The Snow Queen (WizArt Animation)

[Polizzi]

BEAUTY OF THE VORONEZH KAI
http://www.v-kurier.ru/obwestvo/krasoty ... kogo_kaya/

In the famous Voronezh studio Burut, recently - Wizart Animation, three years in secrecy creating a new 2D and 3D animation - "The Snow Queen" with a budget of $ 7 million. Production of "The Snow Queen", according to CEO Wizart Animation Vladimir Nikolayev, was completed on October 22. By coincidence - just a day in 1957 was released Soviet cartoon "The Snow Queen". Russian premiere of the new "Snow Queen" - under the slogan "The main Christmas Adventure" - is scheduled for December 31. In the last days of the first month of winter in the Voronezh cinema "Spartacus" will be closed premiere new cartoon, which is expected to star, voiced cartoon, including Ivan Okhlobystin.

Gerda will save the world

Only recently in the office of an animation studio - on the seventh floor of a building in front of the chess club, where hundreds of professionals since 2010 worked on the creation of a full-length (90 minutes) in 3D stories of Kai and Gerda based on the famous fairy tale by Andersen and to order the production center Inlay Film, - were slightly open secret. A few days ago the governor Alexei Gordeev met with the creators of "The Snow Queen": the head of the region showed a passage presented disc production studios. Because the disk with the new "Snow Queen" yet. I saw a fragment of a new creation, not just experienced the delight and mentally vowed to buy the first ticket to the premiere, which will start from December 31 in all theaters of the country, including Voronezh.

Accompanied by hundreds of thousands of special effects and characters Gerda Kay will return the captivity of the Snow Queen and is a hard nut to save the world from imminent disaster - to prevent the coming of the Kingdom of the ice.

This is not the first collaboration of the Voronezh studio masters of Russian animation. Animated feature directed by Vlad Barbe "The Last Man from Atlantis" was completed here in March 2009 and, say, will be released soon. Fairy tale characters, filmed on the works of Alexander Belyaev, the voice says Armen Dzhigarkhanyan, Yuri Stoyanov, Michael Ephraim, Renata Litvinova, Maxim Sukhanov. Since then, the General Director of the animation studio "Classic" Vlad Barbe not part with Voronezh and their second full length - "The Snow Queen" - decided to do it here. In addition to the new animated film directors Barba became Maxim Sveshnikov and Bekmakbetov Timur, who last year helped a lot of Voronezh animators to install. Wrote the screenplay for the animated film, Vladimir and Maksim Sveshnikov, the latter, by the way, writer cartoons "Alyosha Popovich and Tugarin Serpent", "Dobrinya and the Dragon", "Ilya Muromets and Nightingale the Robber" and "Belka and Strelka. Star Dogs. " At the time of creation of the cartoon "The Snow Queen" Sveshnikov even moved from Kiev to Voronezh - five days a week controlled manufacturing process. Production designer Alex made Voronezh Zamyslov who invented the characters. I must say, the work of its share fell enormous - for example, only the Snow Queen several different persons.

Before the premiere of the cartoon story secret, but we already know that in general it was written by Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale, but there are differences. As Maxim Sveshnikov: "This is a story with recognizable characters, but told in a modern language." The cartoon characters will not found in Anderson, and the images of Gerda, her parents and the Snow Queen's got history. "Gerda, we do not quite interested in the way it is described in the story - right, almost perfect - told Sveshnikov. - But we had grown up in an orphanage (her parents stole the Snow Queen), so her fighting character, she can stand up for himself and for his friends. She's fighting for her happiness."

The trial took place

"We are now able to establish the production, all the stages and processes of creating cartoon, but without translation to film - explained CEO Wizart animation Vladimir Nikolaev. - Not an easy process, we were looking for talent everywhere, it was a lot of work. " As a result, over one hundred people worked cartoon - are artists, 2D-and 3D-animators, lighting, cameramen and sound technicians, head of the department of dynamics and setup, the chief animator.

Initially voiced cartoon: try not to attract media actors, but some stars are still there. Yuri Stoyanov, for example, the voice of the King, Lyudmila Artemyev - florist Ivan Okhlobystin - Troll, an assistant of the Snow Queen, who wants to appear serious and evil, but in reality it is not very successful. Gerd voiced Bulynko Alina, she starred in the comedy "Love-carrot." Queen Olga Shorokhova voice says. Production of animated films is different from that done first voice, and then the animators are working with ready cues to draw characters just got into the text. After the Voice went to the most severe and long stage - predprodakshn, that is writing the script, developing the concept of the characters, the choice of locations (location of the characters.) It took a lot of time, especially as the duration of the "Snow Queen" - a half hour. Course, we could aim a blow at the two-hour cartoon, but it would be cruel: no child is not so much sit out front of the screen.

