Paying homage to the past, an aged CGI animation revitalized through the lens of Blender.
Looking Back at the Haunted
The year is 2000. Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away is captivating audiences worldwide, demonstrating the growing artistic and commercial power of animation. And in Amsterdam, a team of ambitious students at the Grafisch Lyceum are wrestling with a challenging project: “the Haunted,” a 90-second introduction for an upcoming game set within a gothic English manor. Looking back, this project isn’t just a fascinating case study in early digital filmmaking; it’s a snapshot of a pivotal moment – a time when the boundaries between traditional animation and emerging computer graphics were rapidly blurring.
A Cinematic Approach
The core concept revolved around a chase sequence: Mary Shelley fleeing through gardens towards the manor, pursued by “Sister Morning” (a nun), culminating in Mary’s transformation into a monster under the setting sun. This narrative framework, heavily influenced by classic horror cinema, dictated a deliberate pacing and emphasis on body language – a conscious decision to prioritize storytelling over rapid-fire action. The team explicitly aimed for a “filmische aanpak” (filmic approach), mirroring techniques seen in established genre films. What’s remarkable now is how they attempted this with the technology available at the time.
A Common Struggle of the Era
The production pipeline centered around Discreet 3D Studio Max for modeling and Avid’s Softimage for animation, rendering, and compositing. This was a common workflow in professional studios then – leveraging Max’s strengths in geometric creation with Softimage’s more robust animation tools. However, as detailed in Technical Director Jeroen Schulte’s report, this seemingly straightforward choice quickly revealed significant challenges.
The school’s infrastructure proved a major bottleneck. Access to powerful SGI workstations was limited, and the transition to Windows NT machines presented compatibility issues. The struggle to secure sufficient RAM and graphics cards – even second-hand ones! – is a familiar story for anyone working in 3D during that era. Schulte’s account highlights the constant battle against hardware limitations, forcing the team to rely on creative workarounds and painstakingly optimize scenes for rendering. Data management was also a nightmare, hampered by restrictive school network policies and limited storage capacity. It’s almost quaint now to think about the logistical hurdles of transferring gigabytes of data across a shared network!
Pushing the Limits of Early Rendering
The team sought to create a visually striking world characterized by deep shadows, saturated colors (particularly oranges and purples), and subtly distorted geometry. While the specifics of lighting setups aren’t detailed in the documentation, the emphasis on atmospheric rendering suggests a reliance on area lights within Softimage to achieve softer, more naturalistic shadows – a departure from the harsher look often associated with Max renders. Achieving this level of visual fidelity required careful balancing of render times and quality, a constant trade-off given the available hardware.
Character & Animation
The project hinged on the successful realization of three characters: Mary, Sister Morning, and the resulting monster. Andre Tan led character design, while Abderrazak Moufid handled modeling for both the nun and the creature. The transformation sequence – a pivotal moment in the narrative – demanded meticulous animation from Carlos Dalla Fiore. It’s important to remember that this wasn’t motion capture; every frame was painstakingly keyframed by hand, requiring immense skill and patience.
Lessons Learned
“Haunted” wasn’t without its setbacks – the project ran over schedule and faced numerous logistical hurdles. However, the documentation reveals a valuable learning experience for all involved. The team identified shortcomings in school infrastructure, communication protocols, and pre-production planning. Looking back, it’s clear that investing in robust hardware and network infrastructure is essential for supporting ambitious student projects like this.
The project also underscores the importance of clear communication and a well-defined pipeline. While artistic vision is crucial, technical limitations must be acknowledged and addressed early on. The team’s willingness to adapt and overcome these challenges – even resorting to borrowing hardware from external sources! – speaks volumes about their dedication and resourcefulness.
Project Specs (As of 2000):
Software: 3D Studio Max R3.1, Softimage | 3D
Runtime: Approximately 90 seconds
Characters: 3 (Mary, Sister Morning, Monster)
Environments: 2 (Garden, Manor Hall)
Audio: Dolby Surround Sound
Team Size: 7
Rendering Time (Estimated): Several weeks on limited hardware.
“Haunted” serves as a fascinating reminder of the challenges and triumphs of early digital filmmaking. It’s a testament to the creativity and resilience of these young artists, who managed to create a compelling visual experience despite significant technical constraints. It’s also a valuable lesson for educators: providing students with the tools they need is just as important as fostering their artistic talent.
