Hello! The art of this game is PHENOMENAL.

How many individual scenes were created in watercolor for the game? How long did it take to paint them all? How long does a single scene take to paint on average?

Hi!! and thank you!!

All the scenes are hand painted and most of the game will be done like that.Handpainted on paper, some on site, scanned and brought in Blender and Unity.I'm very fast, none of my paintings take me more than 1h30 but it's mainly because i paint since i was 14.If you do the maths, for the teaser and prototype (and some scenes that you haven't seen yet), i'd say that it took me 4 to 5 days to paint all the backgrounds. It's fast if you think of the time you spend on cleaning the watercolor once they are scanned.The longest process is to prepare them in photoshop and build the 3D scenery.

How do you prepare them exactly? Do you import them as planes with alpha transparency

haaaa! that's part of our magic ;)i can't tell you now how we do but i will once the production will be more advanced.So you have no choice but following us till the end of the production! ;)

Haha, I will keep on asking from time to time. Trough Facebook or other means. One day I'll get my answer 😅🤤

you will for sure! But you know, the technical aspect isn't the biggest secret. It's how you deal with traditionnal arts ;)

Can you please give the game a different name? No need to let the rest of the world know about this region of France.

hahaha! i wish i could but it's definitely carved in my mind. I can't think of a better title for it ;)

I’ve almost finished the sizzle reel for the pilot of an animated series I’ve written with a friend. We both have 0 experience and no connections in the industry. Once I finish the sizzle reel, what would you say is the next step to take? Thanks

Meet producers. You will not be able to meet broadcasters or plateforms like Netflix without one.
Plus, if you don't have any experience, they will give you a fresh look on your work and help to refine it by presenting you to scriptdoctors and artists.
Be ready to receive strong and sometimes hard feedbacks about your work but it's part of the process. In the animation production world, we say that to successfully produce one project, you have to fail with 9 projects before. it's quite tough but in a way, realistic ;)

in

but be confident. If you work hard and believe in your project, you'll make it evolve for its best.

Appreciate the advice, thanks again man

you're welcome. Don't hesitate to contact me on twitter trough my personal account or the one from UN JE NE SAIS QUOI if you need more advices or if i you want me to have a quick look on your project.

Thats awesome man, I will certainly do that when it’s ready

Deal!

What's your favourite French food?

It's probably Hachis Parmentier
https://img.cuisineaz.com/400x320/2013-12-20/i28721-recette-de-hachis-parmentier.jpeg

or Raclette :
https://static.actu.fr/uploads/2019/10/raclette.jpg

Raclette me manque ! I live in the states and have a little raclette grill, but it is not the same. There's nothing quite like going to a resto or pub in the winter with friends, and sitting around around enjoying a raclette.

TRUE!!! :D

Raclette

That pic is insanely awesome

;)

Hi! So many stuff... What we call "sauces" is great, cooked in a pot actually.

ah yes! Aymeric is definitely the one regarding french food if you need any advices ;)

Hello Cedric. I'm a clay sculptor and just got my masters degree in art. I am gainfully employed as a sculptor at a fabrication company and I'm active in fine art and academia, but I've always been curious about the gaming and movie sector in terms of art application.

Do you have any advice on perhaps generally breaching into this kind of work without former training that specifically applies? Applications of practical sculpture and art skills to digital spaces, and what kind of portfolio is exoected ? Most used programs and software? First points of contact for pursuance of this kind of work? I'm always looking to learn new skills and looking for future occupational transition opportunities. Any advice on this sort of thing would be helpful, thanks!

Hello Mr Cougardoom

As a clay sculptor, i recommend you Zbrush. It's maybe the best sculpting software to learn actually. With a bit of practise, you'll find close sensations with clay. As a former clay sculptor myself it's the software i would recommand the most if you don't have any knowledges in 3D. I actually work on Blender which also have amazing sculpt tools but you would have more things to learn as it's more a "traditionnal" 3D software with a sculpt section.
Once you'll have learnt one of these, just practise and try to bring back your sensitivity in them. From that, try to quickly make between 4 to 8 digital sculpts to present you work.
Variety is important from realistic to cartoon, try everything but if you aim at VFX companies for example, you'll spend more time on realistic sculpts.
From there and with the different software and art communities, you'll propbably find opportunities.
Festival are also important to meet companies. Annecy's festival for example in France, Ottawa in Canada, etc... they all have huge market beside their festivale where you can meet famous companies such as Pixar, universal, Weta, etc... it's the best way to meet recruiters.
I don't know if i answered well because i could talk about that for hours! :D
please tell me if you need specific details

