Beyond the Dust: when the genius of our students breathes soul into machines

A visionary scenario

In the near future, in an icy luxury apartment block, a robot hoover called Dustin dreams of escape. One day, a documentary he happens to watch inspires him to imagine an existence beyond the walls that constrain him. But his desire for freedom doesn’t go unnoticed and attracts the attention of Katia, the strict, authoritarian robot supervisor. Convinced that Dustin should stay where he is, she asks Gary, a maintenance robot, to intervene and solve the ‘problem’. Although Gary manages to get Dustin back to his station, Dustin tries again, upsetting the established balance. During this new attempt, Dustin is injured by Katia. But against all the odds, Gary, moved by the little robot’s courage and moved by a surge of solidarity, decides to help him realise his dream of escape.

Beyond the Dust, a short film made by our final-year 3D Animation and Special Effects students, plunges viewers into a world where even machines have emotions. This ambitious, technically masterful project stands out for its major challenge: instilling emotion into entirely robotic characters.

A masterful technical and artistic challenge

Putting machines on stage is a real challenge: how do you make these characters expressive when they have neither human features nor organic movements?

The students overcame this difficulty with ingenuity, relying on in-depth research to convey subtle emotions. Every aspect was carefully considered: slight camera movements, variations in light, and the flickering and tilting of the ‘eyes’ – which are actually light sensors or screens – were used to express feelings such as fear, enthusiasm or resignation.

To intensify the emotions, the students used music by Gregory Allison and powerful sound effects. The original compositions play a key role in reflecting Dustin’s state of mind and amplifying the moments of tension with Katia. Visual effects, such as sparks and details of wear and tear on the robots, add an extra dimension to the world of Beyond the Dust. The meticulous direction creates striking visual contrasts between the aseptic interior of the building and the promise of the outside world.

A seamless collaboration

This project is the result of a remarkable synergy between talented students: Alexia Ameline, Marin Bénitez, Lucien-Paul Bigey, Marine Dupuy, Benjamin Hack, Matteo Michel, Salomé Quillien and Juliette Vignollet. Each of them has used their expertise and passion to bring a bold artistic vision to life. From storyboard creation to animation and sound design, each member played a key role in bringing this collective work to fruition.

Their efforts demonstrate not only their mastery of advanced animation techniques, but also their talent for creating moving and captivating stories. This film is not just a technical achievement, it is also a tribute to the creativity and ingenuity of our students.

Sincere congratulations to the Beyond the Dustteam for their outstanding work.

Explore the film Beyond The Dust on our YouTube channel: