Arcane

Arcane by Bastien Belvaux.

Who?
Bastien Belvaux, graduated from EMCA (animation school) in Angoulême, France. I am the director of this short-film. My friend Goul was in charge of all the sound design and music of the film, and some friends helped me for different animations.

What?

Constantly running away in a world that doesn’t accept him, a man will have to find in the depths of himself, a way to turn his difference into a strength. He will then be able to stop hiding.

Why?

For this graduation film at EMCA, I wanted to talk about a subject that seemed important to me : self acceptance.
I wanted to make a short-film that would motivate me during one entire year of realisation. So I decided to tell what I had to say, taking inspiration in films I like to see (more particularly in American comics style, SF films,…). Films like « Blade Runner », « Dark City » or « Batman » from Tim Burton, inspired me a lot for the atmosphere.

How?

I made this film entirely in 2D computer techniques.
I really took my time to find a correct global rhythm for the film. It was quite difficult to make this story understandable for the audience because I wanted to keep a real part for mystery and secrets. To understand Arcane subject properly, you need to storm your brain a little. I have hidden a lot of clues !

I made the backgrounds in Photoshop. I used the TVPaint program for the animation, it’s only traditional animation. I have decided to keep those geometrical shapes for the colorisation part, to remind this rigid society where the character is moving on….

Then, the final step was compositing, in After Effects. I really love that step when you have to harmonize animation and backgrounds and reach a certain balance for the whole film.

I love to create peculiar atmosphere in a scene, playing with lights, colours and shadows…

Next Project?

For the time being I’m working on new ideas for animation short-film but I am looking for a job and available for any professional opportunity! Nevertheless, I would rather be produced for directing my own films !

Which animated film would you like to have made?

First titles that I am thinking of:

“Amer Béton” (“Tekkon Kinkreet”)
“Batman” TV serie
Dripped” by Léo Verrier (Chez Eddy)
“The Beattles Rockband Intro”
“TRON Uprising” serie for the bagrounds and compositing.