If you’re not Pixar, DreamWorks or Disney, creating your own animated series or movie is basically an unattainable dream.
Or so it used to be. The overly complex, expensive and time-consuming animation process is increasingly challenged by new solutions. Solutions that allow even the smallest studio to produce quality animated content affordably and at a frequent rate. A new era for storytellers and publishers of animation has dawned.
The power of animation and imagination
We all remember the overwhelming sensation we felt when we sat through our very first animated movie. The emotions we felt as a child resonated with us long after the closing credits rolled over the silver screen. We have all experienced the power of animation. Even today, in the digital era, animated characters still speak to the hearts of millions of children and adults every year and will continue to do so.
When Disney first introduced its Multiplane Camera in 1933, helping animators to add depth to the backgrounds in cartoons, this marked the start of a series of technological revolutions overcoming the boundaries and limitations of the new genre. From the never before seen adventures of the Flintstones in the 60ies, juxtaposing modern everyday concerns in the Stone Age setting, to the widely popular ‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit’, famously combining live action with animation, and the marvels of today’s Pixar movies, technology continues to push animators into new directions, making things possible that were previously inconceivable.
The problems with the traditional animation process
However, all these technological innovations have come at a cost - quite literally. Producing just three seconds of animated content costs thousands of dollars and requires a team of 100+ animators and graphic designers. Even with its state-of-the-art computer graphics, the average Pixar movie, from storyboard to final lighting and shading, takes about four years to complete. Thus, the frequency at which Pixar and other major studios can release new content is very limited, to say the least.
The reality is that animated filmmaking is reserved for the happy few who can afford the time and money.
Or is it?
We believe today marks the advent of a new technological revolution, which will truly democratize the way animated series and movies are made.
Wonder Media: a new way of animated storytelling
What if a storyteller could come up with a narrative in the morning and upload the finished episode on YouTube that same day? Or what if an animation grad student could create his own portfolio without needing to spend thousands of dollars? Sounds too good to be true?
It is possible thanks to a revolutionary new way of looking at animation. It is called: Wonder Media.
The old animation process
The production process of a traditional studio is pretty linear. Everything starts with the storyboard, functioning as the blueprint for the action and dialogue. The layout phase shows the various characters’ positions throughout the course of each shot. When the modelling is approved, effects are added and the final animation is done. In the final stage, lighting and shading is added and the production is completed. Every major studio more or less follows this cycle, which takes up to five years to finish a movie from beginning to end.
The Wonder Media animation process
With Wonder Media, the production cycle is shortened dramatically because many stages of the traditional process can be completed at once. In order to do so, we offer an extensive selection of characters coming with a library of movements and expressions that can be customized. We can also build your own unique character based on your existing designs. Our software allows us to develop animated mascots or celebrities quickly in beautiful broadcast-quality 3D. Wonder Media provides the most intuitive and practical real-time character animation system in the world. Designed for both ease of use and flexibility, it can accommodate live video, multiple characters and puppeteers, real-time cameras, and much more.
More or less the same strategy is applied in terms of settings and location. You either choose one of our settings and customize it according to your taste and needs, or we create one for you.
The benefits of Wonder Media
When all characters and settings are completed, you simply drag and drop objects, adjust lighting, pick the desired camera angle and hit record.
Everything is rendered in real-time so you can watch your characters come to life within a matter of seconds. The incredible turnaround time enables studios to produce new content and episodes regularly without any problems.
The Wonder Media approach not only saves time but money as well. Because of our extensive library of characters, animations, and environments, you don’t need that many animators or designers. In fact, in some cases you probably don’t need any at all! And if you do, you can count on us. We’ll always look for the best possible solution to tell your story.
Wonder Media isn’t just a revolutionary new animation software solution, we also create, design and produce our own and third-party content. Using our own tools, we provide animation for various projects all over the world. In other words, we know from our own experience what animation studios require and we build our software around that knowledge.
Getting the most out of your characters
Our revolutionary technology opens up new ways for publishers to get the most out of their animated characters. Characters based on cartoons, real people, animals or even inanimate objects, for example, can be introduced and operated in real-time at live events, in real or virtual studios or star in original animations. The possibilities for comedy, talk shows, game shows and many other genres are limitless. Of course, the Wonder Media team is always happy to assist in creating or producing new characters and/or shows.
Catch us at MIPTV 2017!
Want to see the magic happen before your very eyes? Catch us at MIPTV 2017, the world’s number one TV and digital content event, which takes place April 3-6 in Cannes (France). It’s your chance to see our tools in action and talk to the team. With top-level conferences and international screenings, MIPTV is also the ideal opportunity to discover new formats and network with key players from the global entertainment industry.
Schedule a meeting with our team at MIPtv. Just click on one of the names and book your meeting slot:
