Mal de terre

Ok, here it is. Actually I don't have the rights to put my graduation film online. Hopefully it'll be screened on some festivals.

Anyway, here's a 30 seconds trailer I made to give an idea what it's about:



In a nutshell, it's a story of Russian sailor that comes back to his town because he left there a girl. And when he steps out on earth, he realizes that he can't stay straight. And his adventures start.

I don't know how it's better to translate the title in English. Sea legs?

From the beginning I wanted to make this film again in paper cut-out technique but I changed my point of view in the very last moment. Because I was afraid to repeat myself. And I also wanted to step out from my comfort zone. It seemed to me as well that drawn animation could help me to play more with sailor's body and make it really flexible.

So I stopped on tvpaint. And then I regretted many times, especially when I started cleaning and inking. It was a real hell to color all the stripes. When I got it, it was too late to change anything. Now I'm really well trained to make straight lines, ha ha!

I also want to thank all people who helped me to color all endless scenes! That all are credited in titles but I would put their names here as well cause they really deserved it!

Viviane, Titouan, Natasha, Alexandre, Lucrece, Marjorie, Helena, Polina, Lisete.

And also Rocio and Stephane!

Thank you guys!



And now some images of the process. From the very beginning (october 2011). I didn't post them while working on the film. So now I'm showing them all together:

This was the first definitive background I drew but this scene was thrown away while editing.

My little hamster

My 1-minute film for Les espoirs d'animation competition organized by kids TV channel Canal J. Check it out >>>> here!

It's in French and isn't subtitled, sorry. I'll try to settle it somehow but I hope the story is more or less clear even without the dialogues.

The film was made in a month in paper cut-out technique. The animation was done in 5 days.

When I was kid I dreamt to have a hamster but my parents were strictly against any animals at home. I envy this little girl, really.

Some more making of photos can be found here.

Cartoon Movie trailer 2012

Our last group project in La Poudriere.

Made by 9 of us in 5 days (from idea to final export).
With support of Carles Porta (check his awesome Puck festival in the caravan!).
Music: Christophe Heral.

Deadline / planning / holidays-are-soon calendars

It's little bit easier to work hard with some chocolate, so last november I decided to make chocolate calendars for my classmates.

I never made them before, so the first one was for me. Just to try how it works. I bought sweets in supermarket and cut cardboard box I had brought a while ago for I don't remember what.

I wanted to make little cardboard boxes for each sweet but I found an easier and better way - just to stick them with paper tape and then to cover a backside with a piece of paper.

It turned well and the rest was made using the same algorythm: chocolate, cardboard and 3 colours — white, black and pink. Each calendar had illustration that was somehow connected with the storylines of films we were working on.

At home after busy week-end:

C'est parti

 

There's no much to say for now as there's no much to show. Just very first researches of a main character for my graduation film. I keep on working on script though. And yep, this is the first post with a new tag — graduation film! Hopefully will post some news soon.

Stay tuned.

Bernanimation

The fastest drawn animation I've ever made — over 30 seconds in 2 days during the workshop with Bernard Palacios. That's it:

 Everything was animated either on little papers or on paper bands for cash register without any light tables or other hight tech materials.

L'appetit

Uh, there were not so many news from me but last weeks and especially days of production were so hard that I couldn't think of anything but finishing my film before the deadline. In fact I made final export just 3 hours before school screening.

Anyway, I won't tell you more now because I hope to show it later when I find the way to put it on my personal website as due to the school politics I can't upload it on any website in internet except mine.

***

This was my clumsy excuse and here is the real reason I'm writing this post — 1 minute claymation film I made in march during Piotr Dumala's workshop. The aim was to makea short film under the camera (what means to animate it directly)  in groups in a one week. The theme was Gourmandise.

Our group of 3 students decided to try as many things as possible, so finally we came up to idea to make 3 films. Still we had just one camera and 5 days, so there were even less time and each of us had 1 day for animating what was awfully stressfull .

To be honest, I don't like the result I got. But I still think, I need to put it here because failed film is still the film that gave me nice experience for embarking future projects. Each animated frame counts.



For those who are curious there are some making-of photos.

First 2 days I spent at the table mixing colours (I even managed to make grey though I didn't have black plasticine) and cooking hamburgers. The idea was found in 10 minutes and the rough storyboard was drawn even faster. Actually I should have spent more time on thinking.



On wednesday I arrived at 8 in the morning and with the help of Armelle I set up the light and my freshly fresh character. I started to animate about 10 a.m.

Upside down

It was the longest 1 second I've ever made.

Tiny papers

Today with Christian we installed the light and tomorrow I start the shooting! Yey! I decided to put here some photos of puppet production.

Blue legs

Mondays are hard so there's no surptise that I overslept this morning. Thanks to my flatmate who woke me up! I made some more tests andalmost finished all the parties for a cat puppet. The legs got longer and now they seem to be more appropriate for my story.

Little bit more cat's animation:


New size of legs:


Tested chroma key on a green paper nappkin (i will need it for crowded plan):

What is your choice?

I still don't know.

3 puppets are made of different types of paper. Thin, medium and thick one. The legs and arms can be replaced. The head can turn down and up. The size of each is 7cm. The most convinient.

Character researches

Here is a selection of little girls I drew in order to find the main character. I guess it was the first time I spent so much paper for a thing that doesn't seem to be complicated. Ironically, the girl I've chosen can't be found here.

Cut out test

Made the first cut out test. The doll was too small and all the parts were separated what didn't help at all.

1 minute

This trimestre we're working on 1 minute films. This year theme is: Point of view of a kid. There are some visual searches.

Le cuisinier

A one week exercise made at school. We all got the same soundtrack and the task was to find a story, draw a storyboard and then make animatic. This is what i heard in the sound. Thanks to Federico Vitali.