Outback-set animated film to start production
Mad Cow Pictures will begin production of the U$25m independent animated CGI film Trouble Down Under in Sydney next month, directed by the company’s founder Steve Trenbirth.
“It is still being considered whether this will be full 3D stereoscopic… currently plans are being formulated depending on cost. It will qualify for the Offset, with an Australian writer/producer/director, production company, pre and post-production, and the creation of a new a CGI studio,” Trenbirth told Encore.
For this project, Trenbirth (who directed Disney’s home entertainment releases The Lion King II and Jungle Book II) has partnered with producer Tony Findlay and California-based Fastlane Entertainment.
“I learned so much during my 15 years at Disney that it’s difficult to note any one particular influence. It’s from both a creative/artistic point of view, as well as the efficiencies required as part of the production process, and the significant importance of both the creative and management team, all of which have an incredible influence on the many ways of achieving the desired outcome for a film.
“With the advancement of new technology and the audiences expectation of CGI and 3D, the industry content is definitely changing and I expect will continue to do so. Because of this, its important as a studio owner, and as a creative director, to keep up with those technological advances in order to stay competitive and meet the expectations of the distributors and most importantly the audiences. With each film comes a new benchmark, a new look and style. The creative boundaries are now seemingly endless, which is exciting for me as a filmmaker, as the imagination has no bounds, only our production budgets can limit us to what can now be created,” explained Trenbirth.
The script was written by Findlay and Howard Jackson, based on a story by Findlay. In Trouble Down Under, a mob of African meerkats lost in the outback causes tension with the local red and gray Kangaroo mob families. Their accidental arrival triggers chaos when a white wallaby rogue named Al Bino, returning from exile overseas, creates further confusion.
The voice cast includes Rove McManus, Ernie Dingo, Cameron Daddo, Andrew Daddo and Skippy star Tony Bonner. Two roles will go to the winners of an international contest, which will give an Australian and an American the chance to participate in the project.
Approximately 26 artists will be employed during development and pre-production, and 123 in the CGI studio for production, in addition to the post-production crew – which is yet to be defined.
The director added that they’re still in negotiations with distributors and sales agents, but he expects the film to be released in October 2012.
Steve has had plenty of success in his career. Teaming with Fastlane? Not a good idea. There is no evidence of anything coming from this “production” company except twitter posts about what they will be doing. Which never is followed through with.
Best of Luck to Steve
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