Hybris

Coming from Montpellier-based ArtFX school, this film offers a tour through a fantasy animal reserve populated by imaginary creatures brought to life through CG animation. The fake documentary uses a hand-held camera aesthetic with two main characters that help weave the narrative, along with a CG creature (the “Angata”) that also serves as a plot point towards the end of the film.

The effort dedicated to staging, production, art and character design, 3D modeling, animation and compositing is notable, and quite unusual for a student short. Filming took 3 months and it was done on various locations. Editing was successfully used to join the diverse spaces into a single animal reserve, as well as to help speed up visual rhythm.

The main highlight of the short is no doubt the work spent on the story and on building a progression that hooks the viewer, which turns the VFX from spectacle into a valuable addition that brings about a very enjoyable short.