Year and a half at the Voronezh animation studio created about 200 cartoon characters. Character sketches drawn Moscow art director, have been fully developed by Voronezh studio masters. That is the logical conclusion of sketches found and implementation - for each hero in a special program was created 3D-model. Some characters even fashioned from clay to visually evaluate volume, goodness and beauty. Plasticine head Kai grapefruit-sized long graced desktop CEO Vladimir Nikolayev, amazing craftsmanship. And next - the same piece of work in plasticine troll vest.

Each character in the setup department made a "bone." Vladimir Nikolayev has demonstrated that it - clicked the mouse and the monitor, a model of Lapland "Snow Queen." Face - the eyebrows, nose, eyes - speckled yellow lines, called "bones." Then Nikolay clicked the mouse a second time - and there was a spotted yellow lines Troll model, which for the famous cartoon voiced actor Ivan Okhlobystin. "By the way, Troll - one of the main characters of our" Snow Queen "- explained Nikolaev. - Gerd and Troll are present in most scenes. In Andersen's fairy tale troll evil, and we have it first servant of the Snow Queen, which must at all costs to bring it to Gerd, although the girl thinks she is for Kai. But the character evolves. " Work on the "bones" was complex, it is impossible without the art, computer and technical education. Experts was virtually no self-taught studio miraculously found in various cities and invited to work. (This is why the meeting with the governor Alexei Gordeev emerged proposal - based on open courses VSU computer animators.) Without these yellow lines, "bones" cartoon characters (in 3D) could not move correctly, would be devoid of facial expression. On the "revival" of each character has gone from two weeks to a month.

Against the grain

The studio even specially created department of hair, because "The Snow Queen" - a fairy tale winter, and the characters are not only hair, but also a lot of clothes with fur. Plus a mass of animals. For example, the animal is Gerda - Lusk, the white, the black after walking on the chimney. "The process of hair and wool-consuming, and takes into account the density of texture and movement - explained Nikolaev. - We invite barbers, who told how to comb your heroes how much hair needs to be at their hairstyles, curls falling like the person moves. " Head of Hair Sergei Ashes also show how: touched his arm - and the monitor will figure Lasky covered squares. "Each box had overgrown hairs as sow grass lawn, and send them to the correct flow from top to bottom, the eyes - in a circle, from the nose - back," - he smiled. "You can make millions of beautiful wool, but no computer did not report them, because there are technical limitations" - Mykola and took us to the artists Svyatoslav Kondaurova and Denis Kishu. "Storyboard explication to the episodes: the light, colors, search for errors" - they said about his work on the cartoon.

When finished with the characters, the studio moved to 3D-locations (ie, background) - and made a few hundred. "We have more than the movies, tools, we are not limited to, plus - do not have lights, - the head of the studio Wizart animation Vladimir Nikolaev. - In the prepared location we set character, and connects to it animation. Working character animation - is blank scene and character without speakers, clothes and hairstyles. All had to breathe life and sent to rendering. After - the final assembly of the many layers of the image. Along with the 2D and 3D, we did and stereo, which went to the "Workers" to view the work done on the big screen."

Cartoon divided into 50 episodes. Each lasts one and a half minutes, contains 30 to 100 scenes, so shooting each episode takes at least a month. The episodes took almost half a year. Correspondents "VK" first seen in the spring of 2010 there began with the episode, when the Snow Queen take her to her parents Gerda - Una and Vegard. Then do the dating scene Gerda and Kai, Kai stay in the city, the fragment with the pirates (in Andersen's fairy tale were robbers). "Our history is more gags - said Vladimir and offered to see the beginning of the cartoon. - The same road movie, but fun."

I saw only two and a half minute cartoon: wagon flew through the blizzard of winter streets Scandinavian town - the pope Gerda chasing snow monster, a small smile on his hands Gerd mom, when a baby in the cradle fell off the shelf magic mirror. "Then Gerda gets to the shelter, where he will meet with Kai, who will become a talented artist" - opened the secret script Nikolaev. And I thought that this cartoon just would go to a movie theater: you have no idea how beautiful painted! As beautiful stories continued to be drawn - in Voronezh animation studio is already hard at work on the sequel, "The Snow Queen-2." And conjure a new project - a cartoon in 3D «Lions for Lambs" in the original script.

WIZART ANIMATION HAS AGREED TO CREATE A SEQUEL FOR "THE SNOW QUEEN!!!"

[Sotiris]

WIZART ANIMATION HAS AGREED TO CREATE A SEQUEL FOR "THE SNOW QUEEN"

Oh, dear. This will never end, will it?

[Polizzi]

WIZART ANIMATION HAS AGREED TO CREATE A SEQUEL FOR "THE SNOW QUEEN"

Oh, dear. This will never end, will it?

Probably not. Who knows what Wizart is planning to do with their animated movies. By the way, if they believe that they're the only one doing a sequel to "The Snow Queen," think again. There was a sequel to "The Snow Queen" from a different studio, and it's titled "The Snow Queen's Revenge." So Wizart's not the only one doing a sequel for "The Snow Queen." Here's the video of "The Snow Queen's Revenge."

