Mikros Animation is celebrating the global streaming debut of The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run, available on Netflix on November 5 in every country except the U.S. and Canada.
Canada enjoyed a theatrical run of Paramount Animation/Nickelodeon Movies’ third feature adventure for the absorbent yellow hero (and first using full 3D CGI, courtesy of Mikros) back in August, while U.S. audiences are waiting for a direct-to-digital debut early in the new year through PVOD and CBS All Access (which will be renamed Paramount+).
“We are thrilled that this movie directed and written by Tim Hill will be having a worldwide release through Netflix,” said Simon Vanesse, Managing Director at Mikros Animation. “We are so proud to have been entrusted by Paramount Animation to bring the latest adventures of SpongeBob and its universe to life in the first-ever, all-CGI feature animation.”
The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run is all about fun, adventure, inventive environments and lovable characters. It’s the latest chapter in a global phenomenon spanning over two decades, about an incurably optimistic sea sponge and his pals in the magical and delightful world of Bikini Bottom on the seafloor.
“As a first in the series with fully-rendered CG animation, it was quite a challenge for us,” commented Marie Balland, Head of Production, Mikros Animation Montreal. “We worked very closely with Tim Hill and his team to ensure that the translation o the look from 2D to 3D animation would be done in full respect of the franchise, while developing a new and richer look that does really immerse the viewers in Bikini Bottom and the Lost City of Atlantic City.”
To stay true to the TV show, the artists adopted a differentiated style to animate the characters and the environment on twos. Creating the environments in “almost” full CG required a deep stylistic exploration and redefinition of shape language and visual codes. This, in turn, allowed the Mikros teams to create new colorful and contrasted landscapes with a high level of detail:
“In the TV series, the sand in Bikini Bottom has some splotches and splatters of paint. The 3D animation reveals that the splatters are actually little pebbles,” explained Rachel Tiep-Daniels, Animation Production Designer at Paramount Animation. This effect was achieved through an organic mix of high-tech and traditional techniques, combining strong asset building philosophy, workflow flexibility and visual inventiveness.
Preserving the spirit of the original series and the individuality and personality of each protagonist made the design and animation of the character very demanding. The rigging phase was complex and dense, as most of the characters are unique. The team at Mikros Animation had to rethink the crafting of the 3D characters: they used stepped animation to avoid any motion blur and smooth effects, whilst also using movable limbs, 2D shapes, animated FX and shading transfers, so that the characters could act, move, deform and do all kinds of crazy stunts!
“Tim Hill really understands the world of SpongeBob. He has the franchise’s DNA but he still let us, the artists, loose. So we all had the opportunity to propose our own artistic approach, which he and his team would then approve or not,” said Jacques Daigle of Mikros Animation Montreal, who was animation supervisor on the film. “As an animator, this type of movie comes only every five or 10 years in a career. We laughed a lot while working on this visual feast of color, comedy and fun.”
The joy of working on this feature animation was put to the test by the global pandemic. When “safer at home” policies started being implemented in spring 2020, Mikros Animation was able to deploy the necessary solutions within days to allow their artists in both Montreal and Paris to work from home securely. Beyond the technological challenges and the lockdown conditions that evolved over the following weeks, the studio was able to have more than 240 artists in Montreal and in Paris dedicated to the SpongeBob movie and its marketing assets, working from home. The project was fully completed under lockdown conditions, not only in full collaboration with Mikros’ transatlantic studios, but also with Mr. X, which handled VFX, and Technicolor Post-Production for grading.
What did you think of The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run? Vote in the poll here!: http://nickalive.blogspot.com/2020/11/what-did-you-think-of-spongebob-movie.html
RELEASE | The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge On The Run – Now on Netflix!
Mikros Animation is delighted to announce that THE SPONGEBOB MOVIE: SPONGE ON THE RUN is now available on Netflix (except in the USA and Canada)!
THE SPONGEBOB MOVIE: SPONGE ON THE RUN is all about fun, adventure, inventive environments, and lovable characters. It’s the latest chapter in a global phenomenon spanning over two decades !
“We are thrilled that this movie directed and written by Tim Hill will be having a worldwide release through Netflix,” said Simon Vanesse, Managing Director of Mikros Animation. “We are so proud to have been entrusted by Paramount Animation to bring the latest adventures of SpongeBob and its universe to life in a first-ever all-CGI feature animation”.
