Ethel and Ernest website goes live

The official Ethel and Ernest website is now live. Crammed full of information, news about the film, interviews with the crew, and learning resources, it is available here

 

Crew screening of the film at the National Film Theatre

A big day for us yesterday with a crew screening of the finished film held at the National Film Theatre. Lupus Films is immensely proud of each and everyone one of you who contributed to making Ethel and Ernest the movie a reality. More photos here.

The next screening will be a public one – the premiere ! Watch this space for further news.

Some of the crew at the post screening party held at the National Film Theatre – August 3rd 2016. A night to remember ! (Photo courtesy of Amandine Gutierrez.)

 

 

 

Animator Sarah Airriess

Among the many top animators working on Ethel and Ernest was Sarah Airiess. Sarah’s animation and posing opens the film, and she also animated the whole of the Christmas decoration sequence that is depicted on page 50 of the book.

Working from her home in Cambridge she always produced scenes full of wit, charm and brilliant observation.  She has produced some stand out sequences for us.

To discover more about Sarah and her work visit her blog here.

Animator Sarah Airriess working on Ethel and Ernest from her home in Cambridge.

Animator Laurent Kircher

Watch out for some great comedy scenes in Ethel and Ernest courtesy of top animator Laurent Kircher. Ernest dismantling the old cooking range, which is on page 16 of the book,  is one of Laurent’s sequences.

He also animated the ‘outside the ballroom’ sequence which is one section that has been invented for the film and was not in Raymond Briggs’ book .

Laurent also animated the Ernest on his bike shots for the key moment in the film when Ethel and Ernest first meet (page 3 and 4 of the book).

Laurent Kircher (centre) talking with Peter Dodd (Ethel and Ernest animation director)

One of the scenes in the book that Laurent was given to animate

 

 

Visiting Raymond for the ‘Making Of…’ documentary

Raymond Briggs was filmed today for the ‘making of’ documentary that will accompany the release of the Ethel and Ernest film.

Jess Bassett, the director of the ‘Making of…’ documentary, is seen here filming Raymond as he looks through one of his unpublished books ‘Into the Dangerous World’

Raymond Briggs with Camilla Deakin, the producer of Ethel and Ernest, during the shooting of the documentary.

The front cover of Raymond Briggs’ as yet unpublished book ‘Into the Dangerous World’. It was a particularly interesting discovery for us as it features a child’s eye view of the house in south west London where Raymond grew up. The same house of course that is the setting for Ethel and Ernest.

 

Lupus films extends its studio space as our deadline approaches

Lupus films has opened up new studio space off Holloway road in North London, about 10 minutes from its main studio. Isobel Stenhouse, Animation Supervisor, has done a sterling recruiting job to increase both the number of animators and also the number of animator assistants on the production as we head towards our deadline. Using the Creative Skillset scheme recent graduates from animation colleges throughout the UK have joined the crew as assist animators. They do the clean up on an animator’s scene and give the drawings their final line look before they go to be coloured and composited at Cloth Cat studios in Cardiff.

Below are pictures of some of the new recruits who have graduated from animation courses at the following colleges:

Central St Martins; Teeside University; Arts University of Bournemouth; Lincoln University; University of Wolverhampton; University of Westminster; Middlesex University; University of Portsmouth.

Eleven more recruits are due to join the production shortly and the studio will have to expand still further!

Graduates from a number of UK animation courses working on Ethel and Ernest, brought on board with the assistance of the Creative Skillset scheme

Isobel Stenhouse (animation supervisor) with Bianca Howell

Patrick Collins and Danielle Bethel

Solly Vaughan (left) and James Dubbins (right)

From left to right: Walid Abou El Joud, Bianca Howell, Daniel Crook, Jack Sleeman

From left to right: Joanna Boyle and Eleonora Quario

Solly Vaughan with production assistant trainee Amandine Gutierrez

Kamila Konczewska

Nadia Hussein

Alice Guzzo (trainee assistant animator).  Behind Alice is visiting director Michael Dudok de Wit talking with animation supervisor Isobel Stenhouse

Iona Menzies (trainee assistant animator)

 

 

 

Final recruits for the final push

More crew have been taken on as the final months of production are upon us. Animator Vincent Petremann pictured below is one of the latest recruits to join us. Lupus Films has also opened up an annexe studio in north London to accommodate the army of clean up artists and assistants that an animated feature film requires.

Animator Vincent Petremann being briefed on his scenes by animation director Peter Dodd

Our team of top animators takes shape…

Animator and director Jean-Christophe Lie was visiting the Lupus studios yesterday. Here he is (on the right) pictured with Ethel and Ernest animation director Peter Dodd. Peter is explaining the action in the first scene that he will be receiving. We are delighted to welcome Jean-Christophe who joins a top line up of animators that are already working on the production. (click photo to enlarge)

Animator Jean-Christophe Lie with animation director Peter Dodd

A visit to production partner CLOTH CAT Animation

Production on the Ethel and Ernest film is being split between Lupus films in London, Studio 352 in Luxembourg, and Cloth Cat Animation who are based in Wales. They are housed in the Gloworks building, the Welsh Government’s new centre for creative industries in Cardiff Bay. Cloth Cat animation will be dealing with the 3D elements in the film, and the painting and compositing of the scenes. Pictured are Sam Wright who is doing the 3D builds, and lead Nuke compositor Neil Martin (nearest to camera). Ethel and Ernest is primarily a hand drawn film, with all the characters being drawn in TVPaint. But some objects, such as vehicles, will require a computer model to be built and will be rendered to fit in with the drawn images.