In last month’s Portfolio, we highlighted some senior animation projects from the 2006 graduating class at Supinfocom, a digital arts school in
Valenciennes,
France
.
In all, there are approximately 50 students who are accepted into the school’s digital arts program each year—a number that represents close to 20 percent of those who apply to the facility. So, just signing a tuition check does not guarantee placement. In fact, the admissions process is quite rigorous, requiring potential students to submit a small project that adheres to guidelines set by the school. This provides the evaluators with a baseline for judging a person’s capabilities and talent.
Supinfocom has a diverse student body, with some budding artists calling China, South America, and
Portugal
home. Each class comprises close to 20 students, offering an intimate learning environment. As for the faculty, most commute to the school for classes from nearby cities where they hold professional jobs in the CG industry.
As part of the curriculum, the students submit storyboards and concepts in their junior year, and later, 16 ideas are chosen by a faculty panel to proceed to the animation stage. The students, working in groups of two or three, then must produce a 2D animatic of the project by the end of their third year. The groups continue working on the project when school resumes in the fall, and before graduation, they submit their animated short film—required to be four to nine minutes long. Featured on these two pages are a selection of images from the class of 2006 at Supinfocom. —Karen Moltenbrey
Parque In this animation, crafted by Anais Thomassian and
Celine Boivin, a young man discovers the truth about himself
through the antics of a little girl.
Scotch Made by Guillaume Glachant and Benjamin Barois, this CG short integrates all things
Scottish, from the plaid on the Scotsman’s dress to his activities and surroundings.
Wanted These two images from the film by Simon Cuisinier, Dan Creteur, and Damien Bapts show a snippet
of the elaborate escape of a criminal who is being chased at an amusement park.
Quidam This unique animation, created by Justine Codron, Axelle De Cooman, and Julien Bachelet,
shows how this puppet’s movements are held in check by the attached strings.
Vague A L’ame This fi lm, made by Jocelyn Zeller, Timothee Leboeuf, and Noro Rakotomalala,
depicts a person’s journey through life as he cycles along.
Silhouette Crafted by Jean-David Solon, Vincent Courbis-Poncet, and Remi Despret,
this moving animation follows the emotional ups and downs of this circus performer as she deals with another performer’s death.