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Zk2zOiRUuu ... detailpage" frameborder="0"></iframe>

P.S. Didn't Disney agreed to create a sequel for "Wreck-It Ralph?"

[Polizzi]

Resuscitation animation
http://pulseparty.ru/articles/view/719/

The impossible is possible - Voronezh cartoon "The Snow Queen" will be shown in U.S. theaters! The project promises to revive the domestic animation - it invested $7 million, and will hire Timur Bekmambetov. The far-reaching plans and hopes vested in the film, the director told us Wizart Animation and director of the project "The Snow Queen" Alex's plan.

Alex, what started this project?

AZ: We already have one animated film - is "The Last Man from Atlantis." It is not released in rent because of producers' disputes. "The Snow Queen" - is our second project. As it may sound funny, but it goes faster than the first - to see the film will be on the 31 December.

Why "The Snow Queen?"

AZ: We are a young unknown company - to invent a completely original script for us a big risk. This requires experience and not always even Disney. We needed some sort of world-famous fairy tale - and "The Snow Queen" is known not only in Europe and America, but also in South Korea. Especially in the Russian box "The Snow Queen" was in 1957. We hope that it has paid off, because people are missing the classic fairy tales. When the cinema show our trailer and shows "the fairy tale HC Anderson "freeze audience and say," Oh! And we are familiar with this, it's from childhood." A brand.

As for the new version of the tale - in the next year he published a Disney movie "Frozen," he is also based on "The Snow Queen." Are not you afraid of competition?

AZ: First, it will be very different from ours, because it is a classic Disney musical. We have a Road Movie with elements of adventure, we have no songs - the only one at the end. Secondly, our film comes a year early - for us it was very important to have time to do it, because of competition with Disney, frankly, scared. We are in a hurry - this project we did for a little over two years, although in the world of any film project period - an average of five years. In Russia, few people believed it possible. And we ourselves were also doubts. When we started the project, and we still have nothing, except for a two-minute trailer - even then the Poles wanted to buy a cartoon. We deny them, because they themselves were not sure that all make it. But the Americans are very eager to characters voiced their stars - and when that happens, we will go in the U.S., which is almost impossible to do. Because America will not let anyone into their market, even Oscar-winning cartoon Miyazaki's "Spirited Away" there was limited release.

Your company previously worked to develop computer games. In 2007, because of the crisis, you have decided to retrain - and engaged in animated films. Is this a profitable business?

AZ: We have been working for over 12 years, and our games are always a great success. But with the development of the domestic market fell torrents almost 30 times. And if foreign companies from not affected, almost none of the Russian producers of crisis "did not survive." We left office and now games - a man 20-30. Hope that one day this will change, and this is a small unit increase. A change in the direction of activity was for us then a matter of survival. Given that some of the games we had done in a cartoon style, we decided to go this route. About the benefits ... When we started, with a global market with 40% deficit cartoons. Now this niche is filled quietly, but then even such big companies like Dreamworks, Pixar, and others, were able to afford to produce one animated film a year. Now the competition more - but the market is not yet full. Therefore, if the product is interesting - it is profitable. We hope that "The Snow Queen" will be a breakthrough, but it already shows hire. Russia has animated projects, pro athletes, for example - they collect 20-30 million. This means that you can make even the budget of 10 million dollars. For our country - a huge sum.

In other countries are working on similar projects of several hundred people. You also have about 150 employees. How to cope?

AZ: cope - and even working on two projects at once. We "Wolves and Sheep" still in development. This animated comedy about animals. In the story the wolf on holiday dresses in sheep's skin, and in the morning can not take it off, and he turns into a sheep. Half of the employees engaged in this project, and the other half - a man 70-80 - "The Snow Queen." And about 20 foreign animators outsourcers - those who work remotely. We have a small team, all back to back - is the problem of all to master. Thousands of people we are currently can not afford to, because we do not have enough elementary managers. After all, in the same Disney for every 10 people, there is one manager. We have also just 2 manager for the project and at the same time they do not only control, but also the creative part. Our company has 14 departments - and we have a factory with conveyor, so each department losing her job, she goes to the next department and so on. And the output is an animated film. And by training for two departments have staff. No problem with the artists, programmers and designers. The rest 12.10 departments - people self-taught. We take a basic knowledge of all students and - most importantly, that there is a desire. We were recently visited Alexei Gordeev on tour - he has an idea on the basis of MAD to specialized courses in animation. This would be very helpful.

What do you exist? After all, not even a single project was not released in rent?

AZ: We are here for private investment - are working with the same producers that worked when they did play. If we can enter the western market - and we hope that this will happen - it would be economically very profitable. And with "The Snow Queen," we still support the Fund cinema. It is also helped by the fact that our distributors is a company Timur Bekmambetov. He gave us advice and drama. By the way, we have already started to make the continuation of "The Snow Queen." In the second part we Bekmambetov also helps.

