Mac Guff (also known as Mac Guff Ligne) is a French

visual effects Visual effects (sometimes abbreviated as VFX) is the process by which imagery is created or manipulated outside the context of a live-action shot in filmmaking and video production. The integration of live-action footage and other live-action fo ...

company based in Los Angeles, United States, Brussels, Belgium and Paris, France, where it is headquartered. Mac Guff specializes in the creation of

computer graphics Computer graphics deals with generating images and art with the aid of computers. Computer graphics is a core technology in digital photography, film, video games, digital art, cell phone and computer displays, and many specialized applications. ...

for commercials, music videos, television series, and feature films. 270 graphic designers, VFX supervisors and producers, computer engineers, and administrators are usually working on over 100 million files (for ''

Despicable Me ''Despicable Me'' is an American media franchise created by Sergio Pablos, Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio. It centers on a supervillain turned secret agent named Gru, his adoptive daughters, Margo, Edith, and Agnes, and his yellow-colored Minions ...

''). In mid-2011, the company was split in two, and the animation department was acquired by Illumination Entertainment (

Universal Studios Universal Studios may refer to: * Universal Studios, Inc., an American media and entertainment conglomerate ** Universal Pictures, an American film studio ** Universal Studios Lot, a film and television studio complex * Various theme parks operat ...

). The new company was named Illumination Mac Guff (now known as Illumination Studios Paris) and has capital worth 3.2 million euro.

Company name

The company name Mac Guff was inspired by the term

MacGuffin In fiction, a MacGuffin (sometimes McGuffin) is an object, device, or event that is necessary to the plot and the motivation of the characters, but insignificant, unimportant, or irrelevant in itself. The term was originated by Angus MacPhail fo ...

. The director and producer

Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English film director. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featu ...

popularized both the term "MacGuffin" and the technique.

Animated productions

*''

La Vie des bêtes LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second most populous city in the United States of America. La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music *La (musical note), or A, the sixth note *"L.A.", a song by Elliott Smit ...

'' (1988, design.

Philippe Starck Philippe Starck (; born 18 January 1949) is a French industrial architect and designer known for his wide range of designs, including interior design, architecture, household objects, furniture, boats and other vehicles. His most popular pieces ...

) *"

Love Don't Let Me Go "Love Don't Let Me Go" is a song by French DJ and producer David Guetta, featuring vocals from singer and long-time collaborator Chris Willis. The track was released as the second single from his debut studio album, ''Just a Little More Love'' ...

" (2002,

music video A music video is a video that integrates a song or an album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device intended to ...

for

David Guetta Pierre David Guetta (; born 7 November 1967) is a French DJ and record producer. He has sold over 10 million albums and 65 million singles globally, with more than 30 billion streams on Spotify. Guetta was voted the number one DJ in the DJ Mag ...

dir. Olivier Boscovitch) *'' Pat & Stan'' (2004–2010,

television series A television show, TV program (), or simply a TV show, is the general reference to any content produced for viewing on a television set that is broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, and cable, or distributed digitally on streaming plat ...

dir. Pierre Coffin) *'' Azur & Asmar: The Princes' Quest'' (2006,

feature film A feature film or feature-length film (often abbreviated to feature), also called a theatrical film, is a film (Film, motion picture, "movie" or simply “picture”) with a running time long enough to be considered the principal or sole present ...

dir. Michel Ocelot) *''

Dragon Hunters ''Dragon Hunters'' ( French: ''Chasseurs de dragons'') is an animated fantasy comedy television series created by Arthur Qwak and produced by the French company Futurikon in co-production with France 3, Super RTL, RTL-TVI (season 1) and Your Fam ...

'' (2008, feature film dir.

Arthur Qwak Arthur Qwak (born as François Hemen, December 25, 1961) is a French animator and comic-book writer. Filmography *'' Orson and Olivia'' (television series, 26 episodes) *''Sonic Underground'' (television series, 14 episodes) *'' Malo Korrigan'' ...

and Guillaume Ivernel) *''

'' (2010, feature film dir.

Pierre Coffin Pierre-Louis Padang Coffin (born 16 March 1967) is a French animator, director, producer, writer, and voice actor. He is best known for co-directing the first four installments in the Despicable Me, ''Despicable Me'' franchise and being the prima ...

and

Chris Renaud Chris Renaud (born December 1966) is an American filmmaker, designer, storyboard artist, and voice actor. He is best known for his work at Illumination (company), Illumination, including directing the company's animated films such as the Despica ...