That's very useful. I mean, sure. I'm into all the details I can get. Very interesting you transitioned in this way. I've been able to transition my skills between mediums fairly quickly so this is exciting to hear. On Jobs: what is a good barometer of skill acquisition? Like what's good, what's bad. I can tell usually, but it's nice to have goals. How do these job fairs work? I know a lot about fine art world, but any extracurricular information about any of this is useful. I rarely have the opportunity to ask such specific questions to those involved. Ant info on getting onto movie art departments? Is there any opportunity for practical work or is a digital background generally additionally necessary?

it's not easy to answer to these questions.
barometer of skill acquisition : on Zbrush communities, you'll have easily access to top level artists and possibly recruiters who'll be able to tell you if you're ready or not. The good temperature is when they just say "that's awesome man" :D
Movie Art Departments aren't easy to get in. All the preproductions positions are usually taken by experienced artists. But there's a high demand for artist in production. Sculpt and model artists are demande but you have to understand that there's some boring technical aspect to learn such as how to make a good topology from a high resolution model for example...
But i would definitely recommand you to take a bit of time and maybe follow workshops about 3D sculpt tools before applying to a job.
there's still some fex demands for real clay artists for preproduction but not that much

Ok great. This is all super helpful information! I appreciate your response. It's a complicated world out there and I want as many choices as possible. Thanks for your time and information!

you're more than welcome. Don't hesitate to send me a quick message on twitter if you need more informations ;)

Hi I love your style and am excited about Dordogne. Q: How long has the game been in development and how has it changed during that time?

Hi u/msephton! and thank you for your question.
we've been working on this project for more than a year now.
We've spent time at the beginning with a more traditionnal animated production team as i come from animation in order to find the good narrative direction.
Since then, we're still on the same path but with new talents like Marina Diez as our lead game designer and of course the Umanimation team with u/aymeric_ayc

but from the begiining the direction was the same. telling a sensitive story between present and past. Remembering our roots. soemthing we have all in common with good and bad sides.

What made you decide that you wanted to do this type of job? When did it feel like you were actually doing it for the first time?

If by type of job, you mean artist or author, it's very simple. When i was a kid, i used to wake up so early that to make me wait till breakfast, my mother used to give me comicbooks such as Tintin, Asterix or the smurfs to read. I was like 4yo. I started to draw at that time and never stopped. I don't know how to do anything else.

animation, comic book, video games are only mediums i use to express what i have been doing for years. That's why i like to try so many different mediums when i can. Telling a story is my main goal no matter what

Curious as to how you prepare the scans of paintings in Photoshop to use in game. I have experimented in the past and using the magic eraser tool doesn't always give clean edges. Are you just slowly manually erasing or do you have some other method?

We mainly use the magnetic lasso with a very high number of magnetic points (the higher one is 100 or 150? i don't remember) and don't hesitate to complete the edges by using the stamp tool.
When it's done, we fill the background with a black color to see the flaws and refine the texture again with the same process. It can be long depending the number of layers you want to have at the end and the quality of the scanner itself.

Thanks for the info, greatly appreciated. I will try the lasso next time I mess with watercolor again. It definitely is a slow process. One thing I tried was I opened the painting in Illustrator and make a vector 1 color image of it, so basically just the shape. I then imported that shape into Photoshop and put the original painting over it and used masking. It basically cuts it out pretty clean, but you don't have the ability to fine-tune it so it looks perfect all the time. Have a good day!

well, you know, watercolor is the toughest technique to learn so it quite normal that it's so hard to clean up. We have to accept that it can be, sometimes, a long process.
Have a good week-end.

Hey there!

• There is definitely a strong cultural element to your game. Besides the strong Japanese influence, what other culture would you want explore more if you had time and curiosity?

• What do you believe is an underappreciated part of the game making experience? How do you stay motivated?

• What is your favorite ice cream flavor?

Merci beaucoup!

