Making of "Holy Flying Circus" - a Monty Python Zoetrope

Making of “Holy Flying Circus” – a Monty Python Zoetrope

Posted on October 25, 2011 in Effects and Stunts | No Comments

Using 3d Studio Max and Adobe After Effects, Jim Le Favre and his team put together an amazingly elaborate Zoetrope (or Phonotrope as he calls it) title sequence as a visual tip of the hat to Terry Gilliam’s iconic Flying Circus animations.

…Even though Owen wanted something radically new I was at pains to point out that if all the actors and sets were dressed in the detail of the time, were we to radically re-define Gilliam’s work using contemporary CGI wizadry it would no longer be honest to Gilliam’s work, something easy to excuse when you are using animation and something utterly frustrating when wanting to retain the authenticity of this kind of subject matter. It would be like Darren Boyd who played John Cleese, listening to an iPod in the film.

However one of Owen (and Lisa Marie-Hall, the art-director)’s stronger desires was that it mirrored Gilliam’s passion, craft and approach which, back in the 70’s created an utterly ground breaking new form of animation (and comedy) through necessity on minimum budget and found something through problem solving.

Well, we had the minimum budget box ticked.

That was when I realised the Phonotrope technique was ready to be used.

— Jim Le Fevre | Read The Full Article