Jo Jo in the Stars
Written, designed and directed by Marc Craste
Produced by Sue Goffe
Executive Producers Pam Dennis/Sue Goffe/Philip Hunt
Voice Artist Oliver Miceli
Additional Voices Andrew Stirk
3D Modelling and Texturing Andy Staveley/Fabrice Altman/James Gaillard/Talia Hill
Animation Fabienne Rivory/Dominic Griffiths/Boris Kossmehl
Synopsis
Jo Jo in the Stars is the heart-wrenching tale of two unlikely lovers – Jo Jo, a silver-plated trapeze artist, and a nameless hero who worships her. Together they make a desperate stand against murderous jealousy within a bleak and brutal world that is both nightmarish and hauntingly beautiful. The 12-minute animated film short debut from Studio aka director Marc Craste Jo Jo in the Stars, was produced by Sue Goffe and independently funded and produced by Studio.
History
The film was developed as a project from the a series of short one-minute animations called Pica Towers, which themselves had grown out of elements of an idea pitched for some TV idents, which involved a mysterious tower populated by strange characters embroiled in a darkly comic murder mystery. The character and situation components that this series introduced formed the basis of the story that became Jo Jo in the Stars and it was the overwhelming response that the initial short films met with that encouraged Marc and Studio aka to further explore the world of Picas. After a period of development, aka took the decision to self-finance the project in its entirety and Jo Jo was put into full-scale production in early 2003.
Technique
The characters were created in CGI, using Softimage XSI and After Effects for postproduction. Emphasis was placed on creating a compelling atmosphere with dramatic lighting and reductive forms, while capturing the absorbing beauty of black and white film. The idea was to explore a look not often associated with computer-generated images, avoiding the overall sheen and even lighting in favour of a more heavily textured, less defined look.
The characters are simple in their design, with just enough detail to convey the emotion required for the telling of this story. Their inherent lack of articulation (no elbows or knees) lends their movement a puppet/stop-motion feel, which sits well within the black and white, and helps again to steer the film in a new direction. The results are spellbindingly emotive.
Awards
- BAFTA 2004: Best Short Animated Film
- Clermont Ferrand 2004: Prix Du Meilleur Film D'animation
- Aspen Short Film Festival 2004: Special Jury Prize
- International 3D Awards Copenhagen: Best Short Film
- Animasia SICAF 2004: Short Film Grand Prize
- Bradford Animation Festival 2004: Grand Prix
- Brief Encounters Festival 2004: Best of British
Director's Biography
Marc Craste is a senior animation director working at Studio aka in London . Before coming to the UK in 1998, Marc worked extensively in animation studios in Sydney and Copenhagen.
Since joining Studio aka, Marc has designed and directed many award-winning commercials, including spots for Orange, Natwest and Compaq. He has also designed and directed three short films in the series Pica Towers, which has become cult viewing for many fans.
Jo Jo in the Stars won the 2004 BAFTA for Best Animated Short Film. It has also won Best Animated Short Film at the 2004 Clermont-Ferrand Film Festival in France, the Special Jury Prize at the 2004 Aspen Short Film Festival, Best Short Film at the 2004 International 3D Awards in Copenhagen, the Short Film Grand Prize at Animasia SICAF 2004, the Grand Prize at BAF 2004 and the Best of British at Brief Encounters 2004 in Bristol.
In addition to his animation career, Marc is the recipient of the AOI's 'Illustrator Of The Year' award. He has recently been commissioned to illustrate a children's book, written by acclaimed author Helen Ward.