Hey Cliff and thank you for these questions !
1/ i really don't know. I don't think that way. I think of a story, something i'd like to talk about than i start to look at documentation. ANd if i find something that touches me, no matter where it comes from, i go deep into it. It's a matter of opportunities. i'm open to everything as long as it serves an interesting story.
2/ tough question. i really don't know. i think that all the parts are interesting when you work with a small team. There's no lines between us. everybody can be involved in everything. i'm not sure i'm answering there :D
Being motivated is very easy. I'm lucky enough to work mainly on my own project. It's had, it's time consuming, sometimes you loose yourself in what you're doing but you are deeply invested. AND because i have my own company and people who count on me, it's even more easier to stay motivated.
3/ MINT with chocolate chips :D

Hello Cedric, you might be familiar with my name...
I can't wait for Dordogne and I couldn't help but wonder, is there anyone or any studio that you find particularly inspiring in the field?

Hey! thank you again for this interview this morning. it was great ;)
well, like i said, i think Gendesign (Ueda's studio) is one of my favourite studio.
I like Amanita Design a lot as well, Ustwo, PLaydead, Level 5... so many!!!

is this interview published? is there a link?

ha well, its more a private interview for his studies. ;)

I wish so badly there were more games that look like Dordogne out there ! I could I contribute to be one day one of the many talented artists working on such game ?

Thank you so much wormwormy ;)
Here are some important points i really care about :
1/ to be versatile. I like people who are able to do many different things. Painting, modeling, animating, etc.... not everything of course but for me being a multitask person is a plus. It reduces the communication pipes. it also allows people to be completely involved (if they want to) from the beginning till the end of the project.
2/ to be open to criticism. If somebody says that's something is wrong with your work, it's not about you. Of course, it hurts but we love you, you're part of the team but what you have done doesn't fit with what we have in mind.
3/ to be culturally open. Even if i work in animation, i don't spend a lot of time watching animation and it's the same for videogames. I like them but they are not my main source of inspiration. Cinema, Photography, Exhibitions, Music, Novels.... these are my source and i like to work with people who have that kind of connection to culture.
4/ if you want ot be an artist. JUST DRAW! OBSERVE EVERYTHING... ALL THE TIME

these points are important if you wanted to join us. AT least, that's what i'm aiming at when i'm looking for talents

Where did you spend your vacation there? Favorite place?

I spent my first 14 years on vacation in this region. Part of my family comes from there. I return there more frequently since I live in Bordeaux.I really like the area between "La Roque Gageac" and "Sarlat". I enjoy painting on "Les Eyzies" side and sometimes i go back to "La cote de Jor" in order to have an amazing view on the river "La Vezere". One of the backgrounds you can see in the trailer has been painted on site.

Nice! Thanks! IMO one if the lost beautiful place in the world in terms of landscape, history and gastronomy. Can't wait to play this game.

we hope to honor it. We will do our best !!

Hi, I've got two questions. Q1: did you use projection mapping on the scanned paintings to make it look 3d? Q2: how hard is it to make it to Cannes? Do you think that even without contacts an indipendent studio could achieve it?

Hi!
1/ it's still a secret for now but we will share it for sure before the end of the production in 2021. It's also a good way for us to be sure you'll follow us till the game is completed ;)
2/ Every production company can send a short film to Cannes selections so the process itself is not complicated BUT they receive TONS of projects.

Being able to communicate a lot about your project is very important. Selection commitees have to know your project BEFORE selections. That's why it's also very important to have a good producer who will be able to knock to every doors in order to bring visibility to your project. So you can guess, with contacts, it's already complicated. Without contacts it's almost impossible (but almost only)
It's actually the same in the videogame industry. Your game can be the best one, without a proper communication strategy, nobody will see it.

how do I get into the business of handpainting backgrounds for games in watercolor?? I didn't even know this was an option

hahaha well, i don't know if it's a business but that's what i like to do and creating a game with that process was only logical for me :D

What are your favourite video games? What games have inspired your approach to Dordogne?

i have tons of favourite video games but i'm mainly a huge fan of all Fumito Ueda's games. The balance between adventure, storytelling, art direction is very unique and sensitive.
When you look at his games, you instantly recognize his work. The touch of a unique author. This is the type of goal I give to myself.
THere's no special game which has inspired me actually. It's a mix of so many different influences. I wanted to do a sensitive game that could bring the same feeling you can have when you watch Miyzaki's or Malick's movie.
The impression of being in a comfy place where nothing wrong can happen to you. Even if bad things happen in Malick's movies, poetry is always in the center of his narrative approach.
But i'm going to stay humble because, i really don't know if we'll be able to bring that kind of sensitivity at the end. We are still experimenting ;)

That's great! I get where you are coming from and that excites me even more. As the saying goes "When you aim for the trees and fail, you hit the ground. When you aim for the stars and fail, you land on the treetop. Aim high" (or something like that)... so I think the goal you have given yourself is admirable! Bravo

thank you! I guess the only issue here is to do our best! and the way Dordogne has been received since last week is so amazing that we are deeply boosted.