What were the difficulties in the creation of "The Snow Queen"?

AZ: The very first difficulty - to develop more or less sympathetic characters - this helped us in Moscow director. We work with Vlad Barbe, the script helped Max Sveshnikov (writer of cartoon heroes.) It is also very hard to prepare the characters for animation, making a set-up - our Disney cartoons are worse in many ways because of this. Simply put, the process of creating an animated film like a puppet show, the only difference is that the dolls - the computer. They need to mount a bunch of threads, so you can manage them. Here's the process in animation and called set-up. Render more difficult question - the location of the light sources in a three-dimensional world. We need all looked good.

Many viewers noted that characters like Disney. So specially conceived?

AZ: We're trying to make a film in the Disney style. But the fact that we've got it seems, for us, of course, a compliment. It's funny it was - when we did the first trailer and showed it to the American Film Market in Los Angeles. And it confused with Disney - the forum "Frozen," it had a long discussion. The basic idea was that if a Disney had a budget of $7 million - they would not have been able to do. In animation, by and large, only two styles. The first - when hung motion sensors (so does James Cameron, for example), are captured human motion and transmitted to the computer model. We, too, can do so, and so did the games - but still feel that is more appropriate for a cartoon Disney style. After all, Disney has developed such animation that would have seen a good man, but it would be inhuman, stylized. It is much more "cartoony", more cheerful style. If sunlight is shown - it turning yellow brighter if the sky - it pogolubee, birdie - "potsvetastee" and sings better.

How rubbings movement, facial expressions?

AZ: The easiest way - to ask someone to portray emotion and person srisovat. This is difficult, because not all of us - the actors. And for animation, probably need actors, mimes, that is, people with a fine game, but with exaggerated. If it is fear - the fear with huge eyes, if a smile - then to the ears. Vivid emotions ideally sought in a pre-image, and then for each character artists drawn set of emotions, and then a 3D models the entire department each emotion separately. After that, everything is given to the department set-up and we can, by moving the slider to change emotions. Technologically complex process. But the hardest thing - to make an animated character attractive and think it cute facial expressions. If you take the European cartoons - they have all the terrible characters. And the Disney villains, even attractive. For example, Ursula in "The Little Mermaid," Hades in "Hercules" - many people love them more than the goodies.

In your film, about 1,000 special effects - what is meant by the special effects in animation?

AZ: Everything that moves in the frame in addition to the character, and there is a special effect. For example, the scene was shot in a room, and the window snowstorm - is a special effect. The fire is lit - this is a special effect, the water dripping somewhere - it's a special effect. Even when the characters are running in the snow and leave marks - is also a special effect, because in computing the character itself will not leave a trace - it should draw a long and tedious. And in addition to these subtle effects at first glance, we have a lot of explosions, blowing snow, snow monsters, the Ice Queen dress fall off snow - looks wonderful.

You have modified the classic story. What was the result?

AZ: We have a film based on the fairy tale by Anderson, that is changed a lot. Thanks Timur Bekmambetov - he advised target movie on family values; that a person on leaving the theater remained sediment. We in the film postapokalipsis. The ground is covered with snow, the Snow Queen wants to freeze all life. Left is not so many people, and those who were able to escape, do not live and survive. The film begins with the Snow Queen kidnaps her father and mother, and their children - it's Kay and Gerda - are left alone. Queen tries to destroy those artists and magicians who can bring light and goodness. She wants to remain inconspicuous and gray only, and that all people, in the end, were frozen. Then she steals Kaya - and Gerda goes to rescue his family. Along the way, she must save the world from snow and ice. Still we have a minor character - a troll, which is involved in the history and nature of the changes in the course of the cartoon. Many of the secondary characters are modified - for example, a flower girl or robbers (instead of them we have pirates on a frozen ship).

Alex, how did you select actors for voice acting?

AZ: There was a real casting - that we engaged director Max Sveshnikov and Vlad Barbe. Okhlobystin plays troll Efremov - King, singer Nyusha - Gerda. The voice acting is done immediately in English and Russian languages.

What hope is for this cartoon?

AZ: We certainly expect a breakthrough, because a lot of time, effort and money invested in the film. But even if the rent can not - we will continue our projects, "Lions for Lambs" and the second part of "The Snow Queen."

[Polizzi]

Russian on-demand
http://www.kommersant.ru/doc-rss/2066214

From mid-November about 31 million U.S. moviegoers who use the service video-on-demand (VOD) Hulu, have access to a dozen fresh Russian films. The deal, concluded Hulu and the company "Roskin," which is the domestic film industry abroad, it was announced at the next American Film Market.

