Two-time Emmy Award recipient, Toon Boom Animation Inc. has announced that Je Suis Bien Content, a leading French animation studio founded by Marc Jousset and Franck Ekinci, has chosen Toon Boom Harmony to produce its latest animated feature film titled A Rigged World, directed by Christian Desmares and Franck Ekinci, bringing to animation Jacques Tardi’s fantastic universe.
Jacques Tardi, the emblematic figure from the world of comics and graphic novels in France, is the recipient of the 1985 City of Angouleme Grand Prize as well as two 2011 Eisner Awards. Tardi is the author and creator of one of French comics’ most famous heroines, Adčle Blanc-Sec, along with several books on World War I. In A Rigged World, set in the 19th century under the control of Napoleon VI and the Steamer, scientists are mysteriously disappearing and a young girl named April sets off to find her parents, both of whom are scientists. Produced by Je Suis Bien Content and Studio Canal in France, Kaibou in Canada, and Need Productions in Belgium, this animated feature is currently undergoing the animation production process using Toon Boom Harmony.
Why Harmony
Even if the pilot has been created fully on paper, it quickly became obvious it would not be possible to produce A Rigged World using this methodology. “The logistics involved in such a large scale production in addition to the fact that we were dealing with several studios in multiple locations led us to select a robust animation software,” explained Jousset, Producer at Je Suis Bien Content.
Following a thorough evaluation of the different technologies available in the industry and confident that vector technology would grant us the most flexibility and compatibility with Tardi’s designs, the team at Je Suis Bien Content opted for Toon Boom. “We got very positive feedback on Harmony from TouTenKartoon, the studio in charge of a portion of the 2D and 3D animation in Montreal,“ added Jousset. Also, knowing Toon Boom offers a local presence in France via Canopéa-Formation for representation and support convinced them to go forward.
For this project, TouTenKartoon will create over 30 jobs in Montreal, for duration of six to eight months.
Training: A Critical Aspect
Over a duration of three months, directors tested Toon Boom Harmony using Wacom Cintiq drawing tablets. “Above all, the gains in time Harmony can bring us throughout the animation production phase played a key influence in our decision. It’s also a more flexible software, making logistics a lighter process,” shared Jousset. Je Suis Bien Content was already equipped with Toon Boom Storyboard Pro, “a very good software for which we have developed several plug-ins. It was logical to continue the process using the Toon Boom pipeline.”
Since Canopea offered tailored training sessions, Je Suis Bien Content was even more comfortable with its decision. “When Je Suis Bien Content contacted us, the directors clearly stated their specific needs in terms of training, which we could customize to address them,” commented Matthieu Sarazin, Head of Canopéa-Formation.
Prompt Feedback and Custom Development
To address their specific production needs, Toon Boom worked closely with the 30-animator team in Paris all working on Toon Boom Harmony. To further its collaboration, Toon Boom has developed special features, as per the request of Je Suis Bien Content and Camille-Elvis Théry, who is responsible for the production pipeline supervision.
“The great advantage with Toon Boom is to have a team ready to listen and adapt the software to our needs,” explained Théry. “This is major as it enables us to optimize our workflow while making Harmony even more in sync with market requirements,” he concluded.
Among the specific features added for A Rigged World, we can mention the ability to save import and export preferences as well as the ability to merge layers in order to share one single file that includes all data instead of individual layers one after the other, all translating into significant time savings.
Another feature relates to the Split Sequence script, which offers a greater organization in the sequence work. “For this feature, we are working with whole sequences as cleaned-up storyboards. Thanks to the Split Sequence script, we have a Shot Markers column which lets us split a scene, while updating it to remove all empty layers,” explained Théry.
“Collaborating with studios such as Je Suis Bien Content on such ambitious projects as A Rigged World falls right into Toon Boom’s expertise,” stated Jean-Raymond Lemieux at Toon Boom. “We aspire to deliver not only a robust technology but also a wide array of services and tailored professional training that addresses the animators’ specific needs to ultimately give them more creative freedom,” he concluded.
Toon Boom also announces Partnership with Adrylan, makers of the acclaimed Educator’s Assessment Data Management System (EADMS) web-based application. EADMS is a Student Assessment and Reporting System used to create, manage, and report on local assessments in K–12 schools and higher education institutions.
In K–12 schools, Toon Boom offers easy-to-use, powerful creative tools that students use to demonstrate their understanding of any subject matter from the common core, while supporting the development of important skills, such as critical thinking, creativity, communication and collaboration.
Now fully and seamlessly integrated into the EADMS platform, Toon Boom’s tools enhance student outcomes and academic achievement, while decreasing dropout rates due to greater interest and engagement in core subjects by students.
At the higher education level, students with advanced knowledge of Toon Boom’s professional tools have the ability to produce personal portfolios when applying to leading art schools. The integration into the EADMS platform facilitates the assessment of their knowledge of animation principles and technology, fast tracking feedback on their performance and better preparing them for the marketplace.“Having student achievements and success at the core of our mission makes our collaboration with Adrylan a natural extension of our work. We look forward to seeing how educators will maximize the use of both our technologies for the benefits of their students, regardless of their education level,” said Joan Vogelesang, president and chief executive officer of Toon Boom.
“We are thrilled to collaborate with Toon Boom in equipping educators with the winning technological combination to make their assessment tasks seamless and efficient, while providing their students with a more engaging platform,” said Anthony Tooley, president of Adrylan.