Studio Eeksaurus recently announced its upcoming animated musical short Croak Show, which is the studio’s first-ever co-production with Toonz Media Group. The CGI project’s teaser reveals an amazing arrangement of Indian classical music.
The film’s music is composed by the immensely talented Rajat Dholakia and Sameer Uddin. The film features the voices of Salman Ali and Chetan Shashital. Additionally, the sound design is masterfully crafted by Oscar-winning sound designer Resul Pookutty.
The inspiration for the film came to veteran animation filmmaker and Studio Eeksaurus co-founder and creative director Suresh Eriyat during the Covid lockdown, when he found himself quarantined at a remote resort. At night, the absence of human activity allowed nocturnal creatures to dominate the sonic landscape. Frogs, toads, insects, and crickets created a nightly concert that sparked the idea for this story.
Shedding light on this project, Eriyat told Animation Xpress, “In 2021, Epic Games invited me to direct a short film using their Unreal Engine software. I conceived a story that was simple in concept but complex in execution. Despite initial challenges, we partnered with several studios and ultimately collaborated with the magnanimous Toonz Media Group to bring this vision to life. After three years of hard work, the film is finally complete and ready to make its mark.”
“Croak Show from the stables of Studio Eeksaurus and Toonz Media Group is already making heads turn,” Toonz Media Group shared in a social media post.
The musical is currently making its rounds at festivals, and gaining recognition, having been officially selected by prestigious international festivals such as Hiroshima Animation Season, Animayo, and La Guarimba in Italy. Once Croak Show completes its journey through the festival circuit, it will be released for public viewing on the maker’s social media channels.