The 3D film Amok: A technical feat combining Hyperrealism and Keyframe animation
News . 07 Feb. 2025
With AMOK, the students of the class of 2023 in 3D Animation and Special Effects brilliantly rise to a number of technical challenges to bring to life a short film that is as masterful artistically as it is technologically. In the heart of an oppressive jungle, a man, obsessed with his prey, stalks a panther until a brutal confrontation. Carried along by intense direction, this captivating film illustrates all the know-how and creativity of these future animation professionals.
A lush, hyper-realistic jungle
Creating a dense, immersive jungle was one ofAMOK’s greatest challenges. ‘To capture the stifling humidity and lush vegetation of this environment, we opted for Houdini, a powerful software package that can generate complex, realistic detail,’ explain the team.
In the film, the jungle becomes a character in its own right. Every ray of light, every mist, every leaf contributes to the oppressive atmosphere of the hunt. Thanks to Houdini, the team was able to manage this profusion of detail while preserving the film’s distinctive aesthetic.
The realism of the panther
Creating the panther, the film’s central character, represented another major technical challenge for AMOK. ‘To make this digital animal credible, we had to master the grooming (the hair and fur), the muscles and the animation in general. Striking a balance between realism and graphic identity was essential,’ explain the students.
To make this majestic feline as realistic as possible, the team combined references from wildlife documentaries with in-depth anatomical research. Every gesture, every muscular contraction had to reflect not only the tension and strength of the predator, but also maintain a natural fluidity of movement.
High-precision keyframe animation
A considerable challenge was to stage the fight between a human and a quadruped. ‘We had to look for references, analyse them in depth and combine them to create a realistic and coherent choreography’, say the students. The animation, produced entirely in Keyframe, required extremely precise work, culminating in this intense face-off between man and panther.
Each gesture had to reflect the weight of the bodies, the intensity of the impacts and the speed of the panther’s attack. The aim was to create an animation so fluid and natural that the viewer never doubted its veracity.
A masterful artistic vision
AMOK ‘s technical challenges were transformed into real assets by the team, creating a striking visual spectacle and total immersion in the film’s universe. The work of :
- Océane Banon
- Matthieu Barbaza
- Léo Ceccaldi
- Luce Douillon
- Adrien Dussaud
- Océane Faure
- Jade Hoffstetter
- Apolline Koehrer
- Adrien Wolfert
is Admirable.
Well done to the whole team for bringing this daring project to fruition, which demonstrates not only impressive technical mastery but also a genuine artistic identity. AMOK perfectly embodies the talent and determination of ESMA students, ready to push back the frontiers of 3D animation.