Archive notice: This article was originally published on June 27, 2008. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
On the evening of June 26, Munich’s Gasteig did not have the usual bustle of film-festival visitors. The reason: the European Championship semifinal. Nevertheless, numerous visitors turned up because they did not want to miss the 11th AnimationMeeting.
Kasperl in 3D
“Children, are you all there?” The visitors were more than a little surprised. Instead of a projector there was a stage, and instead of 3D effects there was real Kasperl puppet theater with hand puppets. Richard Oehmann and Josef Parzefall, founders, writers, and puppeteers of “Doctor Döblinger’s tasteful Kasperl theater,” demonstrated their skills to the audience, who after some initial hesitation embraced the amusing antics of Kasperl, Seppl, the ravenous crocodile, Vinzenz the dog, Constable Wirsing, and Grandmother.
#27060_AM5
After this unusual opening, moderator Gert Zimmermann of filmtoolsConsult handed the microphone to Stephan Schesch, who made the connection to 3D animation and had the screen lowered again. The managing director of Animation X is responsible for adapting the Kasperl characters into 3D. Together with Oehmann and Parzefall, initial animation tests and a screenplay had already been developed; the screenplay was nominated for the 2008 German Animation Screenplay Award at the International Festival of Animated Film in Stuttgart.
“Kasperl in 3D means preserving the look of puppet theater while expanding it with the possibilities of 3D,” Schesch summarized. The characters and stage elements would have the same appearance, but the characters could now be given facial expressions or made to perform movements such as riding a bicycle. Breaking away from the “usual” animation look proved difficult, however. “The first tests always looked like ‘Urmel from the Ice’ or ‘Finding Nemo,’ and that was exactly what we wanted to avoid,” he reported. The solution was to leave out details rigorously.
Viewers will unfortunately have to wait a little longer to discover what awaits them in the 3D Kasperl theater. This much can be revealed: the story revolves around explaining why, in Bavaria, white sausages must under no circumstances be eaten after the noon bells have rung.
#27060_AM1
$$$$
Comic Adaptation with Plenty of Black Humor: “Rejsen til Saturn”
German audiences will also have to wait for the next project, if they get to see it at all. The film in question is the Danish 3D feature “Rejsen til Saturn” (“Journey to Saturn”), which opens in Danish cinemas in September. The vicious and thoroughly politically incorrect story is based on a Danish comic from the 1970s and uses the energy crisis of that period as its backdrop. Astronauts fly to Saturn intending to tap the planet’s gases as alternative energy sources. The incompetent bunch is sent into space by a ruthless businessman. When they reach their destination, they encounter equally nasty aliens and must do nothing less than save Denmark and the world. “The Danes certainly have a particular sense of humor,” explained Lilian Klages, managing director and executive producer of A. Film Germany. At least the AnimationMeeting audience shared it, judging by the reactions to the trailer and film excerpts. Klages continued that they would have to see whether a distributor could be found in Germany. It was difficult to bring an animated film for adults to cinemas, whether in 2D or 3D.
#27060_AM6
Apart from its very particular Danish humor, “Rejsen til Saturn” is a special production for other reasons too. The film was financed with two million euros from Denmark and was also produced entirely in-house at A. Film. This is a rarity by European standards, where co-productions are highly prevalent (see also DP 03:05, pp. 22 ff., “The Dragon Hunters”).
A. Film completed the film in only a year and a half with a team of ten people, including three directors. “We had to work very quickly and efficiently,” explained Lilian Klages. “Among other things, we achieved that with character generators.” All the characters in the film had the same basic form and were fitted with prefabricated eyes, wigs, and noses. A. Film also dispensed with details and put storytelling first. “We wanted to do something completely different and successfully occupy a niche,” Klages concluded. A. Film expected the film to be a success in the autumn. Its chances were not bad. The absurd story is similar in spirit to the 3D film “Terkel in Trouble” (2005) from the same studio, which was enormously successful in Denmark.
#27060_AM2
$$$$
Effects in “Sweeney Todd” and “Krabat”
Finally, Alex Lemke reported on current feature-film productions. The freelance VFX supervisor worked as 2D sequence lead on all the “Lord of the Rings” films. He opened his presentation with the closing scene from “Sweeney Todd” (2007), in which Mrs. Lovett meets her grisly end in the pie oven, like something from Hansel and Gretel. Together with a second compositor, he spent three months working on five shots and, among other things, scorched real pork knuckles with gas burners to obtain the required textures. Lemke vividly explained the amount of work involved in shots that require his contribution and that of others, such as the second unit, yet appear in the film for only a few seconds.
#27060_AM3
The evening concluded with a brief look at the effects in “Krabat.” The film, based on Otfried Preußler’s young-adult novel, was due to open in October of that year. A detailed look behind the scenes was unfortunately not yet possible, and Lemke’s information was limited to the teaser. Nevertheless, the audience gained insight into the various steps required for the teaser and the tricky collaboration with real ravens, whose acting performance is often underestimated. “With one scene, I am often asked why we didn’t use real ravens. We did—four different ones, in fact. But the animals fly so terribly synchronously,” Lemke observed.
#27060_AM4
Further Links:
- Kasperl theater in Munich
Information about Stephan Schesch, Animation X
A. Film website
Trailer for “Rejsen til Saturn”
Blog about “Rejsen til Saturn”
Information about “Terkel in Trouble”
Information about Krabat
More information
More information