Over 10,000 m2 of which extend offices, laboratories, bar, canteen and a movie theater used for 3D capable of containing eighty seats. Everything is bathed in green between Loreto and Recanati thanks to a structure with walls of windows that overlooks directly on vast fields of sunflowers. No, this is not a luxury villa but the Rainbow, animation studios founded by Iginio Straffi and transformed into a structure in step with the times to environmental sustainability and the well-being of its employees. Thus, a swimming pool, sauna and fitness center are flanked ecological choices such as solar panels, photovoltaic and an organized structure following the principles of feng shui.
In this space, where each department is divided perfectly without having any physical barrier, a team of animators not only takes care of the birth of the Winx , but also everything that goes around the world as their publishing and brand clothing , whose ultimate goal is to anticipate trends to offer a product to the latest fashion collections of dolls as their small fan. But let's see in detail what happens in this "magic kingdom" where are born the Winx and, in particular, the last feature film Winx Club - The Mystery of the Abyss , in the lounge from 4 September.
Write, design and produce: that give shape to the imagination
When we see the projection of an animation everything seems natural, almost simple for its realism and very often we do not ask how much and what work is behind such a product. In fact, made from rare exceptions such as the case of Pixar and Studio Ghibli, the profession of the animator is still shrouded in a certain mystery and it is not always clear how we can get from an idea to an animated creature on the small or big screen. Exceptional guide through these mysteries, at least for journalists visiting the Rainbow, was Verdenelli Paola , Senior Producer of the group, which has embraced the project from the first moments, ie when everything was made by ten people in a house always in near Recanati. "the beginning of a project is always a good time longer and harder. You must find the graphic style and at the same time writing a story without neglecting the nature of the character. The writing phase can last up to 5/6 months. then the script goes on the tables storyboarding, where the plotline is put on paper.'s where the words are translated for the first time in images. "
Continuing the tour around the tables of the leaders Verdelli also explains the later stages as the animatic, which is the assembly of music and dialogues based animation to get a first idea of the duration of the scenes. In this case, of course, you start working with Stylus and computer imagining how it will be the single shot and the camera movement. At this stage, also, it also decides the expressiveness and the acting of the character determining, over time, the style of directing. A few tables away, however, there is a team dedicated to the implementation of the seabed that must respond to a series of well-defined canons. To clarify the basic steps is the entertainer Daria Barbetta . "Our guidelines are first of all by the script, then we have to take into account very specific aesthetic choices, such as those of the colors that are responsible for emotions. The color palette in our provision reflects a clearly feminine taste with brilliant hues, bright and joyful. Moreover, for each scene we have the task of "color" at least three different points of view to get an overview. "
Create the Winx: The modeling
Once this phase is formed in which the world Winx it's time to give body to the absolute protagonists, six young Take that section of the modeling are chosen hairstyles, clothing and especially colors, since each of them as they one in particular. For the new film, however, the animators have faced a new challenge, having to turn these heroines in modern sirens without a tail. From what they have been inspired, then, to achieve a result that was glistening without falling in aggression, given the young age of the spectators? The first input from the photos always come out of fashion, even the most generic. So, after many changes that have been deleted tatoo and special punk, won a look bodice formed by marine trikini a more chastened and inspired stockings leggings from the marine theme. The wings, however, inspired by the lion fish and rigged with a lot of glitter eyelashes and mascara.
And finally comes the compositing
Once you are given copro to Winx it is time to entrust all the material in the caring hands of the animators CGI, which has the task of harmonizing the material by adding the inevitable and often necessary special effects, as we explain Marco Tomassetti , 3D & Compositing Lead Supervisor, and Francis Mastrofini , for Rainbow CGI. Year after year, this sector is able to take advantage of the progress made with the implementation of new software to overcome some technical barriers, but it is a work in constant evolution and research. " The elements are more difficult to achieve the walk and hair - admits Mastrofini - especially to recreate the movement underwater.'s why we had to animate the hair as if it were a separate character. " And the inevitable question about the progress and achievements of Pixar answer. "I am a huge fan of their animations, but more than that from a technical standpoint, they offered us a great lesson regarding the care and depth of the script. Because, beyond all, what wins is history. And we can see with their own product as Cars 2 which, while technically perfect, it has won the hearts of the audience as other events. "
