IFS - First Online Film Festival
"Sintel" Film's Curated Background
In the film we meet a lonely girl who is saved on a barren snowfield by a shaman. In the hut of the shaman she tells her life story; how she found a wounded baby dragon in a dilapidated city, and how a deep bond grows between them. When the little dragon is kidnapped violently by an adult dragon, she takes a long quest. After her visit to the shaman she then undergoes a dramatic confrontation with the adult dragon.
Sintel's Face Rigging
When an animation modeler finishes building a character it is a static 3-D mesh, very much like a statue (and just about as easy to pose.) It isn't ready yet to turn over to the animators as just a 3-D mesh. The next step is required is to "rig" the model so the animator and control the detailed movements of the model. "Rigging" in a 3-D animated character is a system of joints and control handles that the animation modeler programs into the finished model that allows the animators can pose the model in life-like and realistic ways. Sintel's face rigging is very good and an excellent example of how rigging works. Sintel's face rigging is one of the key elements that makes her "come alive" on screen. Below, see a demonstration of Sintel's face rigging. It is also an example of the open source Blender software used to make Sintel.
Press Release
With the makers in attendance, the 3D animated short SINTEL will premiere during the 30th edition of the Netherlands Film Festival. For this film, producer Ton Roosendaal combined the talents of comics author Martin Lodewijk and screenwriter Esther Wouda with the young director Colin Levy (USA) and concept artist David Revoy (France). The vocal performances were created by Halina Reijn and Thom Hoffman. SINTEL is an epic short film that takes place in a fantasy world, where a girl befriends a baby dragon. After the little dragon is taken from her violently, she undertakes a long journey that leads her to a dramatic confrontation. The screening will take place on September 27 in the main theatre of Pathé Rembrandt. The online release of the film is on thursday September 30th.
For over a year an international team of 3D animators and artists worked in the studio of the Amsterdam Blender Institute on the computer-animated short 'Sintel'. This independent production was financed by the online user community of the free program Blender, supported by the Netherlands Film Fund, CineGrid Amsterdam, and with sponsorship from international companies.
The film project's primary target was intended as an incentive for the development of the Blender 3D open source software, a program producer Ton Roosendaal originally developed for use in his animation studio in the 90ies. The film itself, and any material made in the studio, will be released as Creative Commons shortly after the premiere. This concept, a true Open Movie, allows filmmakers and animators to study and reproduce every detail of the creation process. Companies and research institutions can use it as a reference standard for demonstration purposes, or for research on new technologies. In these areas, the concept behind Open Source and Open Content is increasingly accepted as an efficient investment in "shared self-interest".
After the short film "Elephants Dream" (2006) and "Big Buck Bunny" (2008), this is the third animated short created in the Amsterdam studio with support from around the world via the Internet. For "Sintel" the ambitions were set extra-high, with more than double the budget (nearly 400k Euro), a team twice as large (up to 14 people full-time) and a work period of more than one year, so the expectations are high. "The result has become truly spectacular," said Ton Roosendaal, "the script, the visuals and soundtrack all came perfectly together, and mainly due to the contribution of the director a story is being told with a deep emotional impact you won't forget easily."
The script was inspired by a number of story suggestions by Martin Lodewijk around a Cinderella character (Cinder in Dutch is "Sintel"). Screenwriter Esther Wouda then worked with director Colin Levy to create a script with multiple layers, with strong characterization and dramatic impact as central goals.
In the film we meet a lonely girl - spoken by Halina Reijn - who is saved on a barren snowfield by a shaman - with the voice of Thom Hoffman. In the hut of the shaman she tells her life story; how she found a wounded baby dragon in a dilapidated city, and how a deep bond grows between them. When the little dragon is kidnapped violently by an adult dragon, she takes a long quest. After her visit to the shaman she then undergoes a dramatic confrontation with the adult dragon.
The premiere takes place:
- Monday, 27 September, 19:30h Pathe Rembrandt 1 Oude Gracht 73, Utrecht
- At 19:00h there's an information desk in the lobby, where appointments for interviews can be made.
- The screening starts with Sintel at 19:30h.
- The crew will depart after their film to the main Festival Pavilion, where the press is cordially invited.
- The online premiere will be on thursday 30 September, at www.sintel.org
The Making of Sintel
Festival's Films
Background of Films
From 'iil Acorns (2010) Background
Elephants Dream (2005) Background
Big Buck Bunny (2008) Background
Tears of Steel (2012) Background