26-01-2012

PRODUCTION: The Stressful Adventures of Boxhead and Roundhead in Preproduction

By Iulia Blaga

    BUCHAREST: Australian animator Elliot Cowan is preparing a feature animation based on his series of short films The Stressful Adventures of Boxhead and Roundhead produced by U.S. company Scenery Hill Entertainment and the Romania's Artis Film (www.artisfilm.ro).

    The series has been screened and awarded in festivals around the world since 2006.

    The 90-minute film will be a combination of 2D and 3D animation. The budget is around 1 million USD, Cornelia Paloş, the Romanian co-producer, told FNE. The American producer is David Ginsberg.

    Artis Film comes with approximately 360,000 USD from Romania, where the project won a production grant of 185,600 USD (137,000 Euro) from the National Centre for Cinema (www.cncinema.abt.ro) in August 2010. The project is also supported by the Romanian public television (www.tvr.ro).

    Asked on the difficulties of his first long film, Elliot Cowan told FNE: "I'm not sure there is a single big challenge. Making an animated feature is a challenge in itself. My main concerns are making sure the main characters, Boxhead and Roundhead, remain sympathetic heroes. In the shorts they never spoke, and now they do. It's tempting to write lots of funny jokes and snappy dialogue, but I've avoided doing that and hope that the subtleties of the characters and their relationship are what audiences will respond to."

    The main animation starts in June 2012 and will conclude in August-September 2013, Cornelia Paloş told FNE. The film is set to be released in cinemas in October 2013.

    Production Information

    Scenery Hill Entertainment

    1151 N. Highland Ave

    Los Angeles, CA 90038, USA

    David Ginsberg's contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

    Artis Film

    59 Romului street

    Sector 3, Bucharest, Romania

    Phone/Fax: +40.1.322.36.48

    +40.1.322.36.65

    www. artisfilm.ro

    This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

     

    Credits

    Director: Elliot Cowan

    Script: Elliot Cowan

    Animation: Elliot Cowan