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ApplyMaking of du film de fin d'études "La Dernière Tempête"
Discover the making-of of “La Dernière Tempête”, a graduation film created by Paul MELLET, Vasilis SAVVIDES, Marguerite RUGGIRELLO, Noé DOULIÈRE, Edita KOKORIN, and Amélie BAARS, graduates of the Class of 2025 from MoPA’s 3D Animation Filmmaking program.
Paul - Hi, we're the team behind La Dernière Tempête, and we're going to take you behind the scenes of our graduation film.
Marguerite - Our film tells the story of a lighthouse keeper named Simone. She is very dedicated to her work, she loves her job, she loves her lighthouse, and she works entirely on her own. The problem is that she is extremely lonely and, deep down, she wants to leave, but she refuses to admit it to herself. Her shadow will come to help her listen to her inner voice and finally move on.
Paul - For the art direction, we chose a semi-realistic 3D style because we are telling a fantasy drama. This allowed us to ground our story in something believable. For the first part of the film, which takes place in a more realistic world, we drew inspiration from live-action cinema and big-budget productions, particularly for their use of lenses, flares, and camera movements. For the second part of the film, which unfolds in a more graphic universe, we looked to German Expressionist cinema for inspiration.
Marguerite - We were also heavily inspired by puppet theaters, as well as by the films of Michel Ocelot, particularly Princes and Princesses. For the dreamlike sequences, we also drew inspiration from photographer Alan Schaller.
Paul - We developed the story together to make sure it appealed to all of us and would keep us motivated throughout the year. Then, we divided the tasks according to our interests and skills. The biggest challenge for us was deciding how to approach the shadow, since it was the core concept of the film. We had to find a direction and choose an approach that suited all six members of the team so that we could remain united throughout the entire year.
Marguerite - What struck me most during production was modeling the character from the concept art and successfully capturing her expression, which was very strong and masculine, while still bringing a touch of femininity to it. Her expression was very harsh in the original concepts, and that was essential to the character.
Noé - It was also challenging to make the shadow convey emotions using only its silhouette. We couldn't go for something like Peter Pan or a classic Disney shadow with exaggerated gestures, because that would have felt out of character. We had to find the right balance.
Paul - This was a major challenge because the shadow exists in two different states. We are working in a 3D medium, but at the beginning of the film, it appears in 2D before gradually transitioning into a volumetric 3D form. To achieve this effect, we didn't have any expertise in 2D animation. So, we worked entirely in 3D and projected points in space according to the camera angle in order to project the shadow's shape onto surfaces. We then interpolated those points through space to gradually restore its 3D form.
Marguerite - We are incredibly fortunate to be able to work on a film together for an entire year. It's truly an enriching experience.
Paul - What MoPA gave us is a critical mindset. The school taught us how to develop our artistic eye.
Marguerite - We would really like audiences to remember that it's important to listen to yourself and that, sometimes, the little voice inside your head is right.
Table of Contents
Discover the making-of of “La Dernière Tempête”
The making-of of “La Dernière Tempête” takes us behind the scenes of an ambitious graduation film created by six fifth-year students from MoPA. This 3D animated film tells the story of Simone, a solitary lighthouse keeper who is deeply passionate about her work but unable to admit her desire to leave. Through an encounter with her own shadow, she embarks on an inner journey that ultimately leads her to listen to herself.
Combining refined art direction, innovative technical challenges, and a reflection on self-discovery, this making-of reveals every stage of the creation process behind a collective project that brought the team together for an entire year.
A 3D animated film between fantasy drama and a quest for freedom
La Dernière Tempête is a 3D animated film that explores universal themes: loneliness, change, and the ability to listen to one's deepest aspirations.
The main character, Simone, is a lighthouse keeper devoted to her work. Strong, independent, and deeply attached to her environment, she nevertheless experiences an inner conflict. Part of her dreams of leaving, yet she refuses to acknowledge this desire. Her shadow then becomes a representation of that inner voice struggling to be heard.
Through this story, the students wanted to convey a simple yet powerful message: sometimes, the small voice deep inside us deserves to be heard.
