How Akshit Gupta's Animated Short Travelogue Won A Student Academy Award

The reason why a well-traveled person is considered a well-cultured one is because immersing yourself in the lives and experiences that are separate from your own expands your sense of self. It takes curiosity, empathy and courage to be exposed to new worldviews and customs which shows great character. Even a short trip outside of your own city leaves you with sensorial memories that stay with you outside of the pictures you take. Inspired by the same, Akshit Gupta, an NID Ahmedabad student created an animated travel journal of sorts. bonVoyage pour monVoyage, translating to 'best wishes for my trip' short film went on to receive The Student Academy Award earlier this month.

The Student Academy Awards is an international student film competition. Each year, college and university film students from all over the world compete for awards and cash grants, with films being judged in the categories of Animation, Documentary, Live Action Narrative and Alternative/Experimental. Akshit’s short film is among the 3 winners under the Alternative/Experimental category along with two other projects from the USA. Apart from The Academy, the film also made the official selection in film festivals from Poland, France & Spain.

On the first day of 2023, Akshit decided to travel to at least 10 different cities across India; out of which he made it to 8. He documented his travels with sketches, train tickets and flowers from the places he visited. Having finished his journey, he realized that a photo album was insufficient in capturing his experience. Consequently, bonVoyage pour monVoyage — an experimental animated travelogue was conceived. Depicting the diverse experiences he encountered, the artist decided to use different techniques for the film. This allowed him to capture the range of feelings one goes through as a traveler including anxiety, accomplishment, and loneliness as well as enjoyment. Through his film Akshit wanted to inspire others to step out of their comfort zone and explore the world.

In a way, the use of different styles and techniques in the short film like images of tickets, Architectural motifs, a mix of photographs with animated characters overlayed, and more, gave Akshit’s film the same character that an exciting trip gives you. It was unexpected at every turn and was a perfect representation of the magic that can happen when you don’t restrict yourself to your own ways. Having the film being appreciated by The Academy also highlights how VFX and Hyperrealism aren’t the only measure of excellence when it comes to animation; that sheer creativity and experimentation of modality in telling a story itself is a precious skill which adds a new charm to the narrative. 

Follow Akshit here.

If you enjoyed reading this, here's more from Homegrown:

‘The Glassworker’: Pakistan’s First Hand-Drawn Animated Film Is a Creative Triumph

Vishav Arora's 'Project Heart' Animations Bring Everyday Moments Of Love To Life

'Lost Migrations': Watch An Animated Series Exploring The Untold Stories Of Partition