) * ''Home Makeover'', ''Orientation Day'', and ''Banana'' (2010, short films) *'' Hop'' (2011, feature film dir. Tim Hill, Illumination opening logo variant only) *''Brad & Gary'' (2011, short film) *''

A Monster in Paris ''A Monster in Paris'' () is a 2011 French animated musical comedy science fantasy adventure film directed by Bibo Bergeron, and based on a story he wrote. It was produced by Luc Besson, written by Bergeron and Stéphane Kazandjian, and distribu ...

'' (2011, feature film dir.

Bibo Bergeron Eric "Bibo" Bergeron (born July 14, 1965) is a French animator and film director. His work includes ''The Road to El Dorado'' (2000), ''Shark Tale'' (2004) and '' A Monster in Paris'' (2011). Bergeron has served as animator on films like '' Aster ...

) *''

The Lorax ''The Lorax'' is a children's literature, children's book written by Dr. Seuss and published in 1971. It chronicles the plight of the Biophysical environment, environment and the Lorax, the main character, who "speaks for the trees" and confront ...

'' (2012, feature film dir.

) *''

Kirikou and the Men and Women ''Kirikou and the Men and Women'' () is a 2012 French animated children's film written and directed by Michel Ocelot. The second sequel to Ocelot's 1998 film ''Kirikou and the Sorceress'', following '' Kirikou and the Wild Beasts'' (2005), the fi ...

'' (2012, feature film dir.

Michel Ocelot Michel Ocelot (; born 27 October 1943) is a French writer, designer, storyboard artist and director of animated films and television programs (formerly also animator, background artist, narrator and other roles in earlier works) and a former pre ...

) *''

Life, Animated ''Life, Animated'' is a 2016 American independent documentary film by director Roger Ross Williams. It is co-produced by Williams with Julie Goldman, Carolyn Hepburn and Christopher Clements. ''Life, Animated'' is based on journalist Ron Sus ...

'' (2016, feature film dir.

Roger Ross Williams Roger Ross Williams (born September 16, 1962) is an American director, producer and writer and the first African American director to win an Academy Award (Oscar), with his short film '' Music by Prudence''; this film won the Academy Award for B ...

, animated sequences only) *''

Dilili in Paris ''Dilili in Paris'' () is a 2018 animated period adventure film written and directed by Michel Ocelot, with pre-production by Studio O and animation production by Mac Guff, about a Kanak girl investigating a mystery in Paris in the ''Belle Ép ...

'' (2018, feature film dir.

) *'' SamSam'' (2020, feature film dir. Tanguy de Kermel) *''

Around the World in 80 Days ''Around the World in Eighty Days'' () is an adventure novel by the French writer Jules Verne, first published in French in 1872. In the story, Phileas Fogg of London and his newly employed French valet Passepartout attempt to circumnavigate ...

'' (2021, feature film dir. Samuel Tourneux) *'' Night of the Zoopocalypse'' (2024, feature film dir. Rodrigo Perez-Castro and Ricardo Curtis)

Features

* 1995: ''

La Haine (, ; released in the United States as ''Hate'') is a 1995 French social thriller film written, co-edited, and directed by Mathieu Kassovitz. Starring Vincent Cassel, Hubert Koundé and Saïd Taghmaoui, the film chronicles a day and night in ...

'' * 1997: ''

Dobermann The Dobermann is a German list of dog breeds, breed of medium-large working dog of pinscher type. It was originally bred in Thuringia in about 1890 by Karl Friedrich Louis Dobermann, Louis Dobermann, a tax collector.Contact Contact may refer to: Interaction Physical interaction * Contact (geology), a common geological feature * Contact lens or contact, a lens placed on the eye * Contact sport, a sport in which players make contact with other players or objects * C ...

'' * 1998: ''

Quasimodo d'El Paris ''Quasimodo d'El Paris'' is a 1999 French film that is a comedic adaptation of the 1831 novel ''The Hunchback of Notre-Dame'' (''Notre-Dame de Paris'') by Victor Hugo. Plot The location is the town of El Paris. When ten-year-old boy Quasimodo show ...

'' * 1998: '' The Visitors II: The Corridors of Time'' * 1999: '' Train de vie'' * 2000: ''Cours toujours'' * 2000: ''Scènes de crimes'' * 2001: '' Vidocq'' * 2001: ''

Safe Conduct Safe conduct, safe passage, or letters of transit, is the situation in time of international conflict or war where one state, a party to such conflict, issues to a person (usually, an enemy state's subject) a pass or document to allow the enemy ...

