Le Petit Monstre

Context: Anaïs Vachez at the helm of the short film "Le Petit Monstre"

To expand on the universe she has been cultivating with Les contes de Nina since 2009, Anaïs Vachez, author and director, unveils "Le Petit Monstre," an enigmatic 22-minute short film that she excels in creating.

The story takes us into the delights of a romantic encounter between Emmy and Léo, portrayed by Aurélie Poirier and Raphaël Descraques respectively. As our two characters slowly discover each other, deep secrets resurface to disrupt their happiness.

Captivated by Anaïs's creative concept and driven to offer a new web format, "Le Petit Monstre" is exclusively broadcasted on Studio 4's YouTube channel. The project is co-produced by Endemol Shine Beyond, France Télévisions, and Frenchnerd Productions.

Service: Special effects and 3D animation for the entire short film

To carry out this project successfully, we were responsible for the entirety of the visual effects.

Long before the filming phase, our first mission was to collaboratively develop and validate with the director, Anaïs Vachez, the artistic direction and design of the various forms of the monster.

During filming, we provided VFX supervision and technical support to ensure the quality of the footage used in integrating special effects, particularly with the maquettes of the little monster crafted on our sets by the prop designer Marine Buridant.

In total, around forty VFX shots appear in the short film and required:

- 3D modeling and animation of the monsters
- Realistic simulation of fur, smoke, and fluids.
- VFX integration (TV overlay, removal of unwanted elements...)
- Subjective views of the monster
- A practical special effect on set (the tentacle of the large monster sliding under the blanket)

The main challenge of this mission was to make the interactions between the monster and its environment (remote control, actors' hands, walls, flyers...) credible and realistic.

A VFX making-of is available to reveal many of the secrets behind the special effects creation for the film!