Potsdam-based Exozet Effects completed all visual-effects work for “Krauses Fest”, a Christmas film produced by Mafilm GmbH Berlin.
A principal task was turning a spring-like landscape into winter using artificial snow and digital snow cover. Real snow had been planned for nine shooting days, but the mild winter disrupted director Bernd Böhlich’s production. Adding digital snowfall was central to the story because heavy snow leaves the protagonists stranded in their car.
Exozet Effects created several snow variations. The team used 3D animation for falling snow, inserted digital snow surfaces and froze lakes digitally. In an elaborate sequence, a boy, replaced during filming by a stunt double, falls through the ice of a village pond. Exozet Effects rebuilt and animated the actor in 3D, created the breaking ice and water digitally, and removed the stunt wires and marker buoys.
In another scene, village police officer Horst Krause eats with his sisters while everyone except Krause has goulash. During review of the rough cut, this appeared to be a continuity error, so the pork knuckle on his plate was replaced with goulash in postproduction.
ARD planned to broadcast “Krauses Fest” on 19 December 2007.
