The 3D movie Spurs Out: when creatures face off in an intense animated race
News . 28 Feb. 2025
Spurs Out! pushes the boundaries of animation with striking creatures, high-energy staging and high-flying technical challenges. This daring short film is the work of ESMA’s final year 3D animation and special effects students!
A wild ride in the heart of a ruined world
In Spurs Out!, the adrenaline is at its peak. Fen, a fiery and intrepid young woman, dreams of winning an underground competition where only the best dragon tamers survive. In this ruthless world where brutality reigns supreme, she must find a formidable ally if she is to have any hope of triumphing. But her quest for glory will be fraught with trials, and her explosive temper could well become her worst enemy. Between breathless races and inner confrontations, this short film questions the boundary between brute force and the need to cooperate.
Technical mastery in the service of ambition
The production of Spurs Out! required extreme rigor and an optimized pipeline. To orchestrate the complexity of the scenes and the multitude of elements in the film, the team relied on a USD workflow via Solaris Houdini. This strategic choice offered precise control of data and renderings, guaranteeing the fluidity essential to the realization of this ambitious project.
Bringing dragons to life: a major animation challenge
Animating dragons from A to Z represented a real challenge for the students. Each flap of the wings, each interaction with their rider and their environment required meticulous work in order to capture the raw power, liveliness and elegance of these legendary creatures. Particular care was taken with the consistency of the movements and the visual impact, to breathe striking realism into these fantastic beings.
Lighting at the heart of the narrative
Lighting plays a key role in Spurs Out!, shaping the atmosphere and the rhythm of the story. From the very first scenes, immersed in oppressive darkness, the team had to create a striking contrast with the blazing light intensity of the race. Finding the balance between these two atmospheres while ensuring visual coherence represented a real technical challenge, brilliantly met to immerse the spectator in this spectacular build-up of tension.
A collaborative achievement
Spurs Out! is the culmination of a remarkable collective effort. Thanks to their talent and determination, Salomé BLASCO, Lola CHARUEL, Guillaume DURAND, Raphaël GIMARD, Théo MURAT, Salma RACHIDI, Alix SAINTOUIL, Thomas SUDRE and Nicolas TRAN have been able to bring their artistic vision to life. Faced with numerous technical and creative challenges, they pushed the boundaries to transform this ambitious project into a successful and spectacular work.
