Burning Safari

Burning Safari is a fast-paced short film directed and produced by a team of students at Parisian “usine” Gobelins. Set in a natural environment portrayed with saturated colors, the film uses quick cutting and a misunderstanding as plot point that triggers a chase scene crafted with an accelerated editing and dynamic rhythm in the frame.

The short features a crowd of small robot characters and an ape, and is narrated from the point of view of one of the small robots. Camera moves are employed frequently, including pans, tilts, dollies and a zoom. Framing varies from very wide shots to establish the scene to long shots, close-ups and two-shots. Tighter framing is used to follow the main character as well as to help raise visual rhythm after the external conflict is triggered.

Highlights of the film include the design of the characters and environments, the attention dedicated to composition of elements within the frame, the expressiveness of the ape and how it helps transmit conflict, and as expected, wonderful character animation.