Kalashny number

This year, the Russian contribution to the American Film Market was entirely in an uptrend, while our share of total sales lost amid achievements of Asians and Hispanics. Leader of the domestic kinoeksporta Timur Bekmambetov this rank shamed: both projects on the market his company Bazelevs (one of his one-friendly) were well received by the professional community and the press. The first - a full-length animated feature "The Snow Queen" Maxim Sveshnikov and Vladlen Barbe, with Bazelevs cook it Wizart Animation Studio Voronezh and Moscow Inlay Film. Advantages of "The Snow Queen" are obvious: the story - of the world classics, animated characters easy to duplicate all the conditions for a successful hire in any theater of the world, consider, followed.

http://www.facebook.com/snowqueenfilm

Animated feature "Snow Queen" Proved to be one of the Most understandable to foreign Audiences of Russian kinoproduktov.

[Polizzi]

http://www.facebook.com/snowqueenfilm

The main new Year's Adventure at the 89th international Russian Film Market!

Wizart Animation on 89-m Russian international film market in the World Trade Center in Moscow. 27 November, Tuesday, from 21.30 to 22.00 - buffet table from companies's Bazelevs and Wizart Animation (lobby of the Conference Center), from 22.00 until 23.20 - showing an animation Film "Snow Queen" in 3D (Amphitheatre Hall, Congress Center).

[Polizzi]

Nyusha - It's New Year (The Snow Queen Music Video)
http://video.bigmir.net/show/364566/

Please note: It is Russian.

new music video premiere of Nyusha . The song became the soundtrack to the animated film with Timur Bekmambetov Wizart Animation Snow Queen. In the adaptation of tales Nyusha voiced Gerda.

[Polizzi]

http://www.facebook.com/snowqueenfilm

Soundtrack premiere of Nyusha -"It's a New Year." From the movie "The Snow Queen!"

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/FY0o9iBaQi ... detailpage" frameborder="0"></iframe>

[Polizzi]

The second part of "The Snow Queen" of "Bazelevs" will be released in 2014
http://ria.ru/culture/20121129/912819976.html

Company "Bazelevs" Timur Bekmambetov and Voronezh Wizart Animation animation studio decided to start working on a sequel to the animated film "Snow Queen", without waiting for the rental in the first part, which will start in theaters on December 31.

MOSCOW, November 29 - RIA Novosti. Company "Bazelevs" Timur Bekmambetov and Voronezh Wizart Animation animation studio decided to start working on the sequel to the animated film "The Snow Queen", without waiting for the rental in the first part, which starts on December 31 at the box office, reported on 89th Russian film market representatives "Bazelevs."

Animated film based on the famous fairy tale by Hans-Christian Andersen's "The Snow Queen" directed by Maxim Sveshnikov who worked previously on the animated trilogy about the three heroes. The main characters in the film voiced singer and actor Ivan Nyusha Okhlobystin. Budget belt was $ 7 million. The film was shown at the American Film Market, where, according to representatives of the "Bazelevs", was well received by foreign distributors. World Car "Snow Queen" made both in Russian and English languages, will start in the New Year Eve.

Continued stories will be released in December 2014. Now, according to representatives of the "Bazelevs", "The Snow Queen 2" is under "active development scenario."

More Movie Stills from The Snow Queen on Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/snowqueenfilm

[Polizzi]

"By December 2014, the first sequel is preparing "The Snow Queen," about how Kai and Gerda help the troll help save his people from the curse of the titular villain." - The Hollywood Reporter Russia

When asked what was his most exciting experience at The 89th Russian International Film Market, first thing Orm mentioned was ... Popcorn!!!

[Polizzi]

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, IT'S FREEZING TIME!!! FOR THE U.S., DISNEY'S ALL-AMERICAN, "FROZEN!" AND THE CHALLENGER, THE CRUSH-A FROM RUSSIA, WIZART'S "THE SNOW QUEEN!" LLLET'S GET READY FOR THE SNOW QUEEN RUMBLLLLE!!! DING, DING!!!

[Polizzi]

New Year Ideas: Christmas tale "The Snow Queen" in the suburban hotel Foresta
http://posta-magazine.ru/voyage/christm ... at-foresta

Outlet December 31 animated cartoon Wizart "The Snow Queen" are confined to truly fabulous fun.

Ice bar, hog show, tubing, skiing, BMP, dog sledding and horseback riding, ice skating, circus animals, illusion show, Fireworks Competition, Chukchi national show, prizes and gifts, and even a costume show with characters famous winter tales! And all this - for the sake of the Protecting the year - the Snow Queen, which symbolizes the sign of the coming year - a snake.

On the one hand is hard, cold and calculating, on the other wise and shrewd queen will treat guests fragrant mulled wine and cocktails on the basis of traditional northern drink - vodka, and a master class on focus of Master micromagic and Fireworks Competition for the prize from Her Majesty the Queen of the Snow. Next - a real ball and no less fun January 1: On the first day of the new year will contest carnival costumes, performances by folk groups, the performance of children's theater, illusion shows, hockey tournaments and figure skating, barbecue-party with cocktails, dancing, contests and prizes .

