Short film trailer: Love o’clock, an animated comedy playing with time by the Class of 2026
In the final year of the Master’s in 3D Animation & VFX, students at IIM Digital School are required to design ambitious projects combining creativity, technical expertise, and storytelling. This year, the short film Love o’clock illustrates this approach.
This year, fifth-year students produced two short films under their fictional animation studio Dark Circles: Ma Bla and Love o’clock. The two films differ in form and intent, yet both reflect the same level of artistic and technical standards.
Love o’clock: a fast-paced time comedy
Directed by Louis Granados and with artistic direction by Imane Charouali, Love o’clock is a four-minute time-based comedy exploring the paradoxes of time. Through frozen moments and unexpected chaos, the main character, Émile, discovers that altering time can lead to unforeseen—and often humorous—consequences.
The film stands out through its combination of 3D animation and 2D graphic treatment, creating a dynamic and colourful visual universe. Each shot is carefully designed to play with rhythm, timing, and humour, demonstrating the students’ ability to handle visual storytelling and staging with precision.
A teaching approach focused on practice and experimentation
The 3D Animation & VFX track at IIM Digital School encourages students to experiment, test bold ideas, and develop their own artistic identity. Final-year projects such as Love o’clock are designed to:
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Work across the entire production pipeline, from writing and storyboarding to animation, rendering, and post-production.
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Develop art direction skills, including composition and narrative rhythm.
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Encourage team collaboration under conditions close to those of a professional studio.
This project-based approach enables students to produce cohesive and well-developed works while building a solid portfolio that can be directly applied within the animation and VFX industry.
