?
V.B.: I’d love to have photographed Marlon Brando, David Bowie, James Dean, but if it’s still possible: Dua Lipa, Gong Lee and many others.
Is there an essential photo book?
V.B.: There are many, and at the same time I’d like there to be none. Because consulting these books, just like Pinterest, Instagram and the like, would inevitably influence me, consciously or unconsciously I might add, and I want to avoid that. On the other hand, I have a lot of non-photo books that inspire me.
What was your childhood camera?
V.B.: A Canon 350D
The one you use today?
V.B.: I now only shoot in medium format, with a Hasselblad in film and digital.
How would you describe your creative process?
V.B.: It all starts with a mood board. I build up a stock of things I like that will inspire me. Then come the styling, the model and the decor.
Do you have an upcoming project that’s close to your heart?
V.B.: A period film, which will be my last short before moving on to feature films. A love story about Japan, a country I’m passionate about and whose aesthetics I love enormously. In terms of photography, I’d like to make a series based on the four seasons.
What’s your favorite drug?
V.B.: Music and tea.
What’s the best way for you to switch off?
V.B.: Flying, because I feel out of time.
What is your relationship with images?
V.B.: I love images; I feed on them. It’s a fusional relationship.
How would you describe your personality?
V.B.: I’d say I’m an introvert who’s worked hard to become an extrovert.
Your latest folly?
V.B.: All the traveling I’ve done recently.
An image to illustrate a new banknote?
V.B.: The Virgin Mary or Clint Eastwood
The job you wouldn’t have liked to do?
V.B. : Working in a bank, being a social worker, etc… But honestly, I can’t imagine myself doing anything else than photography.
Your greatest professional extravagance?
V.B.: To illustrate in my own way “Fake it till you make it. Let me explain: to get noticed, I personally financed images that I passed off as commissions, and it worked!
What’s the question that gets you off track?
V.B.: There are two, the first: “Would you rather be an actor, director or photographer”, which drives me crazy, because why should I choose. The other question might be: “Aren’t you too ambitious?
Which city, country or culture would you most like to discover?
V.B.: I’d like to get to know the countries of South America better, especially Mexico, whose culture – which I’ve already discovered a little – appeals to me greatly.
The place you never tire of?
V.B.: At home!
Your biggest regret?
V.B.: I don’t have any!
In terms of social networks, do you prefer Instagram, Facebook, Tik Tok or Twitter, and why?
V.B.: Instagram, definitely. It’s a sort of showcase for my work.
Color or B&W?
V.B.: Color.
Daylight or artificial light?
V.B.: Studio, of course.
What do you consider to be the most photogenic city?
V.B.: New York, Paris, Tokyo.
If God existed, would you ask him to pose for you, or would you opt for a selfie with him?
V.B.: Definitely pose for me.
If I could organize your ideal dinner party, who would sit at the table?
V.B.: Ridley Scott, Michael Man, Clint Eastwood and Sade.
What image would you say represents the current state of the world?
V.B.: All I see are ruins, although ruins can also be beautiful.
What’s missing in today’s world?
V.B. : Singularity. Because I deplore the fact that, at present, there’s a levelling down in many areas.
If you had to start all over again?
V.B.: I might try to start my career earlier. At the same time, I’d say that you have to give things time, so basically, I wouldn’t change a thing.
What would you like people to say about you?
V.B.: That’s a difficult question, because I don’t want to sound pretentious or falsely detached. While I’m alive or after I’m dead?
It’s up to you!
V.B.: Basically, I wouldn’t like anyone to say anything in particular about me. If people are already talking about me, that would be great. And if I manage to touch some people at their most intimate level, I’ll have won everything.
What’s the one thing you absolutely must know about yourself?
V.B.: In the end, after all this quest for beauty and aesthetics, to show off and satisfy my ego, it’s all just a way of concealing a kind of fragility, sensitivity and perhaps even a certain insecurity. So behind the carapace, I’m just a passionate person who wants to share his passion.
Any last words?
V.B.: Remind me how you first spotted me (laughs).
