The Finnish animation studio Anima Vitae is not afraid of any ghost. Or monsters.
The company behind the successful trilogy on Niko The Rendezing – “Niko – Beyond the Northern Lights” has sold nearly 3 million tickets worldwide – develops 3D animations “EEK! Ghosts! ” and “Monsters of the trash”.
Based on beloved books by Mauri Kunnas, “Eek! Ghosts!” Follows two trick-or-traitant children who meet during a party organized by real ghosts and monsters. Oops.
“Families love these stories because of their warmth and humor. The original intellectual property is really strong – the books have been read by many generations in Finland, Europe and even in Japan, “said the CEO of Anima Vitae, Antti Haikala.
Respect for the “rich illustrations” of Kunnas, full of small details and jokes, turned out to be difficult at first.
“It took a while to transform this into animation. We worked with Mauri on several shorter projects now and we found a way to put the minds of books in films and capture the spark of his original work.”
Haikala added: “Create a” safe excitement “for families and tell significant stories are essential, and Mauri’s stories already have these attributes. They can be silly, but they often examine how instead of being afraid, you can really learn something. ”
The same goes for “garbage monsters”, which is also looming on the horizon.
In the film, a girl accidentally creates a monster out of garbage. Soon, she became friends with him and can also rely on him in front of great dangers on the island of his grandmother – one which is on the point of the ecological disaster.
“We would like to find partners from Southeast Asia because history is located in this region,” he said. An original story, “Trash Monsters” comes from the Australian writer Joseph Taylor, based in Bali.
Nordic stories often combine darkness and humor. For Anima Vitae, it seems “natural to follow this path”.
“Everything comes down to never underestimate your audience. Children will have to face many of these themes as they grow up. We want them to experience them through our films, in a fun setting,” said Haikala. They also recently created “Fleak” in Annecy. The film will be released in the United States by Impossible Dream Entertainment and the theatrical distribution unit of the Fithian group.
The director and screenwriter Kari Juusonen, who also directed the films “Niko”, works on the development of stories for the two projects. The screenwriter Leo Viirret will work on “Ghosts”, while the artistic director Mikko Pitkänen (“Niko” and “Fleak”) supervises the two titles.
The success of “Niko” allowed the company to experience a little, especially when “testing the limits of what the content can be produced in the family space”.
“At the same time, we must be aware of our audience. Our films only count if the public sees them. We must be able to offer them a great experience with family, cinema or at home,” he noted.
“”[At Anima Vitae] We have developed a style that is not ultra -realistic – it’s cinematographic. We believe that the animation concerns the visual world and not a retrographer copy of it. You should not continue to add pixels to the screen. “”
“Animation films are more identifiable and leave an impression more if they have a stylized look. If you have a style, it’s a statement that does not age quickly.”
Although the Finnish film industry is currently faced with steep cuts, Haikala does not yet abandon.
“We have been there for 25 years and have seen many chaos on the road. It is always worrying, but your only option is to try to find a path through stormy waters. So far, we have been lucky,” he said.
“We have always prioritized sustainability and long-term development, which led us to make choices which, hopefully, more sustainable. We try to see opportunities instead of threats. And we are stubborn. ”
‘EEK! Specters! ‘
Doghill Productions / Otava
