|
 |
 |
Making of Yugapurushudu |
| Four different ideas were considered for the story and extensive parleys were held to zero-in on the best. After much ado, Yugapurushudu emerged as the unanimous choice. The team decided to complete the film in 45 days - a demanding schedule, given the quality parameters(high-definition) of this 3D Animation short film. It was literally Yamalokam on the sets as “Team Yugapurushudu” raced through production. Power-naps in between 24x7 schedules on make-shift beds in the studio and home-visits only to fresh up in the mornings characterized the production period as the team worked Sun and Moon to successfully deliver a high-definition stunner. Ideation to completion 45 days (Layout to Animation - 20 days) Software deployed Maya 2009, Digital Fusion and Photoshop. CONCEPT AND PRE-PRODUCTION Numerous precautions were taken to design the look and feel of the film. The challenge was to achieve an authentic ambiance. The entire production design comprising the storyboard and visual development was meticulously planned and completed before commencing production. MODELING The team researched each character thoroughly and compiled authentic information from various sources. Once the complete picture was in place, the modeling commenced. Two different sets were designed. The introduction shot with the camera panning to the grand entrance of Yamalokam over the bull’s horns was intended to offer an exterior view of the celestial world. The second set was the sabha inside Yamalokam which was designed with great attention to detail because an authentic mythological ambiance was critical to the film’s visual appeal and also because the location occupied maximum footage in the film. ANIMATION Animating "Yugapurushudu" was a major challenge for the team. The decision to adopt a semi-realistic Animation style proved to be a double-edged sword, given the enviable task of reproducing the enthralling histrionics associated with a celestial character like Yama. Animating Chitragupta was equally demanding as the team struggled to bring out the idiosyncratic humour of this legendary character. Recreating YSR on screen was the most formidable task. It demanded extreme care, since YSR is a mass leader with an instantly recognizable face and immensely popular mannerisms that have become a rage with the public. The film would lose it credibility if he was not portrayed realistically and thus the need to be extra cautious while animating the protagonist of Yugapurushudu. Realistically portraying these three central characters with diametrically opposite demeanours proved strenuous. The Animators got into the skin of the characters and physically enacted the script to get a hang of the actual person they were going to animate. The decision to include live-action footage on Chitragupta’s magic screen helped save precious time and let the team devote more time to animating the characters in detail. Finally, despite the daunting task of making the audience believe they were actually witnessing a touching conversation between Lord Yama and YSR, we were relieved and excited at having captured the script in its true spirit. POST-PRODUCTION Each process from the Scratch-Track to final Audio-Track was packed with high-definition quality. Bhaviri Ravi-a popular mimicry artist lent his voice for the Scratch-Track while RCM Raju-a popular dubbing artist in Tollywood did the final Voice-Over for the characters. The Music score was rendered by Mr. Vinod babu – a singer, music composer and Nandi awardee. |
|