"Or Bleu"



          "Or Bleu" is an animated short created by ESMA-a prominent name in animated shorts. As always, the quality of the animation shines through with this short.
          "Or Bleu" is a short about two brothers who collect corals for a living. One of them usually does all the diving while the younger brother stays on their boat as he does not know how to swim. They both have either end of a rope tied to them so they can stay together. One day, the older brother's greed and curiosity wins out, and he dives too far in so he can collect some more valuable corals. In doing this, however, he awakens a sea monster who lives there to protect the coral. An epic battle ensues where the brother gets slashed by the creature but he ultimately kills it. He collects the coral and starts to go back up when he feels himself changing. He swims back up as fast as possible, only to find his younger brother floating face down in the water, dead. He says his last goodbyes to his brother, fighting the transformation all the while. He finally gives in, and travels back down to the cavern, where we see he has transformed into the sea monster that he killed.
          "Or Bleu did a really good job of separating between the above and below water scenes. Everything happens below water has a blue tint, which effectively gives it this other-worldly feeling. This serves to distance what happens underwater from above, and helps the viewer forget about the younger brother while the older brother explores the ocean. However, whatever happens under water, the world above water is affected, which is one of the points of the animation.
          As for the underwater scenes, they are extremely detailed. Team ESMA found the perfect balance between realism and cartoon-ish, as they have been extremely skilled at doing. The rocks have amazing textures and every surface has corals or sea moss or something else. The cavern first attracts the older brother with a shining blue light, which serves to emphasize the ethereal and supernatural nature of it. The actual sea creature, however, is dull brown and in stark contrast with every other beautiful and ethereal part of the cavern. The brother's change is marked by blue light tearing through his skin, again linking it to the cavern.
          This animation truly is a very beautiful and meaningful one. Even the detail in the environment has a purpose, and it tells a very important message about greed and what it can do.

Work Log:
Monday 11/18: Out
Monday 11/19: Worked on animation/2.8
Wednesday 11/20: Watched the tutorial for 2.8
Thursday 11/21: Worked on animation
Friday 11/22: Worked on animation

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