Short Cuts: The Infernal Machine

In issue 151 of 3D World, we talk to the student group behind new short, The Infernal Machine, about their burning ambitions

The Infernal Machine is a story about how loyalty and friendship can surface in the most unexpected circumstances. As caretakers of the fiery chasms of Hell, a surely foreman and an adorable minion are called upon when a soul crashes into the machine on its descent. Tasked with fixing it, they come armed with a wrench and make their way to the machine’s lift – only to find that it’s broken. Pondering their next move, the foreman selfishly puts the minion in harm’s way in multiple attempts to reach the control panel.

Desperately in need of repair, the machine suffers a small explosion and the little bundle of demonic mass saves his master from certain death. Realising the minion’s loyalty, the foreman risks his own neck in order to get the job done. But will he get there in time and with the right tools?

The short was created by three students – Harold Cheng, Han Xiang Chua and Yeow Kuang Lai – of the National Centre for Computer Animation in Bournemouth, as part of their final master’s degree module. The trio’s early ideas for the film included a comedy featuring a pirate and a dramatic noir short about a girl. However, they finally ended up at the concept of something going wrong in Hell and everything freezing over.

“We eventually settled on a group of aggressively expendable demons trying to fix a machine that regulates the fires of Hell,” says animator Chua. “It was initially a purely gag-driven short, but we soon decided to craft a story with a little more heart. Weeks of tweaks and critiques later, the plot finally evolved into the one you see here.”

You can read more about the technical process behind The Infernal Machine in issue 151 of 3D World magazine.

Posted on Wednesday, November 30th, 2011 at 9:30 am under Shorts, Showcase. You can subscribe to comments. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.

Tags: 3D animated short, 3D animation, Short Cuts, The Infernal Machine