Hi Cédric and Aymeric,

First of all, this looks wonderful. I live by the Dordogne river and as a 3D artist and video game addict this is really exciting. I might have my mom try it and introduce her to the art of video games with this, as she is very attached to Dordogne and the gameplay looks very accessible. It's also refreshing to see a studio use Blender! I will definitely follow the production to hear more about the process.

I only have one question :

Why did you decide on using Blender, and how is it working for you to collaborate with other people/studios that might use a different software?

Thanks for bringing such art to the video game industry, and bonne continuation !

Thank you so much Albert.I really hope your mother will like our little project.

Blender:As a small studio, we didn't want to spend a lot of money on 3D softwares. They are so expensive.I started to learn Blender 4 years ago, and the 2.7 was already so amazing for a free software! i used to work on Softimage XSI that i liked so much and it felt almost the same! and when they released the version with the grease pencil, i was just like "wow" because i'm a 2D animator as well and, as you can see in the trailer, i could finally find a way to animate facial expressions by drawing them! I was looking a way, for years now, to avoid painful 3D modeling, shapes, and rigging... i could simply mix a classical 3D body with 2D animation for the face. THAT WAS SUCH A RELIEF! and we plan to use that mix between 3D character and 2D expressions A LOT! collaborating with other studios will depend on the work they will have to do. If they plan to model the 3D character, they can do it on what ever softwares they want, same for the props, backgrounds and texturing. That would be the only thing we'd be ok to share. But as we need the grease pencil, rigging and animation will have to be done in Blender.

thank you so much for your support ;)

Any chance that this will get a mobile version?

we definitely want to develop mobile version. Yes!

It looks beautiful! I hope soon!

we will do our best! thank you!

Green! ;)

Do you ever get called Baboushka?

No. But I used to call my grandmother like this :D People were mainly singing the song of Kate Bush for fun « Babooshka » but it wasn’t a problem because I love that song. :D

When and why did you start drawing/painting ?

i started drawing at 4 or 5yo. I copied my favourite comic books artists for fun and during family diner when I was exhausting, my grandfather used to open Beaux Arts books with Rembrandt, Bosch, or famous renaissance paintings, he picked a page and used to told me « now you copy that painting until you’re quiet» :D But I really started to paint and use Watercolor at 14yo.

Hey Cedric- up front, I'd like to thank you for your visit/workshop at our college last year! The feedback you gave me back then was a huge confidence boost that I really needed back then, and I still think back to that day really fondly. Me and my co-artist for the game that I showed you back then still talk about it now and then, and we're both looking forward to Dordogne!

As for a question, though- do you have a favorite comic book, or comic series, and if so which is it?

Thank you!!! I had a great time in Breda and I really would like to come back again! It’s something I have to talk about with Zoran ;)

Pfffiou i read comics since I’m 4 so it’s hard but recently I often come back to these books : 1/ all the Hellboys and BPRD from Mignola and friends. 2/ This last Summer from Jillian Tamaki. 3/ all the Hilda from from Luke Pearson. 4/ most of the books of Carlos Nine. 5/ all Taniguchi books

Awesome! I'll have a look at them, and thank you for answering!

Best wishes to you and your family as well in these troubling times, I hope everything is well!

We’re all fine. Thank you!! You’ll tell me what you think of that short selection ;)

When you’re trying to create and hit a roadblock, what helps you to get back into a creative space?

Well, I have to say that it doesn’t happen a lot. I’m not the kind of artist who spend most of his time in front of his desk. I paint when I feel I’m ready otherwise I just think, walk, look for documentation. But I’m never really stuck. I think that, in a way, if you’re stuck, it’s because your scared of doing something wrong. But actually mistakes are part of the process. It could have caused me some troubles when I was younger but now I embrace it. It’s even more important that Watercolor doesn’t really accept failure. You have to deal with it. There’s no coming back. So when I make a mistake, I always try to find a way to deal with it. The result will obviously be different from what I had in mind at the beginning but is it a bad thing if the result is interesting as well?

