I wrote and directed this film for the Elithis group, which wanted to portray its vision of a future in which construction has a neutral, or even positive, environmental impact.
The company wanted to follow a child discovering this possible future by “jumping down the rabbit hole”. The project was ambitious for the available budget, and Elithis trusted me to imagine a film that could convey that vision while remaining achievable within strict production constraints.
I built the film around a single character, deliberately limited facial animation and a story carried mainly by voiceover. I focused on staging and wide shots, giving landscapes and natural environments a prominent role.
My generalist background allowed me to handle most of the film’s production:
- Writing and storyboarding
- Character modelling, texturing, grooming, rigging and animation
- Creating the environments: ocean, cliffs, forest, clouds and a wheat field
- Directing and recording voices in the studio with Lou Howard and Benoît Allemane
- Working with a sound designer and composer on the entire soundscape
For each environment, the approach was simple: find one strong visual idea and concentrate the work on what would have the greatest impact on screen, to achieve a convincing result with limited resources.
I made this film more than ten years ago. It was my first real experience working with 3D characters. I still include it in my portfolio because, despite some technical limitations related to my experience at the time, I think it has aged rather well. I chose to prioritise directing, composition and atmosphere over complex animation. Looking back, it is a project I remain proud of.
