Graduation panels: the final stretch

During their early years at MoPA, the 3D animation film school, students learn technical fundamentals, develop their creativity, and master the tools for 3D creation and animation. However, it is in their final year of study that they bring together all these skills for a single project: the production of a graduation film.

From the initial concept to the final edit—including concept art, storyboard, character design, 3D modeling, and texturing—no stage of the production pipeline is overlooked. This process allows students to experience the full spectrum of creating a 3D animated short film. Working in teams of five or six, eight groups this year combined their artistic styles and skills to produce eight unique films.

The diversity of these projects reflects the richness of MoPA itself, as noted by a jury member this year, who remarked that "it's the role of a school to enable this kind of creative freedom." The eight short films explore a wide range of themes through distinct and bold visual styles. From comedy to horror, contemplative pieces to dramas, a variety of genres were tackled this year, allowing the jury to discover entirely original films.

The graduation panels took place throughout Saturday, June 22, 2024, at Le Méjan cinema in Arles. Each group had one hour to present their film to the jury and MoPA’s faculty, explaining their artistic and technical choices. After the first screening of their film, each group member spoke about their individual contributions, what they enjoyed most, and the challenges they faced. Following a second screening, the jury members shared their thoughts, asked questions, and provided feedback on each film.

 

 

By the end of their presentations, the 3D animation students felt a mix of relief, pride, and emotion as they neared the conclusion of their journey at MoPA—or almost! At the end of the day, a reception was held, bringing together students, their families and friends, the MoPA faculty, and jury members for further conversation. The day ended with a final screening of the films at the ancient Roman theater in Arles, marking both the end of the students' academic journey and the beginning of their promising careers in animation.

This summer, the eight films created by the 2024 animation graduates will be submitted to numerous festivals worldwide, following in the footsteps of previous MoPA films at events such as Siggraph, the Student Academy Awards, the Spark Animation Festival, and the BAFTA Awards. Stay tuned if you want to follow the journey of our graduates' films!

And while we wait for the upcoming trailers to appear on our website, we invite you to check out the posters for the eight films.

 

 

 

The entire MoPA team warmly congratulates its graduates and wishes them a fantastic career in animation. We would also like to extend our thanks to the jury members for their presence, feedback, and the thoughtful and demanding advice they shared with our students:

• Mathieu REY - TNZPV
• Marie-Laurence TURPIN - XILAM
• Shelley PAGE - LOCKSMITH
• Vincent PHILIBERT - nWave
• Loïc ETIENNE - CIRCUS
• Florian CABANE - la région
• Florian CASPAR - NEXUS
• Benoît MAFFONE - LA PLANÈTE ROUGE