The fourth-year students are taking on the 11-second challenge.

One part of this challenge takes place within a framework well known to both aspiring and professional animators: the monthly competition hosted by “The 11 Second Club.” Each month, the site provides a short 11-second audio clip. Using this imposed dialogue, participants—students and professionals alike—must create a fully animated scene featuring characters, with a strong emphasis on acting, expression, and body language.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Voir cette publication sur Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Une publication partagée par École MoPA (@ecole_mopa)

 

Behind-the-scenes work before the spotlight

While the exercise may seem short at first glance, what goes on behind the scenes tells a very different story. Before even opening their digital tools, the students had to engage in a rigorous preparatory process: defining the narrative stakes, studying the characters’ intentions, conducting visual research, filming their own acting to gather concrete references, and finally designing a true “choreography” before moving on to 3D animation.

Over the course of four weeks, they explored the subtleties of body language and facial animation—two essential pillars in conveying believable emotion on screen. To do this, they used existing, royalty-free 3D rigs. The final outputs, known as playblasts, are simplified versions that allow for evaluating the quality of movement and acting without the added layers of textures or lighting.

 

Tangible Results and Well-Deserved Recognition

The students’ efforts quickly paid off. In February, several of them submitted their animations to the international competition.

 

The results speak fir themselves :

• Erwan Drouot : 8th place
• David Opoh : 21st place
• Noémie Pette : 24th place
• Pauline Petit : 35th place

Facing participants from all over the world, these rankings reflect a high level of technical and artistic skill, as well as the students' commitment to a thorough and demanding process.

 

A valuable immersion in the animator's profession

Beyond the performance, this exercise allowed the students to face the expectations of the professional world by experimenting with a work method similar to that of studios. It was also a great way for them to gain confidence in their ability to tell stories through imagery and breathe life into their characters, even in a format as brief as 11 seconds.

 

Through this challenge, MoPA once again reaffirms its commitment to training well-rounded animators, capable of combining technique, creativity, and a strong sense of performance. A big congratulations to all the students who participated in the challenge !