Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/110653
n n n n CG Animation The film is shown in stereo 3D, making the flying sequences especially thrilling for audiences. Jeremy Suarez in the lead role of Kai and Samuel L. Jackson as his father, in addition to Abigail Breslin as Zoe, Leonard Nimoy, Jeff Goldblum, Richard E. Grant, Jennifer Lewis, and Jim Cummings. With this first feature film completed, don't expect Triggerfish to rest. "I have two scripts in development at the moment. They're offshoots of the very first personal project I started working on way back before Zambezia," says Thornley. "Back when we started, I made the rookie mistake of throwing too many ideas into one movie, so after learning that lesson on Zambezia, it became two movies!" In the film, Kai's biggest challenge is overcoming his past and learning that no matter how fast and talented a flier he is, no bird is an island. The biggest challenge for the animators at Triggerfish was overcoming the fact that they had never made a feature film before. To do so, they learned quickly that a team of talented animators led by a director with a vision was essential for success. "Pretty much every step in the process was un- in virtual space. The falls also had to work from various angles since the birds would be flying around it and fighting in it. One scene in particular created interesting trials for the environment artists and animators—ironically enough, it is the scene in which Kai is performing his Hurricane trials so he can join the squad. "We conducted a number of camera-specific cheats to get the best look for each shot," says Buckland of this sequence. To achieve these cheats, the special effects team took full advantage of Softimage's ICE. ICE offers a well-defined set of basic nodes for controlling just about any aspect of particle creation and motion. These are designed to be linked together to create complex particle systems. But, the artists at Triggerfish found that, depending on the proximity to the waterfall, the camera angle, and camera lens used, as well as taking into consideration the mood of the shot, they needed to dial in different settings, such as speed, gravity, birth rate, and particle life, or add various turbulence nodes to create the impression of masses of water for each specific shot. Additionally, the effects team used Exocortex SlipstreamVX to simulate the fine mist spray, which was then rendered out in Exocortex Fury. the viewer a truly awe-inspiring experience. To perfect the fluid motion of each of the various bird flight patterns, the animators first visited a bird park in Cape Town, studying firsthand the wing motion of various birds. The animators also gathered a huge library of photographic references as well as an extensive library of footage of different birds in flight. It should be noted that all of the bird species seen in the film are indigenous to the South African region. The animators took great care, and pride, in using only authentic African wildlife in the film. From the main character Kai, a falcon, to the comic relief of a kooky stork named Gogo and her copilot, a cute African weaver called Tini, to Kai's love interest, Zoe, a beautiful and feisty Black-shouldered Kite, and, finally, the film's villainous Marabou storks, all the birds were accurately modeled and textured to create as realistic a representation as possible within the style of the film. The only non-avian character in the film is Animators had to rig the models so the characters could use their Budzo, the iguana. wings to fly and serve as hands; the wings also had to fold and tuck into their bodies without the feathers intersecting. Winging It Adventures in Zambezia has had a successful run outside the US, after having opened in wide release in Russia last year. At the end of March, it will be released in the US on Blu-ray and DVD. Meanwhile, the film received two Annie nominations for Best Music and Best Voice Artist. This is the first time in the history of the Annie Awards that a studio from Africa has appeared on the nominations list. Lending their voices to the characters are Like many CG films, Adventures in Zambezia is being shown in stereoscopic 3D—a wise choice since the flight sequences that make up a large portion of the film benefited greatly from the 3D experience. Because of the expansive vantage point the birds have as they soar over the incredible African landscapes, the animators were able to add considerable depth to each flying scene, thereby offering 26 Leaving the Nest tested and pioneering for us," says Buckland. "In some ways, this turned out to be a benefit for us as well. We didn't really know what couldn't be done, so we just did it anyway!" n Douglas King is a freelance writer and producer based in Dallas. He has worked in the entertainment industry for more than 20 years, including time spent as a creative director for a game developer, product development manager, and writer/director for film and television. January/February 2013 CGW0113-Zambezi2pfin.indd 26 1/31/13 5:07 PM