Minimalist, social, intimate: Samuel, a French-style success story
It is one of the curiosities of our time: a black-and-white series with a minimalist style has become a phenomenon, racking up over 50 million views on Arte.tv and social media. Created by Émilie Tronche, *Samuel* perfectly embodies this apparent paradox where intimacy meets universality.
- Written by Louise Blas
Appearing as a guest at the fourth edition of the PIX festival, Damien Megherbi, co-founder of the production company Les Valseurs, talks about how he discovered what would go on to become a success story.
“I came across the first episode that Émilie had made on her own, with simpler layouts and no final edit. (…) But everything was already there in terms of artistic direction and tone. And the series’ initial narrative threads.”
Damien Megherbi
This first encounter, via social media during one of the COVID lockdowns, marked the start of a unique creative adventure.
The very genesis of Samuel reflects the authenticity of a creation born out of a sense of relaxation, where the creator was able to work without constraints, purely for pleasure, after having successfully completed a short animated film adapted from a poem by Verlaine. It took a few days, but above all a few lines sketched on a graphics tablet, for the talented creator to bring to life this young boy with minimalist features, who is in love with the lovely Julie.
Authenticity as his trademark
If Samuel has managed to win over his audience, it is above all thanks to his disarming sincerity. This 21-episode animated series, produced in two formats (one for the Arte channel, the other for TikTok), is entirely directed, written and voiced by Émilie Tronche, a multi-talented artist who is equally at home with writing, drawing, singing and dancing.
“What works on social media is authenticity,” says the producer. In supporting the project, he sought to achieve the perfect balance between the form and content of the work. A gamble that paid off.
A central element of the series, the music also illustrates this approach. Featuring one or two well-known tracks per episode, the soundtrack accounts for a significant portion of the series’ budget (€250,000 out of a total budget of €1.3 million). This investment was essential to secure classics such as ABBA’s ‘The Winner Takes It All’. In this regard, Émilie Tronche was given considerable creative freedom, as her creative process is intimately linked to music: “The interplay between sound, image and editing lies at the heart of her creative process,” the producer tells us.
A French ecosystem conducive to the emergence of talent
During our conversation, Jérôme Allard, Head of the Digital Division at Pictanovo, emphasised the importance of the French ecosystem in the emergence of such projects. With its two support funds – one dedicated to broadcasting on Arte, the other to social media – Pictanovo played a central role in the project’s development. “There was no resistance within the committee, as Émilie made a convincing case,” recalls Jérôme Allard. An unconventional creation in today’s audiovisual landscape, *Samuel* would undoubtedly never have seen the light of day without this public support, which once again demonstrates the relevance of France’s creative funding schemes.
The partnership with Arte also proved to be crucial. The Franco-German channel has indeed rolled out an innovative digital strategy, tailoring content and distribution to each platform. On arte.tv, YouTube, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat, the episodes are in 16:9 format and last between three and five minutes. On TikTok, the narrative is simplified; the episodes are no longer than one minute and are standalone.
The evolution of creative models in the digital age
Samuel also highlights the changes taking place in the animation industry. Our guests note that a growing number of tools now allow creators to express themselves without having to go through lengthy writing processes. This democratisation of production methods is fostering the emergence of distinctive voices, such as that of Émilie Tronche. Since Samuel, other web-based talents – many of whom are multidisciplinary – have caught the attention of an audience seeking that ‘authenticity’ which is hard to find elsewhere.
As for the decision to launch the project on social media, it quickly became a no-brainer, as Damien Megherbi explains, although offering such a different kind of content on TikTok wasn’t necessarily the obvious choice at the time.
The figures bear witness to the success of this approach. After just one month of release, Samuel had already racked up 18 million views in France across all platforms: 8 million on Instagram, 7 million on TikTok, 3 million on arte.tv and YouTube, and 300,000 on other social media platforms.
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The challenge of expansion without dilution
Samuel’s growing success now raises the question of expanding its universe. Merchandise exemplifies this creative tension. Our guests recognise that a very low-budget series such as this one requires the invention of new business models. Aware of this challenge, the team emphasises the need to preserve the authenticity of the work, whilst maintaining high standards of quality. The approach adopted? Each merchandise item is intended to be an extension of the experience, guided by a philosophy of continuous creation and fidelity to the series’ universe.
This commitment has taken shape through several initiatives: a graphic novel published by Casterman, which aims to reach a new audience, as well as a second graphic novel currently being written, centred on one of the secondary characters, again penned by Émilie. Les Valseurs have also launched an online shop and a pop-up shop in the Marais, offering posters, mugs, T-shirts, magnets, caps and jigsaw puzzles, alongside an exhibition of previously unseen drawings by Émilie Tronche. And, good news for anyone who might be wondering: a second series of *Samuel* is in the works!
A successful international expansion
Could Samuel be heralding a minor revolution in the French audiovisual landscape? Damien Megherbi remains cautious: “The sector is in something of a crisis; we need to find a model to ensure a studio’s long-term viability, but the desire will always be there. ” Paradoxically, the crisis the industry is facing could actually benefit initiatives such as Émilie Tronche’s, where, in the animation sector, it is possible to take on several roles and produce content on a shoestring budget.
Far from being an obstacle to its international reach, this uniqueness is, on the contrary, the series’ main asset. This ability to engage with the universal may well represent the future of a French audiovisual sector that shines on the world stage, not by imitating international standards, but by asserting a unique identity.
In this respect, Spain is a perfect example of this successful internationalisation. The country has responded very positively to *Samuel*, says Damien Megherbi, going so far as to offer co-funding to develop Spanish and Catalan versions. These adaptations, in which Émilie Tronche herself was involved, have inspired other regions.
The project was presented at the Cartoon Forum and caught the attention of representatives from two broadcasters: RTVE – Radiotelevisión Española, and 3Cat, Catalonia’s main broadcaster. *Samuel* is already being broadcast on these channels, adapted to local contexts:
Indeed, discussions are currently under way with the United Kingdom, the United States and Asia, proving that an intimate production, created almost by accident, can resonate far beyond France!
The PIX Festival brings together the cultural and creative industries ecosystem
Damien Megherbi was invited in April 2025 to take part in the PIX festival organised by Plaine Images. PIX was born out of a desire to showcase the key players in the cultural and creative industries of the Hauts-de-France region.
As well as providing an opportunity for stakeholders in the creative industries sector to meet, PIX also serves as a source of inspiration for professionals from ‘elsewhere’ seeking to draw on the good ideas, methodologies, creativity and innovations produced within the cultural and creative industries.
Find out more on the festival’s website.
And below, the full recording of the conference:
And to watch more talks, visit our YouTube channel.