As a studying artist who is hoping to breach into the gaming industry of art, what would you recommend after I get a BFA? The one that seems like it will get me the furthest is the Graphic Design major but I just wanted to ask someone with extreme professional experience how a newbie should go about getting into it.

I don’t where you are from so it’s complicated to answer your question? I know some of the most famous European and french schools where I could recommend you to go to have the best formation. The animation Workshop in Danemark for example is an amazing school with a lot of foreign students.

What book would you recommend for creativity?

Some photographers artists such as Friedlander, Meyerowitz, Atget, Diane Arbus, etc... You’ll have a wide range of creativity, narration, Colors, shapes, frames, atmospheres. When I start a project, I always start by opening all these books for days.

When and what do you think you did that was THE decision that got your work to be recognised? thx

1st, i've never stopped traditionnal arts even in production. I think that's also why people are following my work. Because by mixing traditionnal arts and digital arts, i show that it's possible to create interesting projects. It look like a choice but it's not. it wasn't part of a plan. I've always painted and slowly people have been interested in my work. I don't know if i'm recognised but what matters to me is when people look at my work, they directly know that it's my work. I'm honest with what i do and the way i paint and i guess people can feel it. I hope this is why they follow me ;)

Who is favorite Beatle?

argh the complicated question. To be honest, i'm not a huge Beatle Fan. Sorry!

It's all good

but if you want a personal musical advice, listen to the last album of LITTLE DRAGON! it's clearly not the Beatles but it's awesome. i love to work with this album in my headphones! ;)

You got it! Thanks mate!

you're welcome! ;)

Bonjour Cédric, I saw "Le Journal" on LeStream's Twitch channel last week, and Lâm HUA talked about a VR mode (to test the photo mode if I'm not mistaken) on the website of the game...

but i didn't find it anywhere, could you please tell me where it is?

and if you are thinking maybe about a VR support for DORDOGNE?

merci

Hi! the photo mode isn't yet a VR mode but it will really depends of the publisher we will work with. For now we are focusing our efforts on "classical" platforms but If Occulus is interested, for example, we would like to refine all the 1st view minigames we have to bring them in VR. BUT we also plan to develop a dedicated 20mn VR experience apart of the game based on the same narrative story.

Salut Cedric! Wanted to say that this looks great! I had several summer holidays as a child in the Dordogne/Gironde/wider SW region, and it's one of the most peaceful and beautiful parts of the world (with much better weather and food compared to my home in London)! Can't wait to play this once it comes out! Best of luck with the remaining development!

As far as questions go, what's your best memory of the Dordogne?

Thank you! Yes it’s really a unique place to visit and enjoy (especially for food :D) I have tons of amazing souvenirs but I guess that swimming and playing in « la Vezere » with my daughters (it was their 1st time) before painting with my portative easel in the middle of a small rocky beach 2 summers ago was one of my favourite afternoon in my life :)

I’m a 3D Animation student that is graduating soon. Do you have any advice for someone wanting to start in this climate?

well. you are lucky because there is a ton of work actually.
Try to gather as many animation tests you have, share them on social networks. Artstation or Linkedin are very appreciated by professionals. If you are lucky enough to have a big animation festival with a professional market besides it (i don't know where you live) it's the best way to find a job. All the recruiters are usually looking for talents there.
For example, Annecy's festival (the biggest animation festival in the world) is THE PLACE to be if you want ot find a job. Theres tons of recruiting sessions.

Where do you live? do you want to work in an animation studio? video game studio?

I live in the US. My dream is to work for an Animation studio but I’m definitely open to working at a video game studio!

i don't know how it works there but i know that huge companies such as Dreamworks, Pixar, Disney or Laika have some internships opportunites before being employed.
Illumination Mac Guff in France, goes from school to school to find talents... i guess it must be the same in the US?