'' * 2001: ''G@mer'' * 2001: ''Snowboarder'' * 2001: ''Le Petit Poucet'' * 2002: ''Monsieur Batignole'' * 2002: ''

Irréversible ''Irréversible'' () is a 2002 French art thriller film written and directed by Gaspar Noé. Starring Monica Bellucci, Vincent Cassel, and Albert Dupontel, the plot depicts the events of a tragic night in Paris as two men attempt to avenge the ...

'' * 2002: ''

Brocéliande Brocéliande, earlier known as Brécheliant and Brécilien, is a legendary enchanted forest that had a reputation in the medieval European imagination as a place of magic and mystery. Brocéliande is featured in several medieval texts, mostly t ...

'' * 2002: '' Filles perdues, cheveux gras'' * 2002: ''

Ginostra ''Ginostra'' is 2002 crime fiction film written and directed by Manuel Pradal, starring Harvey Keitel (Matt Benson), Andie MacDowell (Jessie). The story is about an FBI officer (Harvey Keitel) investigating the murder of a would-be informant, atte ...

'' * 2002: ''Quelqu'un de bien'' * 2003: '' Love Me If You Dare'' * 2003: ''

Blueberry Blueberries are a widely distributed and widespread group of perennial flowering plants with blue or purple berries. They are classified in the section ''Cyanococcus'' with the genus ''Vaccinium''. Commercial blueberries—both wild (lowbush) ...

'' * 2003: ''

A Species Odyssey ''A Species Odyssey'' (French language, French: L'Odyssée de l'espèce) is a French documentary film directed by Jacques Malaterre, first broadcast on January 7, 2003, on France 3. Synopsis This documentary illustrates the birth of the first me ...

'' (TV) * 2004: ''L'Américain'' * 2004: ''

L'Équipier ''The Light'' (French: ''L'Équipier'') is a 2004 French film directed by Philippe Lioret and starring Sandrine Bonnaire, Émilie Dequenne, Grégori Derangère, and Philippe Torreton. Plot Following her mother's demise Camille returns to the isle ...

'' * 2004: ''Agents secrets'' * 2004: ''

Arsène Lupin Arsène Lupin () is a fictional gentleman thief and master of disguise created in 1905 by French writer Maurice Leblanc. The character was first introduced in a series of short stories serialized in the magazine '' Je sais tout''. The first ...

'' * 2005: ''

La Boîte noire ''The Black Box'' () is a 2005 French mystery film directed by Richard Berry, written by Berry and Éric Assous, adapted from a novella by Tonino Benacquista, and starring José Garcia and Marion Cotillard. Plot Following a car accident, in w ...

'' * 2005: ''Ma vie en l'air'' * 2005: '' Danny the Dog'' * 2005: ''

Joyeux Noël :''Joyeux Noël means Merry Christmas in French. For other uses, see Christmas (disambiguation) and Merry Christmas (disambiguation)'' ''Joyeux Noël'' ( English: ''Merry Christmas'') is a 2005 war drama film based on the Christmas truce of D ...

'' * 2005: ''

Homo sapiens Humans (''Homo sapiens'') or modern humans are the most common and widespread species of primate, and the last surviving species of the genus ''Homo''. They are Hominidae, great apes characterized by their Prehistory of nakedness and clothing ...

'' (TV) * 2006: ''

Bandidas ''Bandidas'' is a 2006 Western action comedy film starring Salma Hayek and Penélope Cruz directed by Norwegian directors Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg and produced and written by Luc Besson. It tells the tale of two very different wom ...

'' * 2006: '' Azur et Asmar'' * 2006: ''

Tell No One ''Tell No One'' () is a 2006 French thriller film directed by Guillaume Canet and based on the 2001 novel of the same name by Harlan Coben. Written by Canet and Philippe Lefebvre and starring François Cluzet, the film won four categories at ...

'' * 2007: ''Truands'' * 2007: ''La Tête de maman'' * 2007: ''3 Amis'' * 2007: ''L'Invité'' * 2007: '' 99 francs'' * 2007: ''

Les Femmes de l'ombre ''Female Agents'' () is a 2008 French historical drama film directed by Jean-Paul Salomé and starring Sophie Marceau, Julie Depardieu, Marie Gillain, Déborah François, and Moritz Bleibtreu. Written by Salomé and Laurent Vachaud, the film is a ...

'' * 2008: ''

'' * 2008: '' Un conte de Noël'' * 2008: ''

The First Day of the Rest of Your Life ''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The ...

