"Pêcheurs de Rêves": a journey between light and darkness

A world of dreams and nightmares

Imagine a parallel world, invisible to our eyes but essential to our sleep. This world, populated by dream guardians, watches over the fragile balance between dreams and nightmares. This is the role of the Dream Fishers. In this story, Nael and Kyra, two courageous protectors, dedicate themselves to purifying the nightmares of sleepers and transforming them into sweet dreams before the sun rises.

The concept of the film is inspired by the symbolism of dreamcatchers. The students wanted to reinvent this myth by combining marine and fairytale elements: fishing, fish and the poetry of dreams. This universe reflects on the nature of sleep and the invisible creatures that protect our nights. Beyond the story, Pêcheurs de rêves conveys a powerful message about solidarity: no matter how big the problem, working together can always overcome it.

A technical feat

Making Dream Fishers required advanced mastery of animation tools and visual effects. One of the greatest challenges faced by the team was managing two distinct types of lighting, crucial for conveying the emotions and mood of the film.

• The dreamlike night: Part of the film takes place under a starry night sky, with subtle and immersive lighting reminiscent of the aesthetics of Pixar films. The team used complex techniques to reproduce a realistic and magical atmosphere.

• The Red Nightmare: Another key scene is dominated by intense red light, creating a dramatic and oppressive atmosphere. The transition between these two luminous worlds had to be perfectly fluid, while maintaining visual and narrative coherence.

To meet this challenge, the students called on their cutting-edge expertise in Maya and Houdinisoftware . In particular, they built a bridge between these two tools to create complex simulations, such as the tornado carrying away the nightmares or the luminous core symbolising the energy of dreams. Every shot in the film features special effects (FXs), such as the particles representing dreams and nightmares, which add dynamism and poetry to the short film.

The art of collaboration

Beyond the technical aspects, Pêcheurs de rêves is above all a collective work. Each member of the team contributed his or her skills and creativity to bring the project to life. Managing the various aspects – modelling, animation, textures, lighting and compositing – required seamless coordination.

We would like to pay tribute to the talent and commitment of the film team:

• Laurie Andrade Sanchez
• Leïlou Bouchon
• Maelle Carron
• Jonah Lin Huang Nin
• Manon Moitry
• Celia Noublanche
• Fifame Schmitt
• Coline Sombret

Together, these students have succeeded in translating their artistic vision into an impressive, captivating and meaningful work.

An outstanding experience

Pêcheurs de Rêves is a perfect illustration of the excellence of ESMA’s training in 3D Animation and Special Effects. This project highlights the imagination and rigour of our students, while underlining their ability to rise to high-level technical challenges.

Watch Pêcheurs de rêves on our Youtube channel: