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4 min read
The Visual Effects Society held its 23rd annual Awards on February 11th in Beverly Hills, California and has once again highlighted a remarkable array of creative achievements. The VES Awards were established to recognize the VFX supervisors, producers, and artists who bring creative visions to life. These awards celebrate exceptional artistry and innovation in film, animation, television, commercials, and video games worldwide. For the 17th consecutive year, Autodesk is honored to sponsor the “Outstanding Visual Effects in a Student Project” category, showcasing the works of emerging talent to the world.
The ArtFX School of Digital Arts in Montpellier, France, was honored at this year’s VES Awards. The prestigious accolade celebrated the exceptional work of the student team behind the captivating short film “Pittura.” This talented ensemble features Adam Lauriol (CG Generalist), Titouan Lassère (Character Artist), Rémi Vivenza (Character Artist), and Helloïs Marre (Compositing Artist). Their remarkable achievement highlights the innovative spirit and creative prowess emerging from this renowned institution.
“Pittura” is a film that explores the intersection of traditional art and emerging AI technology, a timely narrative given the recent surge of AI. In the short film, a painter with Parkinson’s shares his artistic knowledge with a robot in hopes of completing one of his greatest works, leading to an unexpected takeover by the AI. The film’s visuals are striking, with a meticulously crafted CG environment that captures the essence of a painter’s studio and the grandeur of an Italian Renaissance-inspired cityscape. Size and scale serve as powerful metaphors for the immense breadth of knowledge the robot needs to learn from humans. “The main message of the film is that AI is not bad, but we can use it as a tool—not to replace humans or artists,” explains Adam Lauriol. The film effectively conveys emotions through its attention to detail, resulting in a heartfelt blend of art and technology.
This vision is brought to life using complex VFX techniques. First, the team created a detailed CG environment that matched the shooting location using procedural modeling, photogrammetry, and substance printing for a painterly look. The painter’s studio and the cityscape were crafted with a focus on Renaissance-inspired design, using procedural city layout tools and high-resolution modeling. Specific props and environmental modeling were also done in Autodesk Maya, and the film was rendered with Autodesk Arnold. Advanced techniques such as dynamic fracture setups for glass shattering, procedural paint splashes, and fluid simulations for realistic paint interactions were employed in the film. Motion capture and facial scan applications ensured accurate and expressive robot movements and facial expressions. The team seamlessly integrated actors into the CG environment, with meticulous compositing, touch-ups, and effects to soften the 3D renderings for believability. Many of these processes involved the use of Autodesk tools, notably Maya for motion-capture cleanup, modeling the robot’s mechanics, and rigging. Flow Production Tracking was also used to schedule the process and helped the team meet their deadlines.
Creating “Pittura” came with its share of challenges. When it came to designing the robot character, CG Generalist Adam Lauriol explained, “We wanted the robot to be expressive, but without any animators on the team, we had to get creative. We used motion capture and face IDs to capture our facial movements, then refined the data in Maya to achieve a more professional result.”
When the team learned about their nomination for the award, their initial reaction was one of disbelief. Adam recounted, “When I saw the message on my phone, I initially thought it was a joke.” However, reality soon set in, bringing with it a surge of excitement and surprise. “We were really shocked – but in a good way,” he added, capturing the team’s elation.
Other nominees include the team behind “Dawn” from École Supérieure des Métiers Artistiques (ESMA), “Student Accomplice” from Brigham Young University (BYU) and lastly, the team from Rubika behind the short film “Courage.” The extraordinary work of these student teams and their contributions to the world of visual effects and animation are truly worthy of celebration.
“Whether it’s through a fully immersive environment, realistic characters, or jaw-dropping action sequences, visual effects artists continue to push the boundaries of creativity and transform the way stories are told,” said Diana Colella, Executive Vice President of Media & Entertainment at Autodesk. “This year’s student film submissions celebrate the technical talent and creativity of up-and-coming visual effects artists. Congratulations to all the student nominees. We look forward to seeing where your visual effects career will take you, and how you will use technology to bring your next story to life.”
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