Pierre Perifel

{{Infobox person

| name = Pierre Perifel

| image =

| birth_date = 1980–81 (age 44-45){{Cite web |date=2022-04-08 |title="Les Bad Guys" : Pierre Perifel est le premier Français à réaliser une superproduction du studio américain DreamWorks |url=https://www.francetvinfo.fr/culture/cinema/films-animation/les-bad-guys-le-lyonnais-pierre-perifel-est-le-premier-francais-a-realiser-une-superproduction-du-studio-americain-dreamworks_5069713.html |access-date=2025-03-14 |website=Franceinfo |language=fr-FR}}

| birth_place = Lyon, France

| occupation = {{Flatlist|

Filmmaker
animator

}}

| years_active = 2005–present

| employer = DreamWorks Animation (2008–present)

}}

Pierre Perifel is a French filmmaker and animator. He is best known for his work at DreamWorks Animation, including directing the short film Bilby (2018) and the feature films The Bad Guys (2022) and its upcoming sequel The Bad Guys 2 (2025).

Early life and education

Perifel was born in Lyon, France.{{cite web|url=http://nad.ca/david-hubert-and-pierre-perifel-dreamworks-are-guest-masters-for-elite-2012/|author=UQAC staff|title=David Hubert and Pierre Perifel (DreamWorks) are guest masters for ELITE 2012|work=nad.ca|publisher=Université du Québec à Chicoutimi|date=13 March 2012|accessdate=10 March 2017|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150419082255/http://nad.ca/david-hubert-and-pierre-perifel-dreamworks-are-guest-masters-for-elite-2012/|archivedate=19 April 2015}} His passion for animation began in high school. In his third year of attending École Émile-Cohl art school, he applied to Gobelins, l'École de l'image and was accepted.{{cite interview|url=http://animatedviews.com/2012/rise-of-the-guardians-animator-pierre-perifel-reveals-his-secrets/|interviewer=Jérémie Noyer|subject=Pierre Perifel|title=Rise of an animator: Pierre Perifel reveals secrets of the Guardians|type=Online|website=Animated Views|date=27 November 2012|accessdate=10 July 2017}}

In 2004, Perifel created the short student film A Swell Plan,{{cite press release|title=Anima Mundi 2005|url=https://issuu.com/festanimamundi/docs/catalogo_2005_completo|location=São Paulo|publisher=Anima Mundi|page=80|language=Portuguese, English|accessdate=14 September 2017}} and collaborated with classmates Xavier Ramonède, Jun Frederic Violet, and Rémi Zaarour on a second short film, Festival Qualité.{{cite web|url=https://www.catsuka.com/gobelins/video/2004_annecy_festivalqualite|first=Marc|last=Aguesse|title=Festival qualité (2004)|work=Catsuka|accessdate=16 September 2017}}{{cite web|url=http://sushixav.blogspot.com/2009/04/le-building-and-festival-qualite.html|first=Xavier|last=Ramonède|title=Le Building and Festival Qualité|work=Sushixav.blogspot.com|date=15 April 2009|accessdate=18 August 2016}} He graduated from Gobelins in 2005.{{cite press release|title=Chilemonos|url=https://issuu.com/chilemonos/docs/boletin02|location=Santiago|publisher=Chilemonos International Animation Festival|page=9|language=Spanish|accessdate=17 July 2017}} For his thesis film, Le Building, he reteamed with Ramonède and Zaarour, and also worked with Marco Nguyen and Olivier Staphylas. The film uses a combination of 2D and 3D animation.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/view/9660345/dvd-magazine-outstanding-animation-vfx-and-motion-stash/36|date=4 December 2005|author=Stash staff|title="Le Building" – Student Film|magazine=Stash DVD Magazine|issue=15|publisher=Stash Media|location=San Antonio, Texas|accessdate=11 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170731195856/https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/view/9660345/dvd-magazine-outstanding-animation-vfx-and-motion-stash/36|archive-date=31 July 2017|url-status=dead}} Le Building screened at numerous international film festivals and won several awards,{{cite web|url=http://www.le-building.com/news.htm|first1=Marco|last1=Nguyen|first2=Pierre|last2=Perifel|first3=Xavier|last3=Ramonède|first4=Olivier|last4=Staphylas|first5=Rémi|last5=Zaarour|title=Le Building – News, pg. 1|work=le-building.com|accessdate=21 August 2016}}{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2006/digital/markets-festivals/toons-catch-continental-drift-1200338958/|first=Leo|last=Barraclough|title=Toons Catch Continental Drift|work=Variety|date=26 July 2006|accessdate=26 August 2016}}{{cite web|url=http://archives.frederatorblogs.com/talk_to_the_snail/2006/09/26/oiaf-category-e-%E2%80%93-student-animation-competi/|first=Eric|last=Homan|title=Talk to the Snail: OIAF Category E – Student Animation Competition|work=Frederator Studios|date=26 September 2006|accessdate=23 August 2016|archive-date=31 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170731200438/http://archives.frederatorblogs.com/talk_to_the_snail/2006/09/26/oiaf-category-e-%E2%80%93-student-animation-competi/|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=http://www.staphylas.com/#/Bio|first=Olivier|last=Staphylas|title=Olivier Staphylas – Bio|work=staphylas.com|accessdate=18 August 2016}} including Best Undergraduate Animation at the Ottawa International Animation Festival.

