Boom Review
Boom, dir. Gabriel Augerai, Charles Di Cicco, Romain Augier, Laurie Pereira de Figueiredo and Yannick Jacquin, École des Nouvelles Images, France
Set on a solitary volcanic island, Boom tells the story of a mating pair of Dodo-like birds waiting for their four eggs to hatch. As the ground shakes and the island's volcano prepares to erupt, the rest of their colony flees off the side of the island's cliff to the safety of the water below. The two birds must work together to escape with their four eggs in tow. In the slapstick comedy that ensues, the birds use their beaks, their tiny wings, and their entire bodies to move their eggs away from the volcano and towards the safety of the colony.
Directed by a team of Gabriel Augerai, Charles Di Cicco, Romain Augier, Laurie Pereira de Figueiredo and Yannick Jacquin, Boom was produced at the École de Nouvelles Images and is a finalist at the 50th Student Academy Awards in the Animation category. Visually impressive, the character designer uses colorful 3D animation to transport the viewer to this island of birds. The dialogue is entirely implied, and these birds speak volumes without using words.
The animation and sound design work together to build the chaos as the birds hurry to move their eggs to safety before time runs out. The short is equally suspenseful as comedic as the situation grows more volatile and perilous. The viewer is kept wondering at each moment whether all four eggs will make it as eggs get stuck and are fumbled from one bird to the other. The flock looks on from below, cheering on the bird family as they one by one make the leap. Perhaps there is a moral in all of the madness: together is better, but only if both people are working towards the same goal.
If Boom is just the beginning for the students who created it, their futures in filmmaking are bright. Boom is qualified for the 2024 Oscars in the animated short film category.
Review by: Pedro Lima and Angela Schweinitz
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