A Furry Escape: a comedy full of surprises and technical challenges

A pair of squirrels on the run

The story takes place in a small town in Canada, where Spot and Karl, two carefree squirrels, wake up in a place very different from their natural habitat: a fur shop. Their tree, moved to become a Christmas decoration, has landed them in this nightmarish situation.

In desperation, they make a series of failed attempts to escape, leading to an explosion in the toilets and a hilarious chase with the shop manager. Misunderstandings and disasters pile up in this slapstick film, where each situation becomes more absurd than the last.

Varied inspirations for a dynamic comedy

‘A Furry Escape’ is inspired by emblematic figures of comic animation. “Our film is based on simple humour featuring not very clever characters, evolving in an extremely hostile environment for them,” explain the directors.

We thus find the influence of Scrat from ‘Ice Age’ or the film ‘Bad Guys’ in the sitcom and the exaggerated reactions of the characters.

The taxidermy shop environment, populated by stuffed animals, was designed as the ideal setting for the deployment of black humour, exploited through zany details and absurd interactions.
Visually, the students have created a threatening world in which the sharp, rigid, man-made elements contrast with the round, expressive characters, reminiscent of the aesthetic of ‘Klaus’.

Technical challenges to be met

Making ‘A Furry Escape’ was a real challenge for the students. The film features a multitude of animals, including the two squirrel heroes, a grandmother with voluminous hair, and nearly twenty stuffed animals. ‘Our groom artists had their work cut out for them!’ they say. The creation of these characters required great rigour, from digital sculpting to the application of realistic textures.

The design of the shop’s unique decor also represented a colossal amount of work in modelling and texturing. Every detail had to be thought out to enrich the story while respecting a strict organisation of the production.

Animation was another major challenge: ‘In order to achieve our cartoon style, a lot of research was needed to establish a very precise recipe.’ To obtain exaggerated and dynamic movements, it was necessary to develop robust rigs capable of withstanding significant deformations.
Finally, the writing of the film required intense teamwork. ‘In a team of eight, we all have a different sense of humour, and not all jokes make everyone laugh,’ they say. Finding the right comic balance was a crucial step, which strengthened their cohesion.

A collective success to be applauded

‘A Furry Escape’ is the culmination of the talent and work of Lorenza Marnier, Ladislaja Seyffertitz, Gabriel Bernard, Guillaume Raynaud, Gaël Tessier, Thomas Briand, Léon Griffond-Boitier and Faisal Asghar. The team overcame technical and narrative challenges to bring to life an inventive and fast-paced animated comedy.

Congratulations to them on this creation, which promises to make a wide audience smile while highlighting their mastery of the many aspects of producing an animated film!

Discover the film A Furry Escape on our YouTube channel: