Leonardo Da Vinci

Since time immemorial, Leonardo da Vinci has influenced many an engineer with his creations and feats, encompassing anatomy, art, engineering and mobility.

Codex Atlanticus, the Italian polymath’s collection of drawings and notes, is a source of boundless curiosity and interpretation as we usher in the next generation of creators and inventors. By bringing Da Vinci’s longstanding legacy to virtual life, inventions become reality; a showcase for the supreme capabilities of collective intelligence, past heritage and technology.

Leveraging its 3DEXPERIENCE platform, Dassault Systèmes brings together inspired engineers as they share, conceptualize and create 3D objects. Kick-started in 2018, the OPEN CODEX community shared the Italian artist’s manuscripts before taking on the challenge to reconstruct his machines in 3D.

Together, the community restored virtual life to Da Vinci’s inventions in 3D, garnering major success for the Open Codex challenge. Joining forces with the 3DEXPERIENCE Lab and the Château du Clos Lucé, the initiative sought to recreate three-dimensional Da Vinci sketches based on his Codex. Then, using Dassault Systèmes’ software, ideas were turned into 3D experiences.

There was an instant buzz behind the project, eventually filtering to a certain Jim Capobianco, at the time focused on his Da Vinci biopic.

The American filmmaker, Capobianco, is the creative force behind none other than Ratatouille, The Lion King and WALL-E.

Working in tandem with French film director Pierre-Luc Granjon, Jim Capobianco decided to employ stop motion animation for this 2D feature film. What’s more, the filmmaking duo handpicked the French studio FOLIASCOPE as producer.

Simply put, Stop Motion is a film animation technique used to bring static objects to life on screen. It’s the art of manipulating figures with movable joints that are shot frame-by-frame, and in doing so, creates the illusion of fluid movement.

The Château du Clos Lucé was reimagined for the film set. In 1516, Leonardo da Vinci took up an invitation from Francis I to reside with him in Amboise, nestled within France’s Loire Valley. The newly appointed 'chief painter, engineer and architect of the King' then relocated to Clos Lucé, a stone’s throw from the royal residence. His time at the Château would mark a prolific period of works, studies and creations. Three years on, aged 67, Da Vinci would be laid to rest there on May 2, 1519.

Each puppet was fitted with metal joints and a silicone-shaped face and hands, not to mention a set of mouths, eyelids, eyes and eyebrows to capture the full range of facial expressions.

8 puppet versions of the polymath were made on set.

The film was made in a record time of just 3 years!

FOLIASCOPE is the studio that produced The Inventor – Ilan Urroz, CEO, FOLIASCOPE

Production on this epic – The Inventor – was both inspiring and challenging, as regards a whole host of aspects, from production and coordination of several professions to fully grasping Da Vinci – the world’s foremost inventor.

This film was all about showcasing his genius on screen with the added challenge of reinventing machines from drawings and plans in the world-famous Codex. 

Founded in 2011, FOLIASCOPE specializes in animated films and is fronted by CEO Ilan Urroz, along with his partner and Artistic Director Nicolas Flory. FOLIASCOPE productions cater to cinema and television audiences. To date, the studio has made over 30 feature films and is credited for multiple children’s series.

FOLIASCOPE spearheaded production for this stop motion 2D feature film.

During the filming of The Inventor, FOLIASCOPE’s team of makers and designers used the 3D models from the OPEN CODEX challenge to reconstruct real-life machines.

The partnership is propelled by a shared ambition to galvanize creators and innovators the world over, while encouraging younger generations to pursue a career in science and technology.