The new cartoon "The Hero of Himself" in the life of the young and brave SamSamo has everything that a space hero can dream of: loving heroic parents, super-friends and your own flying saucer, on which you can surf the galaxy ... Only one thing is missing - his superpower until she showed herself! A new girl named Mega appears in the city, who claims that she can awaken his superpower in SamSama, and he cannot miss such a chance. Together they set off on a space journey. They will have to learn that friendship and courage are the best superpowers to dream of. In his interview, Tanguy de Kermelem, the director of the animated film Hero Sam Sam, spoke about the development of the project, the scenery and work with the character creator Serge Bloch. The release date in Russia for "Hero SamSam" is April 2, 2020.
In detail
Interview with director Tanguy de Kermel
- How did the transformation of Serge Bloch's comics into an animated television series, which became the first film adaptation of the story about SamSam, begin?
- In 2006, the Bayard Group found stories about SamSama, a comic book character from Pomme d'Api magazine, very promising, and was looking for a director who would take on the film adaptation. The company representatives caught the eye of the films that I shot in Japan, and I was offered to take part in the competition. They weren't sure if they would choose 2D animation based on Serge's drawings, or 3D animation, which at that time was taking its first timid steps in the world of children's TV. I stated from the beginning that I do not specialize in traditional animation and will not participate in the project if the choice is made in favor of 2D. At the same time, I was ready to do anything to convince customers that with the help of 3D animation you can achieve fantastic results! I did some 3D sketches that both Bayard and Serge liked. In addition, Serge himself wanted to try to bring the characters he created to a new dimension.
- What attracted you to these comics?
- I immediately liked the SamSama space universe, which Serge created: children's fantasy stories about the superhero adventures of a boy and his friends. His parents are not always able to protect him, despite the fact that in some episodes they have to save their son. But for the most part, SamSamS himself is left to himself: he can fly in his plate wherever he pleases in the company of a teddy bear. Other characters created by Serge are also involved in the stories: the dictator of the planet Mars the First Martian, space pirates, several monsters. However, in the center of any of the episodes are still the SamSama school, his friends and parents.
Despite the fact that the universe is small enough, it is enough to tell a wide variety of stories. I understood that I could easily shoot 52 episodes, each of which would be a kind of mini-film, and the themes would not be repeated. In his comics, Serge touches on many topics of child psychology in a very positive way. Bayard pays special attention to this - each character should help young viewers grow up. In the confrontation between SamSamS and his opponents, universal childhood fears can be traced, such as the fear of the dark or the fear of describing himself at night. The main character copes with all such troubles in the atmosphere of the universe and unexplored planets inhabited by monsters and pirates.
- Did Serge Bloch take part in the development of the visual component of the series?
“We weren't quite sure if he would like the 3D version of the characters he had invented. His drawings about the adventures of SamSama are very different from each other: the size of the character's ears varies, sometimes the nose is longer, and sometimes it is shorter, and so on. In a word, Serge's graphics are very spontaneous.
We created a small group to adapt comics in 3D. I invited the artist Eric Guillon to this team, who created many animated characters, including the minions from the Despicable Me movie. At one time, we worked with him a lot in the advertising business, so it was not unusual for me to ask him to work together on a comic adaptation. We armed ourselves with pencils and began to study Serge's drawings, trying to bring the many iterations of SamSam to a common denominator. First, we drew the hero in two dimensions to determine the proportions, the size of the ears, and so on. Then we did the same with his parents, with the pirates and all the other characters. We showed our sketches to Serge as his opinion was the last resort. Serge said, “Listen, guys. I think this is amazing and I trust you completely. I drew a comic, but I don't understand anything in 3D. So go for it! " He gave us complete freedom of action in terms of transferring the world he created to a new dimension. We worked in an atmosphere of absolute trust, and Serge was always ready to help us if questions and difficulties arose during the development of 3D models.
