A Dog Haunts “The Cliff” in New Short Film by Fabrice Le Nezet and Optical Arts
“Different visual techniques such as cinematic framing, scientific cross-sectioning, architectural exploded view illustration as well as character POV have been combined here to create a hybrid narrative form with a focus on visual emotions and memories.
“This illustrative approach helped us design the scenes to create a foggy and enigmatic world in a style that suits the dark and nightmarish mood of the story.
“Working with Milan-based composer Nicollo Chotowski, we designed a soundtrack intended to give weight and physicality to the memories addressed in the film. Constantly balancing between music and sound design without ever settling, the idea was to compose an experimental track that would link the frames, enhance the visuals and support the narrative tension of the film.”
Sound Design: Niccolò Chotkowski
Fabrice Le Nezet: “The film is a reinterpretation of the ancient myth of the Black Dog – an exploration of a collection of sensory fragments, using a non-linear narrative.
“As a tribute to the master of suspense Alfred Hitchcock, the villa in the film was inspired by the Vandamm House in North by Northwest (1959) which was itself inspired by Fallingwater, the masterpiece designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright.
“As the dog walks through the film, it rediscovers and remembers all the sensations, places, textures, movements and sounds from the past.
Director Fabrice Le Nezet and friends at London studio Optical Arts rework codes from noir fiction in their new short film The Cliff, an artful rendering of a dog’s dream-like return from the dead.
Posted on Wednesday, April 20, 2022 · Leave a Comment
Production: Optical Arts
Director/AD: Fabrice Le Nezet
2D/3D Supervisor: Fabrice Le Nezet
3D artist: Nicolas Damour, Izaak Pardey
“The animation was created in 3D but the look of the film was created entirely at the compositing stage superposing multiple passes of lighting, textures, noise, and grain.”