Yes it’s similar here. I went to school in NYC and applied for a few internships but most were cancelled due to the virus.

haaa... well. unfortunately, there's nothing we can do here but wait. :(

Can I get a beta code? Lol jk. But seriously? Also this looks amazing and I can’t wait to try it one day

hahaha thank you! we'll probably think of an early stage release. we never know.
But you'll have to follow the project on twitter if you want to be kept updated ;)

Thank you for you support ;)

I’ve heard that it’s notoriously hard to make games for Nintendo. Why is that? And if you can’t answer, what are some pf the more challenging aspects of game design?

With the Nintendo Switch, they have opened the valves for independant projects and you can see that the Nintendo store is now full of amazing projects but what is still difficult is to get some money directly from them as a publisher.I guess it's because they spend a lot on their own and they already have a so strong signature that they don't really need anybody else? but it's my personal point of view and i really don't know if i'm right :DFor me, the most challenging part for a good game design is to know when the player is able to enjoy your game without being held by the hand. As a director in animation i'm used to impose my vision to the spectator. People in front of a screen, just watching a movie or a tv serie are not as much involved as if they were in a game.You can easily share a feeling with them.That's not that easy to do in video games. Will they get the feelings i want to share with them when they are playing or will i need more cinematics to be more obvious? that's what concerns me the most. It's the trickiest thing to fix for me

What’s a common mistake you see in games where the designer is “forcing” an emotional response and it doesn’t work? And what games have inspired you?

well, for example, i love Kojima's productions. I'm a huge fan. But we can see that there's so many things he can't really tell in the game itself. that's why there's so many cinematics! it's not a problem, but a lot of gamers were kind of fed up with the length of some of them. i have to say that i was one of them. So what is the good balance? in the Death Stranding, i think that he has found an amazing way to create a pressure on the player. Especially when the shadows catch your character. Ueda's work has a different and also interesting way to show feelings in the Last Guardian. the 2 main characters are very close. we can feel a connection smoothly brought as you go through the game.

What’s your favourite wine ?

I love a good Pomerol. and i'm also a big fan of Pic Saint Loup wines (close from Montpellier)

Hello ou bonjour!

Do you have any advice on how to enter the french animation industry? I find that in the us a degree is useless. Is it similar in France?

Merci bien

A degree is always a plus. But in the animation industry, your portfolio and demo will do the difference. Go to festivals, meet recruiters, that's the best moment to have a close discussion with them. there's tons of job offers in france right now. you should follow the french group "je bosse dans l'animation et les videogames" in Facebook. you'll find a lot information. You need someone to pledge you to access to the group so feel free to ask me as friend (and remind me who you are)

Merci beaucoup !

I'll do that tonight (not the festivals for obvious reasons!)

you're welcome! good luck!

Having watched the extended gameplay, it seems that the gameplay centers around interacting with your environment. Can you tell us more about the plot or direction of the gameplay?

you play Mimi a young woman of 32yo. She had a strong connection with her granmother who just died. As she comes back to her house, she discovers that most of the rooms are closed. To open them, she will have to solve some puzzles written in letters by her grandmother. You will be able to solve part of these puzzles in the present and by remembering her chilhood. It will trigger "souvenirs" where you'll play Mimi when she was a 10yo. You'll have to rebuild your memories by playing to minigames, taking specific pictures, recording sounds, or collecting words by visiting Dordogne (you'll also be able to take pictures, sounds or words just for your personal pleasure and create your own notebook). the global idea is to help the grown up Mimi to remember her roots and how much she loves this place and the way she was living here freedom before.

It really sounds beautiful and I can't wait to buy it when it's released. Love the look of it!

Thank you. Follow our progress on our Twitter our Instagram page!!

Is that the indie game i saw at the E3 a few years ago? I'm quite sure i saw something very similar amd very impressive at that.

never been to E3! i hope to go there soon with Dordogne ;)

Was your game on 2018 (i think) E3?

No. it's my 1st one.
I have another project called Mr Tic Toc and the endless city but it is on hold until we finish Dordogne.
https://vimeo.com/user9592426/mrtictoc

What's the difference between the French animation industry vs the American animation industry?

Houuuuuu...tough one! well the French animation industry is mainly supported by French and European Subsidies + coproductions with European countries for the most of them. THe American animation industry works with private money and powerfull production companies.

In Europe, there's a strong culture of independant movies with low budget (between 2M€ to 15M€ for the most expensives ones). US is more focused on commercial movies with big budget (from 50M$ to 250M$). We can't really compete with these monsters but we try to do different movies ;)

You last name is interesting. What is its origin?