'' * 2008: ''Comme les autres'' * 2008: ''Mes stars et moi'' * 2008: ''

Transporter 3 ''Transporter 3'' (French: ''Le Transporteur 3'') is a 2008 English-language French action film directed by Olivier Megaton. It is the final installment in the original trilogy of the '' Transporter'' franchise, but not the last movie, since it ...

'' * 2008: ''

Largo Winch ''Largo Winch'' is a Belgian comic book series by Philippe Francq and Jean Van Hamme, published by Dupuis. It started as a series of novels by Van Hamme in the late 1970s, but stopped due to a lack of success and the huge amount of work Van Hamme ...

'' * 2009: ''

Welcome A welcome is a kind of greeting designed to introduce a person to a new place or situation, and to make them feel at ease. The term can similarly be used to describe the feeling of being accepted on the part of the new person. Overview In ...

'' * 2009: ''

Coco Coco or variants may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film * ''Coco'' (2009 film), a French comedy film * ''Coco'' (2017 film), an American animated fantasy film * '' Pokémon the Movie: Secrets of the Jungle'' (), a 2020 Japanese anime film ...

'' * 2009: '' Un prophète'' * 2009: ''

Park Benches ''Park Benches'' () is a 2009 French film directed by Bruno Podalydès, with an all-star cast. Plot ''Bancs Publics'' tells the story of a lonely man, observed by employees from an office across the street, onlookers from the Square des Francin ...

'' * 2009: '' Happy End'' * 2009: '' L'affaire Farewell'' * 2009: ''

Le Petit Nicolas ''Le Petit Nicolas'' (''Little Nicholas'') is a series of French children's books created by René Goscinny and illustrated by Jean-Jacques Sempé; its first installment was originally published on 29 March 1959. The books depict an idealized ...

'' * 2009: ''Une affaire d'État'' * 2009: ''

22 Bullets ''22 Bullets'' () is a 2010 French gangster film, gangster-action film directed by Richard Berry (actor), Richard Berry. It tells a part of the life story of Jacky Imbert, and is based on the novel ''L'Immortel'' (2007) by Franz-Olivier Giesbert. ...

'' * 2009: '' Coco and Igor'' * 2009: '' Splice'' * 2010: '' With Love... from the Age of Reason'' * 2010: ''

Sarah's Key ''Sarah's Key'' () is a 2010 French drama film directed and co-written by Gilles Paquet-Brenner. The film is an adaptation of the 2006 novel by Tatiana de Rosnay. The film alternates between a young girl Sarah ( Mélusine Mayance) in 1942 and ...

'' * 2010: ''

'' * 2011: '' Hop'' (Illumination opening logo variant only) * 2011: ''

'' * 2012: ''

'' * 2012: '' The Gatekeepers'' * 2012: ''

Taken 2 ''Taken 2'' is a 2012 French action-thriller film directed by Olivier Megaton and starring Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace, Famke Janssen, Rade Šerbedžija, Leland Orser, Jon Gries, D.B. Sweeney, and Luke Grimes. It follows retired CIA offic ...

'' * 2014: ''

Brick Mansions ''Brick Mansions'' is a 2014 action film starring Paul Walker, David Belle, RZA, also starring Goûchy Boy, Catalina Denis and Carlo Rota. The film was directed by Camille Delamarre and written by Luc Besson, Robert Mark Kamen and Bibi Nac ...

'' * 2014: ''

3 Days to Kill ''3 Days to Kill'' is a 2014 action thriller film directed by McG and written by Luc Besson and Adi Hasak. It stars Kevin Costner, Amber Heard, Hailee Steinfeld, Connie Nielsen, Richard Sammel, and Eriq Ebouaney. It was released on 21 Februa ...

'' * 2015: ''

The Transporter Refueled ''The Transporter Refueled'' (French: ''Le Transporteur: Héritage''; also known as ''Transporter 4'') is a 2015 action thriller film directed by Camille Delamarre and written by Bill Collage, Adam Cooper, and Luc Besson. It serves as a reboot a ...

'' * 2015: ''

Taken 3 ''Taken 3'' (sometimes stylized as ''TAK3N'') is a 2015 English-language action-thriller film that is the third and final film in the ''Taken'' trilogy, starring Liam Neeson as a former government operative. The French production was directed ...

'' * 2016: ''

'' * 2017: ''

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets ''Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets'' () is a 2017 space opera film written and directed by Luc Besson, and produced by his wife, Virginie Besson-Silla. It is based on the French science fiction comics series '' Valérian and Laurel ...

References

External links

* {{Animation industry in the United States American animation studios Companies based in Paris French animation studios Visual effects companies