The artistic inspirations behind the film
To build the film's visual universe, the team chose a semi-realistic 3D art direction. This approach helped ground the story in a credible environment while preserving the fantastical dimension of the narrative.
The students drew inspiration from several artistic worlds:
- Big-budget live-action cinema for lenses, flares, and camera movements.
- German Expressionist cinema for the film's most graphic sequences.
- Puppet theaters for certain staging and storytelling choices.
- The works of Michel Ocelot, particularly Princes and Princesses.
- The black-and-white photography of Alan Schaller for the dreamlike sequences.
This diversity of references helped create a strong visual identity capable of evolving throughout the story between realism, dreams, and symbolism.
The entire screenplay was developed collectively so that every member of the team felt fully invested in the project. This was an essential step in maintaining motivation and team cohesion throughout the year-long production.
Creating the characters and the shadow
One of the project's main challenges involved the creation of the characters, especially Simone.
The character's modeling required extensive adaptation work based on the original concept art. The team wanted to preserve the strong and deliberately masculine expression envisioned during the early visual development stages while adding enough subtlety to strengthen the character's personality.
However, the real creative challenge was the shadow.
It needed to be capable of conveying emotions without a face, without dialogue, and solely through its silhouette. The students had to find a delicate balance: avoiding the exaggerated movements often found in traditional animation while maintaining enough expressiveness for audiences to understand its intentions.
This work on acting and staging became one of the most complex aspects of the project.
Why choose MoPA? A unique production experience
At MoPA, students dedicate their final year to creating a true graduation film. For nearly a year, they work as a team on a complete project, from writing and development through to the final images.
This experience allows them to develop advanced technical skills in modeling, animation, lighting, rendering, and compositing, while learning to collaborate under conditions similar to those found in a professional studio.
Beyond mastering technical tools, students also highlight the importance of the critical thinking skills developed throughout their education. The ability to analyze an image, defend artistic choices, and refine a project is a key asset for entering the animation film industry.
The technical challenges of a graduation film
Like any ambitious animation film project, La Dernière Tempête required overcoming numerous technical challenges. The most significant involved the gradual transformation of the shadow.
At the beginning of the film, it appears as a completely flat 2D silhouette. As the story unfolds, it gradually evolves into a volumetric 3D presence.
To achieve this effect, the team developed an original solution. Without specialists in 2D animation, the students worked entirely in a 3D environment. They used a point-projection system in space to create the appearance of a shadow cast onto different surfaces. A gradual interpolation process then allowed the silhouette to slowly regain its volume.
This technical process required numerous tests and adjustments to ensure a smooth and believable transition on screen.
Beyond the visual achievement, this transformation also reflects the character's emotional evolution and plays a central role in the film's storytelling.
FAQ – Making-of and graduation films at MoPA
How is a graduation film created at MoPA?
Students work as a team for approximately one full year on an original project. They handle every stage of production: screenplay, storyboard, art direction, modeling, animation, lighting, rendering, and post-production. This organization mirrors the workflow of a professional studio and provides valuable hands-on experience before entering the industry.
Why create a making-of for a 3D animated film?
A making-of offers insight into the artistic choices, inspirations, and technical solutions developed throughout production. It also highlights the collaborative effort required to create a 3D animated film and helps audiences better understand the various professions involved in the industry.
What technical challenges do students face when creating a 3D animated film?
The challenges are numerous: character creation, believable animation, lighting management, render optimization, and the development of specific visual effects. In the case of La Dernière Tempête, the gradual transformation of the shadow from a 2D appearance into a 3D form was one of the project's main technical challenges.
La Dernière Tempête perfectly illustrates the richness of a graduation film produced at MoPA. Combining artistic ambition, technical innovation, and teamwork, the project demonstrates the students' ability to create original worlds and tell meaningful stories. Through this making-of, they share not only the behind-the-scenes process of their creation but also a universal reflection on the importance of listening to oneself and daring to follow one's own path.
If you would like to learn how to create 3D animated films within an internationally recognized school, then join MoPA!
