Blacksad

Where the eye started training.

Academic exercise done during my second year back in school, based on the eponymous comic book, written by Juan Díaz Canales and illustrated by Juanjo Guarnido. I have handled all aspect of this project.

Overview

Project at a glance

School

IIM Digital School — Paris La Defense

Duration

5 weeks · 5 focused sessions

Format

3" personal short film

Role

All aspects

Tools

The hard way — every frame by hand

Why it matters

Sixteen years later, the same instincts still drive the work on feature films.

The Context

A student trying to figure out what a shot is for.

2008. I was nineteen. No pipeline, no team, no deadline that wasn't self-imposed. Just a personal project, a couple of weeks, and the stubborn idea that I could tell a story with images alone.

Watching it back now, yes, it's rough. The technique is what it is for a student short. But the instinct is already there: every shot has a job. The camera moves when it has a reason to move. The cuts try to mean something.

I keep it online because it's the honest start. Everything I do today on Dune, Furiosa or coaching ARTFX students grew out of evenings like the ones that made this film.