Computer Graphics World

hey can be found in every soci- ety, con men who take advan- tage of others while capitalizing on their victims' weaknesses and fears. In real life, their deceitful deeds are no laughing matter. But in the world of make-believe, their actions and consequences can be hilarious, and the characters themselves endearing. Such is the case with Gwizdo, a medieval swindler who stars in Dragon Hunters, a European CG feature fi lm. Dragon Hunters follows the adventures of Gwizdo and his partner, Lian-Chu, both hunters for hire in a futuristic/medieval world of fl oating land masses terrorized by various monsters, also known as dragons. In this timeless universe, dragon hunting is not a fairy tale, but a real job involving contracts, money, and problems with clients who don't want to pay. Knights work for free but are not always available when needed, thus pro- viding opportunity for commercial hunters. Small in size, cowardly, and less-than- honorable, Gwizdo is the brains of the operation, negotiating contracts with the helpless villagers, while the hulking but kindhearted warrior Lian-Chu provides the brawn (it is his task to slay the beasts). However, that seldom happens. Both pre- tend to be brave and collect advance pay- ments for dragon kills that never occur. While opposites in stature and personality, the two have been longtime friends, hav- ing been raised together in an orphanage. Often, they are accompanied by their pet dragon, Hector, which is more like a pet dog than the large, menacing dragons they hunt. en, one day, they meet little Zoe, a believer in fairy tales and the niece of a wealthy nobleman frightened by the re- turn of the fi ercest dragon of them all, the World Eater. Soon, the fl y-by-night dragon hunters fi nd themselves on an exciting ad- venture: their fi rst actual hunt. e underlying story is universal in nature, a description that also holds true for the multinational group of nearly 450 people behind this fi lm. Mac Guff Ligne in France, Trixter Film in Germany, and LuxAnimation in Luxemburg were re- sponsible for the movie's creation. French graphic novelist Arthur Qwak developed the original story and served as co-direc- tor alongside Guillaume Ivernel, with the French company Futurikon producing. e movie found eager audiences through- out Europe but is still waiting for possible North American distribution. Nevertheless, some folks in the US may recognize the story line and the characters. at's because the property began in 2004 as a television series on Cartoon Network. "From the beginning, Dragon Hunters was conceived as a concept that could be a se- ries, a video game, a feature fi lm, and so forth," says Caroline Blin, marketing direc- tor at Futurikon. To that end, Futurikon recently completed a second season (52 half-hour episodes) of the series and rolled out a video game for the Nintendo DS to coincide with the fi lm debut. Even though the concept was imagined as both a feature and a TV series from the start, one of the biggest hurdles was getting the producers to pony up the necessary funds for a 3D fi lm infused with a tre- mendous amount of eff ects. "We were like Gwizdo and Lian-Chu: two lonely rogues who needed credibility!" jokes Qwak. Film Production Blin is quick to point out that the movie—a prequel to the series, a "how it all began"—is more than a mere extension of the TV shows in story, tone, scope, and character develop- ment. e biggest diff erence, though, is the animation itself: e series has a traditional 2D cel look, while the fi lm is 3D CGI. erefore, no assets from the series could be reused for the fi lm. Yet, the 3D style is atypical of the CG fi lms produced in the US, with their rounded edges, glossy imagery, and tighter frames. 33 CG I ■ ■ ■ ■ helpless villagers, while the hulking but kindhearted warrior Lian-Chu provides the brawn (it is his task to slay the beasts). French company Futurikon producing. e movie found eager audiences through- out Europe but is still waiting for possible more than a mere extension of the TV shows in story, tone, scope, and character develop- ment. e biggest diff erence, though, is the animation itself: e series has a traditional animation itself: e series has a traditional 2D cel look, while the fi lm is 3D CGI. erefore, no assets from the series could be reused for the fi lm. Yet, the 3D style is atypical of the CG fi lms produced in the US, with their rounded edges, glossy imagery, and tighter frames. 33 The two con men-turned heroes face their biggest fear, literally, in the fi lm as they chase down the fi erce World Eater, whose immense size (450 feet tall) challenged the hunters as well as the artists. November 2008

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