Sprites, Camera, Action!

Blender Studio open up about their latest 3D animation project and how it’s pushing the software in bold new directions

In 2005 the Blender Foundation began work, alongside the Netherlands Media Art Institute, on Elephants Dream, a surreal and visually ambitious short film that stretched the limits of Blender’s opensource 3D software. Ever since then Blender Studio has been producing iconic Open Movies that advance the software’s capabilities and are released for free alongside production files, assets, artwork, and never-seen-before content for the benefit of Blender’s devoted community. 

Blender Studio recently announced their 13th Open Movie, and perhaps their most ambitious yet, Sprite Fright. Directed by former Pixar story supervisor Matthew Luhn, Sprite Fright is an 80s-inspired horrorcomedy, set in Britain. The story follows a group of rowdy teenagers on a trek into an isolated forest where they discover peaceful mushroom creatures that turn out to be an unexpected force of nature. 3D World caught up with Luhn and his co-director Hjalti Hjalmarsson to find out how they are bringing Sprite Fright to life.

Sprite Fright takes place in a magical woodland environment inspired by Luhn’s love of The Smurfs

Above: Plant and fungi environment assets that are available for free on Blender Cloud

Sprite Fright’s characters were designed by legendary Pixar artist Ricky Nierva

THE DIRECTOR’S CHAIR

Matthew Luhn is a master storyteller and veteran of the animation industry, with almost 30 years of experience. He got his start at the age of 19 as The Simpsons’ youngest animator, working on the hit animated show’s third season. “In the early seasons of The Simpsons there was a lot of heart,” he tells 3D World. “I saw the great juxtaposition between comedy and heart and I’ve always been drawn to that. When I make things I always want to make people laugh.”

Shortly after finishing his work on The Simpsons Luhn was hired by an ambitious startup called Pixar Animation Studios. “They wanted to make a film and they wanted traditionally trained animators to learn how to animate on a computer,” he recalls. “They contacted me, along with 11 other animators, to be the first CG animators on Toy Story.”  Luhn made a leap of faith for Pixar on the promise that, if Toy Story succeeded, he would become part of the story department on their next film.