Thank you! I always say that with a name like that I don’t need an alias as artist ;) I love my name. It’s North African.

Au Quebec le mot babouche veut dire " slippers"

Yes and in Arab, it’s snail. From the traditional slippers you can find North Africa. Their tip are bended a bit like a snail. That’s where their name come from.

Nice

Indeed!

Hello, Cedric! I just checked out your game and it looks interesting! The artwork is so mezmerizing to look at! 🥺✨

My questions are the following: - What is the story behind the title or the game itself? - What are the lessons or experiences you've learned upon creating the game? - As an amateur artist, where and how should I start in making digital art? - What advice can you give to an aspiring artist? I would love to pursue a career in this industry.

Thank you so much! I wish you all the best for your game! ✨

Hi and thank you so much for your comment ;)

1/when we started the project, I wanted a sensitive story and I think that knowing your subject personally is always a plus. I’m a very nostalgic person. I always think of my childhood and I’ve actually spent all my 14 first summers nearby Dordogne with my family, sister, cousins and grandparents. When we had to sell my grandmother house when she died. It was really painful for us. So, in a way, this project is a huge hug to my past. At the beginning, We chose « Dordogne » as a work in progress title and with time, and regarding the story we were writing, it looked quite obvious and natural to all of us to keep it.

2/I’ll tell you when the game will be completed. So far, it’s exciting!!

3/ digital art such has photoshop, procreate or any 3D softwares are just tools. If you really want to improve your skills, go outside, observe and draw a lot, have a sketchbook always with you. The more you’ll observe and draw, the less you’ll loose information between your brain and your hand. Lights, shapes and Color will be a language you’ll intimately know. You’ll make it your own. Beside that, you can still practise digitally but you’ll see that the bigger steps will come from your pencil and a piece of paper.

4/ same at the previous answer. Work your skills. It’s not because you’d like to work in animation that you only need to watch animation. Spend time in museums, photography exhibitions, library, concerts. Try to think of a story you’d like to talk about and use it as a motivation to test your narrative skills. Find a school you’ll be confortable in. It can be expensive but think of it as a bet on your future. Where do you live?

I hope my answers will help ;) Don’t hesitate to ask for more specific answers if you need.

You're welcome! :')

That's why it feels like home, like there's some kind of comfortable feeling to it when I watched the trailer. Your grandmother would be proud. :)

Thank you so much! I would gladly want to hear it! How should I keep in touch for the updates?

Thank you for the advice. I feel encouraged by your words. I feel a little behind but I am trying to practice art everyday. I could only practice and improve like what you've said. :)

I live in a third world country so yeah, pursuing a career like this is considered foolish and impractical for us. Thank you again for the kind and encouraging words, for making me believe in my dreams again.

I really wish you success, peace and joy for you and your game. :')

Be confident. Work hard. There’s no shortcuts. You can follow us on the official twitter account of my company UN JE NE SAIS QUOI, my account as well. And we have a steam page :

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1272840/Dordogne/

Don’t hesitate to keep me in touch if you have more questions for your future. Good luck!!

thank you!!

Is that Limeuil painted in the last frame of the gameplay trailer?

It’s more a free inspiration based on Beynac ;)

Thank you! I always say that with a name like that I don’t need an alias as artist ;) I love my name. It’s North African.

Bonjour Cedric, this is absolutely beautiful and I can't wait to experience it!

Q1. Do you have plans to port the game to PS4 in the future?

Q2. I'm a composer for film, TV, and games and I would love to contribute to amazing projects like this. Are you looking for a composer to collaborate with on this game?

p.s. Dordogne was one of my favorite places on earth! I had an amazing time kayaking down the Dordogne river from Vitrac to Beynac when I visited a few years ago.

Thank you! 1/ SURE! We’d love to and it’s definitely in our plans! 2/ i appreciate your offer but we are already working with amazing composers : SUPERNAIVE but i have so many projects! You can send me some samples of your work on Twitter and Let’s keep in touch if I like your work!

Ps : Beynac is a huge inspiration for the last shot of the trailer. You’re right is an amazing place.

Yes! The Beynac I saw when approaching it from the river is just like that image!

And no problem I will send you a private message on Twitter :)

👍

What color is your toothbrush?

Green ;)