“All Aboard!” A moving short film by ESMA students
News . 09 Jan. 2025
6 ESMA students in their final year of 3D Animation and Special Effects have taken up a courageous challenge: to make a 3D film that deals sensitively with the subject of Down’s syndrome. Joe Azar, Sasha Grandet, Sami Haouas, Camille Lecour, Julie Marquet and Anaïs Mascherpa deliver a moving creation, ‘All Aboard!’, designed to captivate a young audience and convey a timeless message of inclusion and solidarity.
A tale of imagination and sensitivity
The story revolves around Ray, an endearing and stubborn character whose dream is to board the legendary Nucleus Express. Determined to make his wish come true despite the lack of a ticket, he infiltrates the train, upsetting Copper, a regular passenger. Beneath this seemingly simple plot lies a profound reflection: a mother uses this adventure to help her child understand Down’s Syndrome. The film explores universal themes such as tolerance, cooperation and the need to embrace diversity.
Ray is at the heart of this message. With his candour and ability to see the best in everyone, he reflects qualities often associated with people with Down’s syndrome. By portraying him as both flawed and irresistibly optimistic, the filmmakers break down stereotypes and highlight the richness and uniqueness of these personalities.
A world rich in symbols
The team designed an imaginary world made entirely of fabric and plush to illustrate the story through the eyes of a child. From the décor to the characters, every detail subtly alludes to Down’s syndrome. The characters, for example, are inspired by the axolotl, with features that evoke chromosomes, such as their distinctive little ears, reinforcing the film’s unique visual identity.
The marine world, populated by lush vegetation, majestic canyons and a flying whale, plunges viewers into a dreamlike atmosphere. This rich, vibrant setting feeds the imagination while giving the story a strong, memorable aesthetic.
Technical feats accomplished
This was a daring project that had to rise to a number of challenges. To make the characters so fluffy and realistic, the team used XGen, a cutting-edge grooming tool. Although no simulation was required, the rigging had to adjust to this particularity, as did the caches needed for rendering.
Compositing also required careful preparation. Constraints included integrating the characters’ glasses without altering the visibility of their eyes, managing the train tracks that appear and disappear, and creating complex particles in the canyon scenery.
Hair rendering was another major challenge. To ensure reasonable rendering times while preserving quality, the team opted for Neat, a denoising tool. This solution enabled the delicate texture of the fluff to be preserved, while guaranteeing optimum performance.
a committed team with a powerful message
With ‘All Aboard’, Joe Azar, Sasha Grandet, Sami Haouas, Camille Lecour, Julie Marquet, Christina Varlokosta and Anaïs Mascherpa present a short film that combines technical excellence with a profound narrative. Their work not only demonstrates a perfect mastery of 3D animation technologies, but also a great deal of finesse in tackling a delicate theme with sensitivity and insight.
Congratulations to this brilliant team for transforming a personal story into a universal work that everyone can relate to. ‘All Aboard’ is more than just a short student film: it invites us to imagine a more inclusive future, where everyone has a place.