Initial & My life as a zucchini

3D part

My life as a courgette

Initial is proud to have brought the film’s characters to life.
Unquestionably the success story of 2016, Claude Barras’ film was an award winner at the MIFA Annecy. My Life as a Courgette is continuing on its journey that could well take it all the way to the Oscars®!
Take a look behind the scenes.

Ma vie de courgette et Initial Prodways group © © Rita Productions – Blue Spirit Productions – Gébéka Films – KNM
initial 3D ma vie de courgette © Béatrice – Resin model and 3D object scan

3D scanning

The characters were first produced in resin, by the model makers.
INITIAL stepped into the picture with its 3D object scanning experts.
The aim was to capture the volumes and shape of each character’s face, in order to be able to design the head mechanisms.

CAD modelling

A head = a skull + eyes + eyelids + eyebrows + a mouth.

To enable these elements to be added, INITIAL carried out CAD modelling for each character.
There were numerous aims:

  • Accessing the inside of the skull.
  • Keeping the eyes in place and allowing the animator to move them easily during filming.
  • Creating an area for the different eyebrows and mouths, allowing the characters emotions to be conveyed.
initial conception 3d ma vie de courgette

MANUFACTURING EXPERTISE

Additive manufacturing and 3D printing
initial et ma vie de courgette © Raymond 3D object scan

INITIAL was able to offer the best technological processes for producing each part. Our range of machines allowed us to produce parts with a great deal of finesse.
We used several technologies, which complemented each other perfectly, to produce the best possible result.

Initial et ma vie de courgette © Raymond 3D object scan

Manufacturing secrets

  • Polyjet for bi-material production of eyebrows, mouths (use of 2 materials: black for the back of the mouth and white for the teeth) and moustaches.
  • Vacuum casting for the eyelids, as these were required in very large quantities.
    The same model was actually used for all the characters.
Inital 3D et ma vie de courgette polyjet 3D
initial annecy et ma vie de courgette

An incredible production

  • 17 characters in the film, but 45 characters were made to facilitate and speed up animation on several sets at the same time.
  • 1538 eyelids
  • 1317 mouths (lips + backs of mouths + teeth)
  • 400 eyebrows

Collaboration between My Life as a Courgette and Initial 3D printing on an art animation film