Then we turned to the sculptor Yves Vidal for help, so that he made statuettes based on the 3D models we had drawn. It was much more convenient to show them to Serge than 3D characters on a computer screen, since intermediate screen images seem lifeless and unattractive until the work is completed. The colorful figurines provided a comprehensive idea of how the characters would ultimately look on the screen. Yves sculpted figurines of parents, pirates, monsters, in a word, almost all the characters of the series, regularly consulting with me and Eric Guillon. We presented the figurines to the court of Serge, who approved each of them, one after another. This process took us about six months.
We also had to agree on a consistent palette for the script as sometimes Serge painted the world red and sometimes orange! We have negotiated a consistent color for every element of the future show's world, including every character. For example, SuperJulie is dressed in pink from head to toe, SweetPi's clothes are green, SamSama's costume is red, and so on. That is why everything around SamSamself is in red - his spaceship, his toys, and furniture in his room. Likewise, Sweet Pee's scooter is green and Super Julie's is pink. We used this versatile visual effect to bring some order to the world that Serge created, even if it's in 3D. We also added his signature black edging by painting some background elements on the walls rather than creating 3D objects. An example of this is the flowers in SamSama's parents' house.
- Did Serge Bloch take part in the work on the script for the series?
- Of course. Before we start writing the script for the series, we have compiled a kind of bible for the future project. It provided a detailed description of all the characters, their characters and features, as well as the whole world in which the events take place. Subsequently, this Bible became an essential tool when working on the scripts for each episode of the series. During this period, Serge took an active part in the work. He wanted to make sure the story line and the relationship between the characters remained the same as in the comics. He helped us figure out how SamPlanet works, the school charter, how children communicate, in the pirate community, and so on. If the screenwriter was unsure if pirates were supposed to be dangerous or disgusting, or just a gang of losers, he looked into the Bible. In short, all the details of the future project have been detailed in this document in great detail and approved by the audiovisual and editorial departments of Bayard.
- Is the film "Hero Himself" a prequel to the series? After all, the dictator of Mars, the First Martian and Himself, have not met yet, but in the series they have known each other for a long time ...
- Indeed, the events of the film unfold before the events described in the series. In our history, SamSimself knows in principle about the First Martian, since his parents warn him: "Stay away from Mars, it is dangerous there!" Viewers understand that a dictator can pose a threat to the SamPlanet. Perhaps the parents have already saved SamSam from trouble several times, which is why children are forbidden to fly and explore this planet. However, the main plot line tells about SamSam's dreams of gaining superpowers, while in the series he already has superpowers. In the series, of course, he still goes to the space school of heroes, but he already has unusually sharp hearing and vision and is strong enough to repel meteorites. In a word, he has already become a real space hero! In the film, SamSam himself goes to school, but has not yet acquired his superpowers, and this, of course, cannot but worry him.
- What new topics do you touch on in the film?
- First, screenwriter Jean Regnault spoke with Serge to determine the main components of all stories about SamSam. Jean deliberately decided not to watch a single episode of the television series, so as not to load his head with previously filmed plots. After that Jean and Valerie Mazhy thought about what characters they would need for the plot of the future film. The main theme of the picture was chosen: a child who dreams of growing up quickly, gaining independence and freeing himself from constant parental supervision. The salvation of Himself would be the acquisition of superpower. Mega, the new heroine who has never appeared in the series, has a much more complicated situation. Her father is the dictator of the planet Mars, and her mother is a domineering woman obsessed with music. SamSama, on the other hand, has wonderful parents, an amazing room, a lot of toys, a super cute plushie, great friends, so one can only envy him.
The only thing that really worries him is finding his superpower.
