The Jolliest Elf (The Cheeriest Elf) the animated Christmas series arrives in December

Director Chad Eikhoff (The Elf on the Shelf: The Story of an Elf), founder of TRICK 3D, has partnered with Noitom International, Inc. to produce a new 3D animated series, The Jolliest Elf (The happiest elf). Premiere in December, 12-episode production was completed in less than a year using an all-new rapid production pipeline that applies real-time video game rendering engines and motion capture technologies.

Based on the idea of ​​a Christmas talent contest, the series follows what happens when five contestants from all over Santa Claus Village in the North Pole compete on stage to win the title of "Cheeriest Elf". Jingles and three adorable judges: the charming and talented Glo; the hard-to-please critic Tiny; and the lovely and encouraging Frosty. Viewers will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite contestants upon the release of the episodes and votes will be counted before the final episode to reveal the winner.

Using Noitom's virtual production pipeline, NoitomVPS, TRICK 3D was able to significantly reduce production times. Applying virtual production to traditional animation has not only resulted in a faster workflow, it has also reduced costs. The motion capture system, paired with Notiom's Perception Neuron Studio suit and Epic Games' Unreal Engine, provided a final rendering quality, providing immediate results for the director and creative team, offering the flexibility to experience shooting and environments at any stage of production.

“You can have a motion capture session in real life and at the same time do face capture and record audio and you can see the scene with real-time rendering quality as you do it,” said Alberto Alvarez, director technician of Noitom International, Inc. "So you have a good idea of ​​what the day will be like when you capture with talent."

While the use of virtual production tools has become more widespread for production teams, expensive equipment remains out of reach for many creators and small studios. The NoitomVPS system, available for under $ 50.000, has enabled the TRICK 3D team to break new ground in the animation industry and set new standards for turnaround time, quality and efficiency.

“This is all very interesting technology,” Eikhoff said. “Having said that, what exactly does this technology allow me to do? Well, when all these technologies are combined and applied to animation, the main thing we get is creative freedom. And with that creative freedom comes all sorts of savings in terms of time and budget. As a director, I can be inside the animated world thanks to virtual reality. I can direct live performances and capture live cameras at the same time. And I can see it all in the final quality. These new technologies give me the ability to quickly create and edit frequently, all while I'm inside and seeing the quality images of the final render. "

The success of The happiest elf serves as an example of how to use new technologies to create animated content in real time. Cutting-edge technology requires a smaller crew than traditional productions and is completely portable, making it an essential tool for remote collaboration and when social distancing protocols are in place.

“Bringing mocap into animation was a small challenge,” said Roch Nakajima, president of Noitom International, Inc. “But once people see how liberating it is, especially on the animator side, then we're [Noitom and TRICK 3D] both agree that it has enormous potential for the future ”.

Both Nakajima and Eikhoff will share more about this manufacturing process at IBC 2021 in Amsterdam on December 4th. Children and families around the world will be able to experiment The Jolliest Elf (The happiest elf) during the holiday season on their favorite streaming platforms, including Discovery Kids, Kidoodle.TV, Amazon Prime and more.

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