“Without making it autobiographical, I wanted to create an environment where universal memories could emerge” – Zoe Roellin (PERENNIALS)

Noticed last year on LUSTRATION and THE CHOICE, Zoé Roellin is a Swiss artist and illustrator based in Zurich. At Venice Immersive 2023, she presents PERENNIALS, a more personal work in 3D animation that plunges us into the memories of a family not so far removed from our own – and a house exploring possible pasts.

From illustration to… illustration and XR

Zoe Roellin – I’m based in Switzerland (where I studied animation at the HSLU Hochschule Luzern – Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts) where I work. I discovered virtual reality 4 years ago during the I discovered virtual reality 6 years ago during the Fumetto Comic Festival, which selected a work from Australian artist Sutu and hosted a VR art workshop with him. At the time, Tilt brush was the 360 painting software I was lucky enough to learn. My school had equipped itself with a headset, which I was able to work with after classes and during the summer holidays. Even from Switzerland, It’s fascinating to see that most of my latest collaborations are international – it’s an incredible energy

Z. R. – My original intention was to move into graphic novels, away from any idea of 3D creation. But opportunities came along to further my interest in VR, notably via the Quill community and the use of this creative software. It even became my main activity! Working on projects such as LUSTRATION in 2021 gave me the opportunity to explore very advanced graphic universes – and to be able to bring 2D ideas to VR.

Z. R. – Quill and the new uses of XR for animation give animators a real sense of freedom. I don’t have a very technical background, but the intuitive aspect of VR creation allows me to do a lot of things and to preserve that feeling of drawing by hand. Getting to work completely in VR is also really valuable when it comes to storytelling – right from the start, I have a very clear sense of what it feels like to be immersed in the scenes I create.

How PERENNIALS was born

Z. R. – I had the opportunity to pitch ideas for animated films at Meta, and that’s how PERENNIALS was born. The idea came from family memories, particularly my relationship with my grandparents. I reworked the story to include a bit of distance, and to bring together several emotions in the same moment – in this exploration of an old family home. It’s a familiar environment for many, and one that can evoke emotions linked to childhood, growing up, and legacy. That was the canvas for my story.

After the death of his estranged father, Elias returns to his family’s abandoned vacation home to take stock of what’s left behind. Torn between grief, resentment, and nostalgia, and wholly unwilling to confront any of those emotions, Elias wants nothing more than to be done with the place. His little niece, Emi, who’s accompanying him, has designs of her own, a hunger for adventure, and a task she’s determined to carry out.

– PERENNIAL’s story

Z. R. – PERENNIALS is a seemingly simple story, in which I wanted to integrate several layers of nostalgia or reflection on the idea of family and, more broadly, what we do with the things that are passed on to us. From my basic script, and a lot of hard writing, I was able to gather and visualise all the elements of my story. In particular, I gathered together old family memories, photos… Without wanting to make this an autobiographical work, it was useful for me to conceive the environment and then be able to adapt and modify it. I quickly became convinced of the elements that needed to be integrated, based on my personal story, but then I had to give the whole thing a bit of air and make it a more universal film.

Z. R. – I focused a lot on the characters, and their ability to interact within the story. There’s an added dimension in VR of integrating the viewer into this dynamic, by being physically close to the protagonists. Certain rules have to be respected to avoid breaking the audience’s immersion, but the potential is fascinating. It already exists in traditional 2D animation, with many successful examples. But VR can demonstrate so much more, if we continue to explore the format.

Developing a project on your own (then finding a team)

Z. R. – On the visual side of things, I created most of the project alone, with the support and feedback of my producers at Meta. But I was joined by many talented people, particularly on the audio side, to finalise PERENNIALS. By using Quill, I can be relatively autonomous, and that means I can test a lot of things creatively. Even though the project has a lot of sequences, in the end the whole creative process was very flexible – and I was able to move forward very quickly on many sequences. On other projects, I find it just as valuable to work with larger teams and see everyone’s artistic strengths come together, but creating almost all of the art and animation for Perennials by myself gave the project a really unique, personal voice.

PERENNIALS is part of the official Venice Immersive 2023’ Competition, and will speak during the Swiss panel on September 1st “SENSORY STORYTELLING IN XR” Hosted by SWISS FILMS, Cinéforom, GIFF Geneva International Film Festival, Immersive Arts Space, Virtual Switzerland – Moderator: Laetitia Bochud (Director, Virtual Switzerland).