Vidalia: action and horror combined in an effective short film!
Vidalia was selected for the official Siggraph selection because it was so convincing in terms of its originality, technical mastery and daring artistic direction. This short film tells the story of two onions, Vidalia and his older brother Cal, who set off in search of the vegetable inhabitants recently kidnapped by strange creatures during the attack on their village. The two boys, who are complete opposites – young Vidalia is timid and reserved, while Cal stands out for his courage and sense of responsibility – will have to overcome their differences to survive this dark and disturbing adventure.
The art direction is just right..
This final year project presented many stimulating challenges. First and foremost, the characters represented a particularly delicate point, requiring a great many hours of research and modelling. The directors explain that they went through a major test phase, during which they were able to explore extremely different concepts, “moving from cartoon to something more realistic“, before being able to make a final decision.
In the end, this realistic approach was chosen, and it can be seen in the textures and decorations as well as in the subtly adapted scale for the treatment of the onions. An aesthetic and narrative choice far removed from the treatments usually reserved for vegetables in animation, whether in advertising projects or short and feature films.
That was the original idea. When they retrace the genesis of Vidalia, the directors remember: “I came across a video featuring vegetables treated in a dramatic way,” says one of the students who took part in this extraordinary adventure. I found the concept both original and absurd, and I wondered what it would be like to stage these vegetables in a universe that doesn’t exist, where everything is treated in a realistic, serious way, and to adapt it in a horror genre.”