At the same time, we see poor little Mega. She lives on Mars as in a dungeon, because she is forbidden to leave the palace. Mother makes her sing, there is not a single toy in her room - only scores. Mega spends her days in solitude at the top of the tower and has no idea that there are other kids out there who know how to have fun. She is even forbidden to laugh, because laughter gives her father a migraine! We played in the contrast between the worlds of the two main characters: one lives a wonderful life, the other is unhappy, but both have problems to solve! Meeting, our heroes help each other. However, in order to make friends with new acquaintances, Mega has to lie. In general, the topic of lies is one of the key ones in the plot. The situation in Mega's family is so unstable and tense that deception becomes an integral means of existence for her. She is forced to lie to her parents, and then to the children on SamPlanet. Unwittingly, Mega hurts a lot of people with her deception.
- Tell us about the technical and artistic transformations of the characters and the world of SamSama in the transition from a television series to a full-length film.
- The first episodes of the series were filmed 12 years ago. From a technical point of view, we could not use the footage already shot with the modern software that Mac Guff is running to get cinematic quality. The company Blue Spirit, which worked on the first two seasons of the series and will soon take on the third, is also a very good studio, but it specializes in television projects. Working with Mac Guff, it was clear from the very beginning that we would have to start from scratch. I wanted the audience to understand from the very first minutes of the film that this unusual spectacle was created specifically for the movie screen, and not just three episodes of the series glued together.
On the advice of Mac Guff, I suggested a Folivari character in the hopes of attracting the attention of a producer with good experience in full-length animation who would help us turn a TV character into a cinematic character in the script and imaging stages.
Using the experience of Mac Guff and Folivari studios, I developed new character models, all elements of which were more detailed and of high quality. We slightly changed the proportions of SamSama, lengthening the limbs - the character lost a little weight. Thus, it began to seem that he became a little taller, despite the fact that the film is set before the events of the series. In addition, we wanted it to be attractive to an older audience. The target audience of the series is children aged 3 to 6 years old, and with the new graphics in the film we will be able to interest children up to eight years old. We started to rework the characters for the film by studying the storyboards of the series. It allowed us to change things that we couldn't afford when we were working on the show.
- For instance?
- Let's say we reduced the size of the characters' heads and made their arms longer, getting a larger fairway for animation maneuvers than in the series.
- The costumes of the characters are also made with additional textures, for example, SamSama's cloak ...
- And there is. It was necessary - in the movies, the picture should be more detailed. We have substantially worked on the panorama of the city in which SamSam lives with his parents. The decorations have become more ambitious. We also added some vegetation, but still used a warm color scheme. New elements appeared throughout. For example, in the living room of the parent's house, bookcases have become three-dimensional. However, the scenery is made in the same futuristic style of the 1950s and 1960s and, of course, in the universal color scheme of SamSama. The scenery of the world of the First Martian has also undergone significant changes.
- Tell us more about the new decorations.
- Even after finishing the script, we continued to work on the story while creating the storyboards - it was necessary to come up with new scenery for the new story. That is why I mentioned the world of the First Martian: we came up with a lot for his world, which was not in either Serge's comics or the series. For example, the palace, which from the outside looks like a giant statue of the dictator himself. Inside, we have thought out a system of elevators and tunnels that resemble the intestines of this statue. With this system, the Martian could get into his personal quarters or into his secret laboratory. We discussed each new "decorative" idea with the production designer and storyboard artist Mael Le Halle - he had to confirm that the novelty would fit into the frame and would not violate the integrity of the scene.
The dimensions of the palace-statue and the vast interiors allowed me to fantasize a little - I decided that the top of the palace could be hidden behind the clouds, so the apartments of the Martian family are not visible to ordinary residents from the surface of the planet. It is not surprising that the dictator managed to hide his wife and daughter from everyone. We have highlighted the fundamental differences between the Martian and his wife by dividing their family living room in two.
The Martian had no right to step on the floor of half of his wife, he didn't even dare to touch his finger! The female part of the room resembles a boudoir with a small white sofa and blue curtains and contrasts favorably with the green and gray shades typical of Martians.
- How much has the animation changed when you compare the film and the series?
