Inflated

Inflated is a short film about a flamingo that meets an inflatable rubber ring and tries to seduce it. It was created by Flore Dechorgnat and Vincent Lenne during their first-year studies at French school ENSI.

Dance goes back to its biological origins in this short, which presents the way it’s being performed in the animal kingdom as means for seduction and reproduction, with a comedic approach. One main character (a flamingo), an inflatable object, an emphasis on dance, choreography and seduction, and an accent on comedy through misunderstandings are the main elements of the short.

Staged in a natural environment, on the water’s surface, Inflated employs a stylized aesthetic with saturated, contrasting colors that help detach the characters from the background.

Visual rhythm is average, handled through motion within the frame, editing and a camera dolly. Expressive animation combined with sound design help transmit the flamingo’s displays of physical prowess and build slapstick humor. Offscreen space is also used together with sound to create comedy.

What makes Inflated work so well? Creative non-realistic staging, expressive animation, fun mixture of tango dancing with the animal kingdom and plenty of humor.