Is also a sauna and SPA center, swimming pools, restaurants, rent ATVs and military equipment, a skating rink, children's services and the beautiful nature of Moscow!

[Polizzi]

Just for fun.

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[Polizzi]

Found two new images.

Album Cover for Wizart's "The Snow Queen" featuring Nyusha - It's New Year
http://img.megatorrents.kz/share.php?id=732A_50B5D503

Description: The premiere of the new video from Nyusha. The song became the soundtrack to the animated film with Timur Bekmambetov Wizart Animation Snow Queen. In the adaptation of tales Nyusha voiced Gerda.

Anticipating the Success of "The Snow Queen," Script is Taking a Picture of Her Continuing
http://www.pro-soblazn.ru/novosti-show- ... enija.html

[Polizzi]

The Snow Queen is now on Wikipedia (English version that is). Just type in "The Snow Queen (2012 film)" on the Wikipedia search engine, and it will take you there.

[Polizzi]

Tim Birks on Animation Insider
http://www.animationinsider.com/

Animation Insider’s goal is to focus on the blue collared worker of animation; the back bone of the industry. We want to focus on the people in the trenches who make the award winning stuff we love. Basically if your job is or ever was associated in some way with animated movement, we want to interview you! Even if you’re a big famous hotshot you weren’t always and I’m sure you’ve got great stories to tell! We think everybody has stories to tell from the trenches of animation!

What is your name and your current occupation?
Tim Birks, I’ve recently finished working on Wizart Animation’s Snow Queen animated feature due for theatrical release on 31st December 2012.

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
I was lucky enough to get my first animation gig whilst still in my 3rd year of university, however whilst studying at college and university I like to consider my dues to have been paid by stacking shelves at 5am and grafting throughout the summer breaks at various colleges, jobs included cutting down trees with a blunt saw and sweeping gutters!

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
I was proud to have been a part of production on the CG animated TV series, Jellikins (or Jellabies as it was renamed for American TV), not only was this my first animation gig in the late 90’s but it was also the first CG animated TV series to be produced in the UK, seems like such a long time ago now! More recently I’m proud to have been apart of animation production on ‘The Snow Queen’ feature, the Russian CG industry is still developing and they have overcome so many obstacles to get this film made on such a limited budget, the finished product is outstanding and I’m glad I was given the opportunity to help out.

Where are you from and how did you get into the animation business?
I’m from Birmingham, UK. I’ve always worked in the West Midlands, UK throughout my entire career so far, apart for a brief stint in London. The industry is very scattered and animators do migrate a lot, not good if you have a young family hence my reason I try to stay in the Midlands. The life of an animator is not very ‘family friendly’. I’ve just been lucky so far, there seems to be a small group of us ‘Midlands dedicated’ animators who always end up working together on the same projects!

What’s a typical day like for you with regards to your job?
Recently I have been working remotely so I usually begin work as soon as I wake up. Animating on Snow Queen has been a very different experience for me, for the majority of my career I have been doing TV animation at around 150 frames per day, obviously at this rate you have little time to plan and execute a shot, you just kinda have to churn frames out as best you can and not look back, however working on Snow Queen I could spend an entire day planning a shot without even switching a computer on, it allowed me the time to really consider my acting choices and add a few extra polish passes, a privilege I seldom have working on TV animation production!

What part of your job do you like best? Why?
I love giving characters weight, attitude, intention, action, reaction and motivation, doing these things requires time, effort, consideration, planning, preparing and execution which is all a part of the challenge I love, I also love getting paid to do it!

What part of your job do you like least? Why?
I’ve been lucky enough throughout my career so far to have worked with some exceptionally talented riggers, however I’ve work on some projects where I’ve continuously had to wrestle with the rig which can stall momentum and hinder work flow, animators are at the mercy of the technical knowledge of the rigger, if certain elements of functionality are not included it can make my job even more challenging than it already is!

What kind of technology do you work with on a daily basis, how has technology changed in the last few years in your field and how has that impacted you in your job?
As I jump from project to project I can guarantee that I’ll either be using Max, Maya or Soft, as an animator I probably use about 5% of these applications functionality so from one release to the next I hardly notice any difference, thankfully! I just need to know where translate and rotate is! In recent years tools like USB Flip cameras and even mobile phones have become very useful for quickly capturing and editing live action performance for reference purposes.

What is the most difficult part for you about being in the business?
As a freelancer, job security is constantly an issue, you always need to be on the lookout for the next gig and if the work dries up it can cause a lot of stress and anxiety. You have to be very well connected to survive as a freelancer and maintaining industry connections is vital.

In your travels, have you had any brushes with animation greatness?
I recently met Patrick Osborne (Disney) at VES London who gave my reel a great critique, I was slightly awe struck and wished I could have been more eloquent when speaking to him! I have also had the pleasure of working with John Saull who is probably one of the most talented and also least known animators in the UK, he definitely fits into the category of Animation Greatness without being a ‘celebrity’!

