Christmas Doesn't Need Much. Only Love.

Scripted, produced and directed at our studio in Amsterdam, the film was crafted with a combination of miniature sets, CGI characters, and VFX elements. The story is a labor of love and showcases that Christmas doesn't need much. Only love.

Almost every stage in the making of the craft was just as important and challenging as the others. From locking down the narrative to editing the animatic, from live-action shoot to digital matte painting, and from the first concept artwork to the character modeling. We believe the decision to merge miniature sets with CGI characters ultimately elevated the story. Character performance and facial expressions were of the utmost importance since they were the primary means of conveying the strong human emotions inherent in the overarching themes of the narrative.

Additional

The magical arctic scene was both a technical and creative challenge. Integrating multiple practical and VFX techniques. The world from the boy’s imagination was created as a visual escape from his mundane everyday life.

Our three directors decided to shoot stop motion with miniature sets. Although at first, it didn’t seem to be the obvious choice, especially for CG artists, it gave us the opportunity to capture even the smallest details of the hand-crafted environments.

Transforming the original character artwork into 3D models was a challenging journey. The team was set on achieving a puppet look, or so-called “claymation” effect, in order to avoid similarities with existing animated characters. Inspired by fantasy as well as Japanese worlds, the characters became a symbiosis of two different styles, imbued with a realistic touch from the “claymation” esthetic, which gave it authenticity.

In summary, the digital designs posed a unique challenge that resulted in a seamless blending of both mediums to create one cohesive look.

Christmas is a magical time for children. And it’s no secret that the real magicians of Christmas are mothers. Because of this, our initial idea was to tell the heartwarming and relatable story of a mother and her son.

The client brief asked us to showcase the struggles and emotions of a single parent family. The story centers around a precocious young boy, who wants something that’s nearly impossible for him to obtain. The climax takes place in the imaginary North Pole, putting both character and viewers in a fantastical setting, a child’s imagining of the Arctic. It’s a world far away, almost lonely, and yet desirable and warm, created solely by his imagination.

JURY FEEDBACK

ANIMATION / SILVER

The character design, animation and the visual details in the storytelling are heart warming, a beautiful short story that really touches you.