Career

The earliest films of Perifel's career include Curious George, Nocturna, {{interlanguage link|Go West: A Lucky Luke Adventure|fr|Tous à l'Ouest}} and The Illusionist. The same year as his graduation from Gobelins (2005), Perifel served as a supervising animator on the French short film Imago, which was directed by Cédric Babouche. Imago afforded Perifel the opportunity to work with Ramonède again.{{cite AV media|date=2005|title=Imago – Credits|publisher=Sacrebleu Productions and La Boîte Productions|url=https://vimeo.com/39369407}}

Perifel moved to the United States in 2008 and began his career at DreamWorks Animation doing character animation on the 2D short film, Secrets of the Furious Five, for which he won an Annie Award.{{cite AV media|people=David Hubert, Jason Ryan, Pierre Perifel|date=3 March 2013|title=iAnimate interview Pierre Périfel – part 3|medium=video|url=https://vimeo.com/60955205|accessdate=1 January 2017|time=2:09-2:23|publisher=iAnimate}}{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2009/film/awards/kung-fu-panda-rules-annie-awards-1117999390/|first=Peter|last=Debruge|title='Kung Fu Panda' rules Annie Awards|work=Variety|date=30 January 2009|accessdate=10 July 2017}} Following that, Perifel transitioned to CGI, working on Monsters vs. Aliens for about two months. He then joined onto Shrek Forever After. He returned to 2D animation with a few sequences in Kung Fu Panda 2.{{cite AV media|people=David Hubert, Jason Ryan, Pierre Perifel|date=3 March 2013|title=iAnimate interview Pierre Périfel – part 3|medium=video|url=https://vimeo.com/60955205|accessdate=1 January 2017|time=2:02-2:11|publisher=iAnimate}} On that film, he also served as lead animator for the character Lord Shen. Perifel has said that he "was in charge of [the character]", even though he "didn't have a team of animators".

Perifel was officially promoted to supervising animator on Rise of the Guardians leading the team responsible for the character North.{{cite AV media|people=David Hubert, Jason Ryan, Pierre Perifel|date=3 March 2013|title=iAnimate interview Pierre Périfel – part 2|medium=video|url=https://vimeo.com/60953806|accessdate=11 July 2017|time=0:59-1:14|publisher=iAnimate}} Both Kung Fu Panda 2 and Rise of the Guardians earned Perifel Annie Award nominations.{{cite web|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/race/wreck-ralph-wins-five-annie-417627|first=Carolyn|last=Giardina|title='Wreck-It Ralph' Wins Five Annie Awards Including Best Animated Feature|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=2 February 2013|accessdate=10 July 2017}}

Perifel's subsequently was appointed Head of Animation on several films including Monkeys of Mumbai and Larrikins that never got to see the light of day for various reasons.

In November 2017, it was announced that Perifel has been developing an untitled short film with Liron Topaz and JP Sans. The film was selected through the DreamWorks Shorts program, which was set up by Chris DeFaria, after he became president of the DreamWorks Animation Film Group in January 2017. Bilby opened at the closing ceremony of the Annecy International Animated Film Festival 2018. It screened in many festivals and won the Jury Choice Award at Siggraph 2018.

Perifel made his feature directorial debut, directing the animated feature film adaptation of the original Aaron Blabey/Scholastic book series, The Bad Guys. It was released theatrically on April 22, 2022. He will also return to direct the upcoming sequel to The Bad Guys, set to be released on August 1, 2025.