Describe a tough situation you had in life.
My glass is always half full and often I’ve put way too much trust and faith in companies securing work, paying on time, delivering promises etc. My wife can often see through this and warns me well in advance and has always been right, however my stubbornness and loyalty often make me stay with company longer than I should.

Any side projects you’re working on that you’d like to share details of?
I currently play guitar in the band Butterfly Stone, we are a five piece band originally formed by Emmy Award winning composer and producer Mark Willott. The original idea was to create music without compromise, beyond the limitations of what a standard rock band can deliver. A unique combination of guitars, horn sections, full orchestrations and dirty underground synths are just part of the collaboration that we call upon to create our original sound. Check us out . (shameless plug!).

Any unusual talents or hobbies like tying a cherry stem with your tongue or metallurgy?
I’m an enthusiastic brewer of real ales using traditional techniques and methods, I have begun experimenting with different recipes and ingredients in an endeavour to create the perfect beer, they’ve all tasted like dishwater so far, it’s a constant learning curve though, like animation!

Is there any advice you can give for an aspiring animation student or artist trying to break into the business?
Advice, where do I begin? Do lots of life drawing, do as much as you can all the time and just keep improving all time! When you do your drawings just do quick 5 minute poses and learn how to do ‘educated scribbles’ rather than concentrating on detail, it’ll help when you plan your animations. The life model should be able to hold a really dynamic pose for 5 minutes as the long comfortable poses tend to be boring. It’s good to always question your ability, that feeling of ‘not being good enough’ will keep you on your toes and motivate you to improve. To be an animator is to be very tormented, you should always feel like there’s more you could have done in your work, poses you could have pushed or held back, timing tweaks, different acting choices, you will be tormented! Being over-confident or even arrogant will lead to down fall, being humble and open-minded enough to admit to flaws, imperfections, poor acting decisions is very important, by taking on board criticism during viewing sessions ensures you learn and improve, animation is a lifelong learning process, you always improve. The stubborn animators who refuse to accept criticism tend to not last very long in the industry, I’ve worked with a few and they are very frustrating to work with! Make sure your reel is strong, do more than what the lecturers request, partake in the 11sec club in any spare time you have, join the forums, just immerse yourself completely. When you do look for work, always ask for opportunity and not money, do the job that no else wants to do for a while just to gain experience and contacts! The animation industry tends to suit travellers, nomads and generally people without any roots, ties or family. It’s really not for the feint hearted, if you don’t want to move around the country the best advice I can offer would be to get to know all the local companies, try and gain work experience there, become acquainted with the bosses, network with other animators who have also decided to stay in one area, stay together as a group with your fellow animators, huddle together for survival! Many of my colleagues do seem to have a back up specialism, however I don’t because I’m lazy and focused only on animation! They are usually an animator/vfx or animator/wedding photographer or animator/lighter, I would definitely suggest doing this as it widens your spectrum when seeking employment. However having said all this, your employment chances at any company in any location depend solely on the strength and quality of your abilities, there’s a lot of competition for work out there, you need to be the best! So yes it’s a high risk industry I guess, no real stability, but what the heck who wants stability! Pursue your goals and stay focused, be the best that you can be and don’t let anxiety or doubt stifle your potential! Don’t Panic!

[Polizzi]

Director of "Winnie the Pooh" wanted to see before he died in Voronezh cartoon
http://m.moe-online.ru/news/view/251587.html

Renowned animator, creator of the animated series about a teddy bear Winnie-the-Pooh and his friends Theodore Khitruk a few days before his death, discuss the formulation of the Voronezh cartoon "The Snow Queen". Fedor Savyelitch shared with his wife, that would very much like to see the cartoon and pinned high hopes on him - this in an interview with reporters said multiplier wife Galina.

One of the founders of the school-studio animated films BALL People's Artist of the USSR Fyodor Khitruk died in Moscow on a 96-year life in mnuvshy Monday, December 3.

Winner of numerous film awards, veteran of World War II, Chevalier several orders is best known as the creator of the animated series about a teddy bear Winnie-the-Pooh and his friends. Total Khitruk participated in the creation of more than 200 cartoons, including such outstanding as "The History of a Crime," "Man in the box", "Film, Film, Film."

Farewell to the animator Fedor Khitruk held December 5 at 11:00 am in the House of Cinema Russian Cinematographers' Union in Moscow, cremation will take place at Khovanskoye cemetery. This is stated in the message of the Union of Cinematographers.

As we mentioned earlier, on the cartoon "The Snow Queen" works Voronezh animation studio Wizart Animation.

An animated film based on the fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersana out in cinemas in Russia on December 31. Its director was Maxim Sveshnikov, who created a trilogy of three heroes. The main characters in the animated film voiced singer and actor Ivan Nyusha Okhlobystin. 3D-animation studio performed at Voronezh Wizart Animation.

