Twenty-five years after they first arrived on screens to entrance the littlest tv viewers, Tinky Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa and Po have been reinvented with a really trendy animated makeover within the new collection, Teletubbies Let’s Go! Produced by London-based digital studio and YouTube Community WildBrain Spark utilizing a singular mix of movement seize and Unreal Engine real-time tech in collaboration with Fika Leisure (Australia), the 52 x 5′ introduces followers to a number of new solar infants, reflecting the range of the Teletubbies’ viewers, and brand-new music is featured in each episode.
We spoke with Nico Lockhart, Director of Manufacturing at WildBrain Spark (a part of youngsters’ content material powerhouse WildBrain), concerning the making of Teletubbies Let’s Go!, and have been handled to a particular peek behind the scenes of the present’s manufacturing.
Animation Journal: Are you able to inform us how you bought concerned with Teletubbies Let’s Go?
Nico Lockhart: I lead the artistic crew at WildBrain Spark Studio, the place we create authentic digital content material that helps develop manufacturers utilizing YouTube and different platforms. WildBrain is proprietor of the Teletubbies, and we developed Teletubbies Let’s Go! as a pure subsequent step for the model, complementing and including to earlier collection with a brand new animated YouTube collection that works rather well alongside the present refreshed live-action model on Netflix. Teletubbies is one in every of our hottest manufacturers on YouTube, and this new animated collection brings recent content material to that viewers. It has been great to construct out the crew engaged on this collection, with Melissa Czaja as showrunner and Matilda Tristram as artistic producer, who can also be co-lead author alongside Chris Parker.
The place is the animation produced and the way lengthy does it take to complete?
That is the very first time we’ve purchased the characters to life utilizing movement seize, which is simply so thrilling. We produce the animation with Fika Leisure, primarily based out of Australia. They’re actually pushing boundaries with the know-how of movement seize, utilizing Unreal Engine and what it will probably obtain for animation, which was simply excellent for this venture. Fika has developed a singular method to preview each the live-action stage and facial seize of the actors performing, along with the rigged characters within the sport engine in actual time, synced completely to border. This enables us to make any changes we’d like earlier than going to animation clean-up and last render.
This strategy does two vital issues: First, it ensures a good, environment friendly manufacturing course of permitting us to show round episodes at velocity and in quantity; and secondly, the experience in movement seize means the animation conveys the distinctive really feel of character motion as portrayed by the actors, per the unique collection, which is a extremely distinctive and vital characteristic of the Teletubbies model. The crew was additionally ready to make use of Unreal Engine to ship high-quality parts, resembling lighting and texture, to the completed present.
What makes this new present stand out for earlier incarnations of the Teletubbies?
Utilizing movement seize was a becoming new iteration for the Teletubbies, which has been such a widely known trailblazer on earlier productions. All of the much-loved parts of the Teletubbies which have sustained its success over the previous 25 years are retained for audiences however captured utilizing new know-how for a recent new expertise. Moreover, that is the primary full Teletubbies collection to have debuted on YouTube, which performs a significant position in constructing an viewers connection. We’ve taken all of the learnings we’ve gleaned from distributing the catalog of Teletubbies content material over the past eight years on YouTube and utilized that understanding of how present audiences need to have interaction with such a beloved model. That is about evolving improvement and manufacturing in approach that enhances the viewer’s expertise, whereas additionally staying true to the model.
For instance, we now have new authentic music in each episode, super-charging the Teletubbies with a music linking to the narrative theme of the episode. That is our tackle the basic “Tummy Tales” documentaries from the unique collection, and these music segments happen in an entire new world for the Teletubbies to discover, with mushy play areas, trampolines and a colourful racetrack.
What do you like about it?
It’s such a enjoyable model to work with general. The characters and their inherent personalities are so effectively crafted with refined variations, and it has been pleasant to discover them in a brand new approach with movement seize. The know-how and course of offers us numerous scope with the artistic improvement to essentially run with these parts. Movement seize and Unreal Engine have additionally added one other path to exploring these rounded characters, as we’ve been in a position to push what animation can deliver to the collection, particularly inside the Teletubbies’ expressiveness and physicality. The music has additionally allowed us to deliver the Teletubbies to life with dance routines and mini music movies in step with the enjoyable playful ethos of the core model, whereas introducing new parts that we all know youngsters love.
