When RenderMan puts the spotlight on Cursed, the ESMA film that blurs the line between 2D and 3D

This is precisely the case with Cursed, a short film made by a team of nine ESMA students, recently analysed and highlighted by RenderMan for its singular artistic approach and its hybridisation of 3D rendering and 2D aesthetics.

A reinvention of 3D rendering in the service of an illustrated aesthetic

Directed by Margaux Deculty, Ashe Daniel, Alisson Pigerol, Marion Boitelle, Leila Bouguerch, Myriam Brandao Serseri, Andrea Mamessier Degrange, Nicolas Paoli and Marie Seve, Cursed revisits the myth of Hades and Persephone through an intimate fable about a mother who will do anything to protect her child.

But above and beyond the story, it was the artistic direction that caught RenderMan’s eye: a clear desire to ‘unlearn’ 3D in order to rediscover a graphic style that is closer to illustration.

Controlled shadows, controlled lighting, plane separation, advanced compositing: the entire pipeline has been designed to transform 3D into a pictorial image.

A technical approach diverted to serve the style

The team deliberately bypassed the reflexes of physical rendering to build a ‘flatter’, more graphic image. Shadows are sometimes integrated directly into textures, while lighting effects are adjusted and reconstructed in post-production. Each stage of the 3D rendering is then preserved as separate image layers, which serve as a basis for shaping and refining the final visual style of the film.

In particular, this work involved extensive use of RenderMan, which was diverted from its photorealistic use to serve an aesthetic inspired by traditional illustration.

Recognition that underlines the maturity of ESMA projects

By highlighting Cursed, RenderMan is acknowledging both an artistic approach and advanced technical mastery, worthy of professional pipelines.

For ESMA, this visibility confirms the ability of its students to experiment with bold approaches, where technique becomes a visual writing tool in its own right.

This recognition once again places the school’s graduation films at the crossroads of innovation and artistic creation.

ESMA warmly thanks the RenderMan teamsfor highlighting the work of our students and for their interest in the artistic and technical approach of Cursed.

Read the full analysis of Cursed and the behind-the-scenes making of the film on the official RenderMan website.