LES GRANDS BALLETS CANADIENS – FEMMES: THE ICE METAMORPHOSIS

WORK DESCRIPTION:

In 2018, STARNO.net collaborated with Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal to create a series of striking promotional posters for their production titled FEMMES. The creative vision, developed by the ballet company's artistic team, required a surreal and hauntingly beautiful integration of human grace and elemental coldness.

Our studio was responsible for the high-end Digital Retouching and VFX creation for these posters. The original photography featured dancers captured against a minimalist pink backdrop. Our mandate was to digitally sculpt a melting ice effect directly onto the dancers' bodies. The goal was to make it appear as though they were literally emerging from—or being encased in—solid ice, blending the warmth of human skin with the translucent, crystalline textures of frozen water.

This process involved intricate digital painting and compositing. We meticulously added caustic light refractions, melting droplets, and frost details to ensure the transition between the dancers and the ice felt organic. The result is a series of unique, evocative images that capture the strength and vulnerability of the performers in a breathtakingly frozen moment in time.

ARTISTIC VISION:

The FEMMES campaign is a testament to the power of Visual Metaphor in performing arts advertising. By encasing world-class dancers in ice, the imagery challenges the viewer to think about themes of preservation, liberation, and the delicate balance of nature.

At STARNO.net, we pride ourselves on supporting cultural institutions with Pre-visualization and Digital Matte Painting techniques applied to commercial photography. This project demonstrates our ability to take a bold conceptual idea and execute it with the technical finesse required for large-format print and international promotion.