“It was quite of a challenge for us,” comments Marie Balland, Head of Production at Mikros Animation Montreal. “We worked very closely with Tim Hill and his team to ensure that the translation of the look from 2D to 3D animation would be done in full respect of the franchise, while developing a new and richer look that does really immerse the viewer in Bikini Bottom and the Lost City of Atlantic City
To stay true to the TV show, the artists adopted a differentiated style to animate the characters and the environments. The environments are in an “almost” full CG version which required a deep stylistic exploration leading to redefining the shape language and visual codes to display new colorful and contrasted landscapes with a high level of details. This could be achieved through an organic mix of high-end and traditional techniques, combining strong asset building philosophy, workflow flexibility and visual inventiveness.
The design and animation of the characters were very demanding to preserve the spirit of the original series, the individuality and personality of each protagonist. The rigging phase was very complex and very dense as almost of the characters are different. The team at Mikros Animation had to re-think the crafting of the 3D characters: choosing a stepped animation to avoid any motion blur and smooth effects, movable limbs, 2D shapes, animated FX, shading transfer,…. so that the characters could act, move, deform and do all kinds of crazy stunts!
“Tim Hill really understands the world of SpongeBob, he has the franchise’s DNA but he let us, the artists, a bit loose. So we all had the opportunity to propose our artistic approach that he and his team would approve or not. As an animator, this type of movie comes only every 5 or 10 year in a career. We laughed a lot while working on this visual feast of color, comedy and fun”, tells Jacques Daigle of Mikros Animation Montreal, who was Animation Supervisor on the movie.
The enjoyment to work on this feature animation has been challenged by the global pandemic. When “safer at home” policies have been required as from spring 2020, Mikros Animation was able to deploy necessary solutions within days to allow for the secure and remote working set up for their artists in both Montreal and Paris. Beyond the technology challenges and and the lockdown conditions that evolved over the following weeks, the studio was able to have 240 artists in Montreal and in Paris dedicated to the SpongeBob marketing and film working from home. The project was fully completed under lockdown conditions in full collaboration between the studios of Mikros Animation in Montreal and Paris.
Don’t wait to visit Netflix to view the movie!
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SORTIE | BOB L’ÉPONGE, LE FILM : ÉPONGE EN EAUX TROUBLES – Disponible sur Netflix!
Mikros Animation a le plaisir d’annoncer que BOB L’ÉPONGE LE FILM : ÉPONGE EN EAUX TROUBLES sera disponible sur Netflix à partir du 5 novembre 2020 dans tous les pays sauf les États-Unis et le Canada.
BOB L’ÉPONGE LE FILM : ÉPONGE EN EAUX TROUBLES est synonyme de plaisir, d’aventure, d’environnements inventifs et de personnages adorables. C’est le dernier volet d’un phénomène mondial, qui dure depuis plus de deux décennies.
« Nous sommes ravis que ce film réalisé et écrit par Tim Hill soit diffusé dans le monde entier via Netflix », a déclaré Simon Vanesse, directeur général de Mikros Animation. « Nous sommes très fiers que Paramount Animation nous ait fait confiance pour donner vie aux dernières aventures de Bob l’Éponge et à son univers dans ce tout premier long métrage d’animation entièrement en CGI. »
« Une première pour la saga Bob l’Éponge, ce premier film dont l’animation est entièrement rendue en CG était un vrai défi », commente Marie Balland, responsable de la production chez Mikros Animation Montréal. « Nous avons travaillé en étroite collaboration avec Tim Hill et son équipe pour nous assurer que la traduction du look de l’animation 2D originale en 3D respecte totalement la franchise, tout en développant un nouveau look plus riche qui plonge vraiment le spectateur dans Bikini Bottom et la cité perdue d’Atlantic City. »
Pour rester fidèle à la série télévisée, les artistes ont adopté une animation différenciée pour les personnages et les environnements. Créer les environnements en “quasi” full-CG a nécessité une exploration stylistique approfondie et la redéfinition des formes et des codes visuels. Cette étape clé a permis à nos équipes de créer de nouveaux paysages colorés et contrastés avec un haut niveau de détails. Cela n’a été possible que grâce à un mélange organique de techniques de pointe et traditionnelles, que grâce à la combinaison d’un savoir-faire dans la création d’éléments graphiques, d’un flux de travail flexible et d’une inventivité visuelle.
