This is one of the strangeness of our time: a black and white series with minimalist features, has become a phenomenon totaling more than 50 million views on Arte.TV and social networks. Creation of Émilie Tronche , Samuel perfectly embodies this apparent paradox where intimacy is silent.
Invited as part of the fourth edition of the Pix festival, Damien Megherbi Les Valseurs production house , evokes the discovery of what will become a success story.
“I came across the first episode made alone by Émilie, with simpler layouts, no final assembly. (…) But everything was already there in terms of artistic direction, tone. And the first narrative lines of the series. »»
This first meeting, via social networks during one of the COVIR confinements, will mark the beginning of a singular creative adventure.
Samuel himself reflects the accuracy of a creation born in a context of a release , where the author was able to work without constraint, for pleasure, after having led an animated short film adapted to a poem by Verlaine. It took a few days, but above all a few lines drawn on a graphic tablet, so that the talent creator gives birth to this young boy with minimalist features, in love with the great Julie.
Authenticity as a trademark
If Samuel managed to conquer his audience, it is above all thanks to his disarming sincerity. This series of animation of 21 episodes, declined in two formats (one destined for the Arte channel , the other in Tiktok ), is entirely made, written and doubled by Émilie Tronche, multidisciplinary talent handling with so much ease, drawing, song and dance.
" What works on social networks is authenticity, " says the producer. By accompanying the project, he sought to reach the perfect articulation between the form and the bottom of the work. A bet that turned out to be a winner.
Central element of the series, music also illustrates this approach. At the rate of one to two titles known by episode, the soundtrack occupies a preponderant place in the series budget (€ 250,000 out of a total budget of 1.3 million euros). An essential investment to offer standards like The Winner Takes It All of Abba . On this level, great freedom has been granted to Émilie Tronche whose creative process is intimately linked to music: " The articulation between sound, image and editing is at the heart of its creation ", confides the producer.
@Artefr Samuel hates Fridays. Except when Julie laughs. #ONREGARDEQUEQUE #Anime #animmationTOK #Analysts2000 #nostalgie #samuel ♬ Good joke Samuel - Arte
A French ecosystem conducive to the emergence of talents
During our exchange, Jérôme Allard , chief of the digital pole at Pictanovo, underlines the importance of the French ecosystem in the emergence of such projects. With its two support funds, one dedicated to dissemination on Arte, the other to social networks, Pictanovo played a central role in the development of the project . " There was no resistance in the committee, because Émilie easily convinced ," recalls Jérôme Allard. Atypical creation in the current audiovisual landscape, Samuel would probably never have been able to see the light of day without this public support, which once again demonstrates the relevance of the French devices for helping creation.
In the series "Name a more iconic duo", we present to you Samuel and the great julie 🕺💃 pic.twitter.com/svbprmmlgo
- Arte (@Artefr) May 10, 2024
The partnership with Arte has also proven decisive. The Franco-German chain has indeed deployed an innovative digital strategy, adapting content and distribution to each platform . On Arte.tv, YouTube, X (ex-Twitter), Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat, the episodes adopt the 16/9 format for a duration between three and five minutes. On Tiktok, the narration is simplified, the episodes do not exceed a minute and are independent of each other.
The evolution of creation models in the digital age
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Samuel also illustrates the changes at work in the animation industry. Our guests observe that an increasing number of tools allow creators today to express themselves , without having to go through long writing times. This democratization of the means of production promotes the emergence of singular voices, like that of Émilie Tronche. From Samuel , other web talents, for many of the multidisciplinary profiles, have drawn the attention of an audience in search of this "accuracy" difficult to find elsewhere.
As for the choice to carry the work on social networks, it was quickly obvious, as Damien Megherbi specifies, although offering such different content on Tiktok was not necessarily of self at the time.
The figures attest to the success of this approach. After only one month of broadcasting, Samuel already accumulated 18 million views in France , all platforms combined: 8 million on Instagram, 7 million on Tiktok, 3 million on Arte.TV and Youtube, and 300,000 on other social networks.
The challenge of an expansion without dilution
Samuel 's growing success now raises the question of the expansion of his universe . The derivative products illustrate this creative tension . Our guests recognize that a very small budget series like this requires the invention of new economic models. Aware of this issue, the team insists on the need to preserve the sincerity of the work, while maintaining a quality requirement. The approach adopted? Each derivative product is intended to extend the experience, guided by a logic of continuous creation and loyalty to the world of the series.
This desire was materialized by several initiatives: a graphic adaptation published by Casterman , which aims to reach a new audience, as well as a second graphic novel being written, centered on one of the secondary characters, always written by Émilie. The waltzers also opened an online shop and an ephemeral store in the marsh offering posters, cups, t-shirts, magnets, caps and puzzles, accompanied by an exhibition of unpublished drawings made by Émilie Tronche. And, good news for those who would ask the question, a season 2 of Samuel is in preparation!
Successful international expansion
Samuel embody a small revolution in the French audiovisual landscape? Damien Megherbi remains cautious: “ The sector is a little in crisis, you have to find a model to perpetuate a studio, but there will always be a desire. The crisis that the industry is going through could paradoxically promote initiatives like that of Émilie Tronche, where, in the animation sector, it is possible to occupy several positions and produce with limited budgets .
Far from being an obstacle to its internationalization, the singularity constitutes on the contrary the main asset of the series. This ability to tuty the universal perhaps represents the future of a French audiovisual sector which radiates around the world, not by the imitation of international standards, but by the affirmation of a singular identity .
As such, Spain perfectly illustrates this successful internationalization . The country reacted very well to Samuel , confides Damien Megherbi, going so far as to offer co -financing intended to develop Spanish and Catalan versions. These adaptations, in which Émilie Tronche has herself participated, have inspired other territories.
The project was presented to the Cartoon Forum , and was noticed by the representatives of two channels: the RTVE - Radotelevisión Española , and 3Cat, Catalonia Main Channel . Samuel is already broadcast on the channels in question, adapted to local references:
Indeed, discussions are underway with the United Kingdom, the United States and Asia, proof that an intimate creation born almost by accident, can find an echo far beyond France!
The PIX festival brings together the ICC ecosystem
Damien Megherbi was invited in April 2025 as part of the Pix festival organized by the Plaine Images. Pix was born from the desire to make the actors of the cult and creative industries of the Hauts-de-France territory shine.
At the same time, meetings between actors in the creative industries sector, Pix is also an inspiration for professionals "by the way" wanting to seize good ideas, methodos, creativity and innovations produced within ICC.
The full replay of our conference, soon available on our YouTube channel.