What’s the largest problem for you?
It’s a large alternative to interrupt with conference and interpret a beloved live-action collection in animation — and likewise a problem to get it proper. Many basic exhibits have trodden this path — however we really feel we’ve created one thing very particular and trendy.
The amount and complexity of mixing movement seize and animation wanted a extremely versatile strategy. Half approach by way of pre-production, for instance, Unreal Engine 5.1 got here out providing extra capabilities to finesse the collection, resembling giving a extra plush texture to the Teletubbies. It was vital to be nimble sufficient to adapt to this — and though it elevated workload, it actually was price it to reap the benefits of the know-how and produce an thrilling finish outcome on display.
All that stated, we’ve additionally needed to be aware to make use of the animation know-how to brighten reasonably than let it dominate, so the present doesn’t stray too removed from the model’s core parts. It was vital that Teletubbies Let’s Go! stay true to its live-action counterpart. If you happen to over-animate movement seize it begins to look a little bit unearthly, and for those who don’t animate it sufficient it appears to be like too staid, so it’s a tremendous line. However we really feel assured that this new iteration of the much-loved characters strikes an ideal stability.
Why will we all love the Teletubbies a lot?
It’s a extremely particular and wonder-filled model, which is underscored by its enduring recognition throughout demographics and many years, however at coronary heart, it must be the characters themselves and their joyful exuberance. Whereas on the floor, the colourful simplicity of the present shines, it’s Tinky Winky, Laa-Laa, Dipsy and Po who deliver audiences again time and time once more — their personalities as people, in addition to how they work together collectively. Everybody loves the group, but in addition has their favourite Teletubbies character. I do know I shouldn’t have a favourite, however I actually love Po’s power and pleasure, mixed together with her curiosity concerning the world. I undoubtedly have a mushy spot for her.
Inform us some particulars concerning the mo-cap course of of making this present and why do you suppose it really works so effectively?
We’ve labored intently with the crew at Fika Leisure to construct out this present. Their capabilities in movement seize and the progressive know-how they’re growing give us such an thrilling alternative to mix artistic and manufacturing experience. We maintain parallel rehearsals with the actors and animatics earlier than leaping to stage, which lets us observe pictures and performances. Then, when on stage, we are able to watch the reside motion-capture information in Unreal Engine as the virtually last Teletubbies utilizing the pipeline developed by Fika in-house. Because of the live-action origins of the unique collection, movement seize is the proper course of for a brand new animated model of the Teletubbies, and the know-how we used right here has pushed the boundaries of what’s potential, permitting us to retain the essence of the unique coupled with cutting-edge animation methods.
We’ve additionally been in a position to push boundaries, combining movement seize with some automation methods utilized in sport design to assist deliver the Teletubbies’ iconic world to life. With the Tubbyland rabbits, for instance, we employed an animation loop like background characters in video video games. The rabbits sit there consuming grass, however will run away as soon as “startled” by any character that comes too shut, and you’ll even choose which character they react to particularly. This not solely makes the animation course of extra environment friendly (you simply must code that when), nevertheless it additionally combines with movement seize for a lifelike really feel, making a actuality on display the place the movement seize Teletubbies work together with animated parts created within the sport engine. This lends nuance and refined element to the top outcome. I’ve not heard of this method used elsewhere in animation, so it’s actually thrilling to push the envelope and discover what these applied sciences can do when mixed collectively.
What sort of reactions have you ever obtained?
It’s nonetheless early, however we’ve had a powerful begin throughout our Teletubbies channels and are excited to see how that continues as we roll out the remainder of the collection over the approaching months. We really feel that Teletubbies Let’s Go! is completely positioned to enrich the general model, and new parts such because the music have elevated the collection’ contribution to the viewers expertise. What’s been actually thrilling, and one of many advantages of the WildBrain Spark Studio and our course of, is that we’ve been in a position to pull viewers insights from the sooner episodes on YouTube which we are able to then use to assist inform and form the brand new content material. This fashion, we all know we’re giving Teletubbies audiences extra of what they love, however in a brand new and recent approach.
Teletubbies Let’s Go! is out there to look at on the official YouTube channel. New episodes roll out weekly.
