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ApplyMaking Of - « Guerre Froide »
Immersion in "Guerre Froide," a short film where rivalries, unexpected alliances, and visually opposed worlds brilliantly collide. Discover the behind-the-scenes of this film created as the final-year project by graduates from the class of 2024 at the MoPA animation school.
After exploring the backstages of "Quand les Chamois se Taisent", "Emboucanator", "Space Dan", and "Ceux pour qui la Lune ne brille pas", let’s dive today into the universe of "Guerre Froide". This final-year short film was directed by six fifth-year students at MoPA: Flavie CECCHINI, Justine DUBOIS, Camille THEODORE, Hugo PATIES, Thibault REVOL, and Juan Jose ESCAMILLA. "Guerre Froide" came to life after a year of intense work, from brainstorming the script at the end of their fourth year to completing post-production in June.
"Guerre Froide" takes us to Italy, where Tino, an ice cream maker, and Rico, a pastry chef, engage in an endless rivalry. Each runs their shop across the street from the other, with their feud fueled by relentless competition. Everything changes when an American businessman buys their stores to build a frozen food supermarket. Forced to abandon their shops, Tino and Rico discover a common enemy and join forces to destroy the symbol of their misfortune.
An unexpected alliance
The film revolves around three main characters: Rico, Tino, and the businessman. The two Italians were conceived as complementary opposites, much like Asterix and Obelix. They are cut from the same cloth, and their differences make them endearing and amusing. Opposite them, the businessman represents everything they are not: a cold figure embodying rigidity. Flavie explained that they wanted to portray a stereotypical businessman.
Keeping their cool
Each member of the team contributed to pre-production, including concept, character design, and storyboarding. Roles were then naturally distributed based on each person’s strengths and interests.
According to Camille, the primary challenge during the making of "Guerre Froide" was working on the artistic direction. She explained that balancing the characters’ two worlds was difficult: warm colors and rounded shapes for the Italians, evoking a playful and childlike universe, contrasted with a cold, corporate design for the businessman and his supermarket.
Throughout production, the team worked autonomously while benefiting from regular feedback on technical aspects such as animation and lighting. The support provided by Yoni ARENA, director of MoPA, was crucial in quickly accessing resources and experts needed to move forward efficiently.
The cherry on top
This final-year film represents the culmination of everything the students have learned during their time at MoPA. Beyond honing their 3D technical skills, each team member developed their soft skills, particularly teamwork, which is essential in a professional environment like an animation studio.
"I would recommend anyone wishing to join MoPA to take the first step into the world of cinema, especially 3D, on their own. Explore the software, the names, the techniques, and maintain an open mind, which is vital for every production. Look a bit further, and use the foundation provided by MoPA to gradually climb the ladder in this technical world."
A huge congratulations to the "Guerre Froide" team! We wish them great success in their future projects!