According to the company by Timur Bekmambetov, the picture is shown at the American Film Market, where she was very well received by retailers.

Now there is a lot of development scenario of "The Snow Queen-2." It is planned that the continuation of the film viewers will see in December 2014.

Despite his version being kind of a rip-off to Walt Disney's version of "Winnie the Pooh," he does have spirit.

[Polizzi]

http://www.facebook.com/WizartAnimation?fref=ts

Wizart Animation congratulates colleagues 2D and 3D artists with professional holidays 2 and 3 Dekabrâ! We wish all the more new, interesting projects and achievements in creativity!!!

The Roundtable on training in animation
http://www.unikino.ru/index.php?option= ... 40&catid=4

Topic of training for the animation industry caused a great response from the animation community representatives. At a round table in the House of Cinema on November 27 brought together more than 80 participants, including those from St. Petersburg, Voronezh, Yekaterinburg, Tomsk, and other cities. Was made about 20 presentations from directors, producers, educational institutions and government agencies.

Round Table has identified serious problems in the field of education on the part of schools. In particular, Olga Volpyanskaya, Director of Theatre and Arts College of number 60, noted that the educational standards by which animators are prepared in schools, do not comply with the time, the same standards of professional and non-existent. She said the college annually produces about 70 animators, but most of them can not find jobs. According to Volpyanskoy, the process of developing professional standards necessary to connect employers - the producers and directors of professional animation studios.

At the same time Oscar nominee, winner of other prestigious awards, the director-animator Konstantin Bronzit noted that students who are preparing top state schools, do not go to work in the industry. According to him, the industry is not in need of directors, she needs professional animators.

"In the studio," Mill "about 14 directors. None of them are graduates. All of them are grown in the studio! ", - He said. According to Constantine Bronzit it, including the cause of the completion of his teaching. After ten years at the St. Petersburg State Institute of Film and TV director had to give up on their work as graduate students in the field and do not fall. "Ten years of working in the studio, we were never came SPbGUKiT graduate. Can generally cover this shop? Enough to produce unemployed filmmakers with ambition! "- Said the bronze.

He was supported by the teacher and the school VGIK studio "ball", the legendary animator Violetta Kolesnikova. "Students in horror ask me:" Where we out? ". But in practice increases the multiplier! Life really teaches profession! "- Said Kolesnikov.

Problem voiced heard representatives of the Department of Education of the Ministry of Culture. Deputy. Head of Department Anna Grigorieva promised to arrange a meeting of representatives of the ministries and rectors of the University and SPbGUKiT to discuss this issue.

At the same time, many of the panelists noted one problem: the schools are experiencing an acute shortage of teachers in the animation. Such experts are, and they are willing to teach, but they are not allowed to work at the university due to lack of higher education.

Moreover, in modern institutions there is no technical basis for the practice of students, so coming to the studio today, graduates do not know how to approach the equipment. "When students come to us to practice, the only useful thing I can offer them - not to touch the computer," - said the director of the studio "Airplane" (animated series "Fixico") Boris Mashkovtsev.

According to him, "education is too general and imprecise. The final stage of training should involve more specialized. Universities should work closely with the studio - the employer, the students had the opportunity to practice in practice and to know where they go to work after graduation."

Representatives of Voronezh studio «Wizart Animation» went on this issue further. They agreed with the head of the region about the organization at the Voronezh State University courses for professionals. The executive producer, told the studio Vladimir Nikolayev, a shortage of studio animators faced while working on the animated feature "The Snow Queen." Studio is ready to provide its manufacturing base for student learning in practice.

Yekaterinburg director, teacher USAAA Oksana Cherkasova, noted the need to establish inter-university communication. She lamented that Russia does not participate in international exchange programs of students and teachers, which is used in schools around the world. In her view, it would significantly broaden my horizons of students and teachers.

The need for professional exchange in his speech and critic Paul Sweden. He urged the turn to the experience of French animation school, where widespread experience internships, including at the world's largest studios. Moreover, the standards of training dictated syndicate producers of animated films. With the right training, about 95 percent of the graduates of the French animation school within three months after graduation to find jobs in the field of animation.

In general, a round table was a unique event for the first time united in dialogue animation community members and government officials, opening prospects for solutions to common problems. Finally roundtable Head engagement with film Ministry of Culture Elena Lapina said that the department is ready to meet and discuss the animation community's problems.

[Polizzi]

You may have read this before on the 5th page of this thread, but I have forgotten to post the production images provided by "The Snow Queen." Here it is.

As in Voronezh create 3D-animation based on Andersen's fairy tale "The Snow Queen"
http://vrntimes.ru/news/view/6270-Kak_v ... ezhye.html











Say, that's a nice new poster in the background on the 10th image.

[Polizzi]

Two New Images from The Snow Queen on Facebook



This is the new cover page on Facebook.

New Trailer

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