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ApplyMaking of - « Ultima Vaccae »
After the making-of of the 3D animated short films “Apres Papi”, “Au Revoir Mon Monde”, “Cycle”, “Le Bruit du Silence”, “Hubris” and “Wondermom”, we invite you to discover the one from “Ultima Vaccae”, directed by students from the Class of 2023 at our animation film school MoPA.
An eventful adventure
Célia, one of the directors of this animated short film, explains to us that this film tells the story of a small steak-eating extremist group, in search of the very last cow in a world where animals have disappeared. After an eventful world tour, they end up finding a secret passage in an American Diner leading to the very last living cow... What follows is a battle against the manager of this restaurant! Who will manage to get their hands on the precious animal?
For Olivia, this 5-minute project marks the end of six years of study: a culmination combining the learning of technical knowledge and the development of her own artistic style. In one year, the group of final year students from the MoPA animation film school produced this short film which was presented in June to a jury of professionals. If this film will continue to live in the hearts of our directors, it will also and above all be a calling card for our young graduates to demonstrate their abilities to find a job. The short film has already been selected in several festivals: proof of the quality work provided by its animators!
In search of humour
For Jean-Marie, it's difficult to bring this story to life in just 5 minutes! So to achieve their goal, the directors relied on a cartoonish style supported by characters representative of American clichés.
Our students chose a visual style in harmony with their story and the tone they gave it: light and comic, bordering on burlesque. Although the film becomes more and more violent through its action scenes, the humor maintains the upper hand and fully serves the purpose of the film, taking the viewer into a short film close to the cartoon. “Ultima Vaccae” is an offbeat film, with very saturated colors and a carefully crafted language of forms.
To stage the story, our young directors chose to represent two main characters who are polar opposites of each other. True clichés of deep America, our two “heroes” benefit from a simple reading that highlights their comic side. If they lead the dance well in pairs, we notice that there is a leader and a follower. Very different physically, their behavior and reactions are just as different. The two characters carry the action, serve the story, and take the viewer into a comic universe rich in action!
At the start of making the film, no quest awaited our main characters. But then: how can we make the viewer understand that there are no more animals on earth? By showing a rich environment and taking them to different countries around the world, the two characters will experience a humorous quest, which will make the viewer understand that they have already tried everything to find a cow. This adventure at the start of the film emphasizes the rarity of this very last cow on earth, and the incredible luck that our comic duo had to come across it by chance!
Above all, Olivia wants viewers to have a good time watching this short film. And if it remains a comedic film, it still has a look at today's consumer society.
A « happy ending » for our students
For Jean-Marie, being a student at the MoPA animation film school was a real personal challenge. He explains that his school is a world reference, and it now allows him to increase his self-confidence in the face of potential recruiters.
Célia says that today she has all the necessary tools in her possession to work in the animated film industry. MoPA teaches students how to create a film from scratch, allowing everyone to choose their specialization.
The entire MoPA team wishes “Ultima Vaccae” a long life, and is proud to see the directors of this film with gain confidence in their professional lives.