- It took us four times longer to animate the film than to animate the series. The quality demands it, but the changes have had a positive effect on both the artistic and technical aspects of the franchise. The cinematic format made it possible to make each scene more ambitious - the audience will literally find themselves in the thick of things.
- Can we say that the characters of the film can boast of richer facial expressions than their serial prototypes?
- Indeed, the animation of the film is much more detailed than in the series. We have a lot more control over the facial expressions of the characters. By moving special markers, we could change not only the position of the character's body, but also his facial expressions, and in the work on the film there were ten times more such markers. For example, Mega is no longer content with one universal sad grimace, we were able to show that the heroine is annoyed and annoyed when she has to lie to SamSamu. We could vary emotions in terms of the degree of reflection, respectively, the characters will become more realistic in the eyes of the audience.
- On the dance scenes you worked with a professional choreographer. How did you transfer the dancer's movements to the characters?
- I asked the choreographer Veronica Brunel to pay special attention to the proportions of our young heroes, especially their "tiny short legs." We filmed her movements on video, which was later watched by the animators when they worked on the dance scenes. If we used motion capture technology, we would not be able to achieve the required level of realism.
- Tell us about your work with composer Eric Neveu.
- Eric recently wrote the music for the animated film "Zombillenium", and in general during his career he worked on soundtracks for many popular TV series.
While working on the SamSama series, we took inspiration from 1970s jazz, as it seemed to us that the fantasy universe matched well with the retro-futuristic musical style. At our first meeting, I explained to Eric that I want to create a jazz atmosphere, but not get attached to the work of such 70s jazz masters as Lalo Shifrin. Such an attachment could narrow the spectrum of emotions aroused in viewers. We couldn't use the symphonic music that sounds in many Hollywood blockbusters: a monumental soundtrack would simply crush the fragile universe of SamSam. Eric looked at the finished film clip and offered many options. He tried a wide variety of jazz styles, and sometimes the music was like rock. We discussed all these options with him, trying to find the ideal style of musical accompaniment for the film. I selected and grouped compositions that, as I thought, best complement the scenes on the planet Mars, scenes on SamPlanet and scenes of space adventures - they determined the musical tone of the picture.
For scenes on SamPlanet and, in particular, in the house of SamSama's parents, bright, positive, pacifying jazz will sound. For Mars, we decided to create an atmosphere of dictatorship with traditional army music. In space, the soundtrack will change to jazz with a touch of electronic music. Then we had to adapt the music to match the emotions of the characters and harmoniously complement the events taking place on the screen. All music themes are original and were written specifically for the film. The only element we carried over from the series was Strauss's Egyptian March that accompanies the Martian military parades!
- What did you like most about working on the film, and what was the most difficult thing?
- Our goal was to create a rich, eye-pleasing picture with many unexpected plot twists, while remaining faithful to the style of the SamSama universe. To achieve this goal, we had to spend a lot of time planning the lighting of the scenes in order to emphasize the textures, highlight the main dramatic and emotional moments in each of the scenes. Again, we used real cinematic lighting, our specialists worked in exactly the same way as the camera crew's illuminators on the set of feature films. Now, having watched the film several times on the big screen, I can note with some pride that our efforts have paid off handsomely and the tasks set by us have been solved.
- How do you see the reaction of SamSama fans to the film?
- I hope they will recognize the kind and positive hero whom they have already fallen in love with. I would like to believe that we will pleasantly surprise the fans, especially considering the fact that they will travel to new places on Mars and meet heroes that they have not yet seen.
- Can we assume that we will see new characters from the film in the third season of the series?
- We are just thinking about it. It is possible that we will show how the First Martian divorced his first wife, who took their daughter with her. She can't be judged because the Martian is a real fool (laughs). This would explain why the Martian lives alone on his planet, as shown in previous episodes of the series.
Press Release Partner
Film company VOLGA (VOLGAFILM)
