Synopsis
Ariane Felder is a slightly uptight judge in her forties, single and completely reluctant to date men. On New Year’s Eve, pressured by her colleagues, she drinks more than she should and loses control. Six months later, she finds out she’s pregnant — but has no idea who the father is. To her shock, she discovers that the father is none other than Robert Nolan, a notorious criminal.
Released in 2013, 9 Months Stretch by Albert Dupontel marked the third collaboration between the director and Mikros Image, after Locked Out (2006) and The Villain (2009). While the film doesn’t rely heavily on digital effects, around 350 shots still required VFX work, supervised by Cédric Fayolle.
The studio supported Dupontel throughout filming and post-production, helping bring to life a world that’s equal parts absurd, technical, and poetic — in line with the director’s distinctive style.
For 9 Months Stretch, Dupontel came in with an extremely detailed storyboard and a clear vision of the pacing and technical breakdown. Early discussions between the director, the VFX supervisor, and the production team ensured careful planning of camera movements and the setups needed for each trick shot.
The film opens with a continuous shot inside the Paris Courthouse, following a balloon that escapes through a window, floats over the courtyard, and lands on another window across the building.
This seemingly continuous take was actually a seamless combination of three shots — steadicam, drone, and an indoor setup — stitched together with compositing and 3D matte painting environment extensions. The balloon itself was fully created in CGI to achieve a smooth, poetic trajectory.
The film’s VFX strike a balance between realism and absurdity, echoing Dupontel’s trademark tone. Some of the gorier sequences were deliberately exaggerated for comedic effect, while others, like the ultrasound scene, required a much subtler touch.
One of the film’s standout moments is the full-CG baby sequence. This long, emotionally charged shot was handled by a small but highly skilled team using Mudbox for modeling, Maya for animation, Arnold for rendering, and Nuke for particles.
“It was a delicate shot — it had to move the audience without becoming sentimental,” says the supervisor. “We worked on two stages of fetal development, focusing on subtle micro-movements to convey breath and life.”
Another creative playground for the Mikros team was the set of fake TV shows and news tickers scattered throughout the film.
Artists recreated the visual language of various French, British, and American channels, playing with their graphic styles while adding a dose of humor.
These sequences were shot on green screen, then composited in After Effects and Nuke. While most of the scrolling text and visual gags were written by Dupontel, the VFX team contributed plenty of their own wit and imagination.
All post-production took place at Mikros Image in Levallois-Perret.
A core team of about ten artists worked across focused mini-teams — “Opening,” “Baby,” “TV” — to streamline production.
The project was produced by Marie Castries (VFX Producer) and coordinated by Manon Lebas (VFX Coordinator), with Nicolas Rey (CG Supervisor), Christophe Courgeau (Matte Painting), and lead compositors Nicolas Borens and Damien Hurgon.