Les équipes de Mikros Animation ont apporté une attention très particulière à la conception et l’animation des personnages afin de préserver l’esprit de la série originale ainsi que l’individualité et la personnalité de chaque protagoniste. La phase de rigging a été très complexe et très dense car il y a peu de personnages similaires. La fabrication des personnages 3D a été totalement repensée : l’animation a été découpée pour éviter tout effet de flou dans les mouvements tout en gardant une fluidité. Cela a également demandé à rendre les membres mobiles, à utiliser des formes 2D, des FX animés, des transferts d’ombres, …. Tout cela pour que les personnages puissent avoir un vrai jeu d’acteur, bouger, se déformer et faire toutes sortes de cascades folles !
“Tim Hill comprend vraiment le monde de Bob l’Éponge. Il a l’ADN de la franchise mais il nous a donné, à nous les artistes, toute latitude. De ce fait, nous avions tous l’opportunité de proposer notre propre approche artistique, que lui et son équipe approuvaient ou non par la suite. En tant qu’animateur, ce type de film n’arrive que tous les 5 ou 10 ans dans une carrière. Nous avons beaucoup ri en travaillant sur ce festival visuel de couleurs, de comédie et de rigolade”, raconte Jacques Daigle de Mikros Animation Montréal, qui était superviseur de l’animation sur le film.
La joie de travailler sur ce film d’animation a été mise à l’épreuve par la crise sanitaire mondiale. Lorsque les politiques de confinement ont été mises en place au printemps 2020, Mikros Animation a su déployer en quelques jours les mesures nécessaires pour permettre aux artistes des studios de Montréal et Paris de travailler à distance en toute sécurité. Malgré les défis technologiques et les conditions de confinement qui ont évolué au cours des semaines suivantes, ce sont plus de 240 artistes à Montréal et Paris qui ont travaillé à distance sur le film et sur les assets marketing de Bob l’Éponge. Le projet a été finalisé pendant le confinement dans des conditions de distanciation sociale, ce qui a nécessité une étroite collaboration non seulement entre les équipes de Montréal et Paris mais aussi avec Mr. X qui s’est chargé des VFX et Technicolor Post-Production de l’étalonnage.
Rendez-vous sur Netflix pour voir le film!
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THE SPONGEBOB MOVIE : SPONGE ON THE RUN | A private screening for our teams
On August 29th, more than 200 Mikrosians gathered at Cineplex Odeon Quartier Latin in Montreal for a private screening of “The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run”.
The masks did not manage to hide the big smiles we all wore – what a joy to meet again and discover this superb movie on the big screen! Congratulations to all our teams for this great show that we have been entrusted with by Paramount!
A big thank you to our wonderful teams of Montreal and Paris, to Cineplex Odeon and Paramount Canada and for their help in making this event possible! For those of you who haven’t had the chance to see this little gem yet, be patient, the international release is scheduled on Netflix soon!
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BOB L’EPONGE – LE FILM: EPONGE EN FUITE | Retour sur la projection privée pour nos équipes
Le 29 Août dernier à Montréal, c’est plus de 200 Mikrosiens et Mikrosiennes qui se sont retrouvés pour une projection privée de « The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run » au Cineplex Odeon Quartier Latin haute en couleurs!
Les masques n’ont pas réussi à cacher les grands sourires que nous arborions tous – quel bonheur de se retrouver et de découvrir ce superbe film sur grand écran! Un grand bravo à toutes nos équipes pour ce superbe spectacle pour lequel Paramount nous a fait confiance!
Un grand merci à nos merveilleuses équipes de Montréal et Paris, à celles du Cineplex Odeon et à Paramount Canada pour leur aide sur l’organisation de cet événement! Pour ceux qui n’ont pas encore eu la chance de voir ce petit bijou, soyez patients, la sortie internationale est prévue bientôt sur Netflix!
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Originally published: Thursday, November 05, 2020 at 21:xx GMT.
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