Strike

  • STRIKE IS RELEASED TODAY ON iTUNES, AMAZON and SKY STORE!!!!!

    Today Strike is released on home entertainment! This wonderfully charming film is available on Sky Store, Amazon, Itunes  and on DVD. 

    A film for the whole family, Strike is the story of a young mole's (Mungo) struggle between following his destiny -  to become a miner in Diggington goldmine like his forefathers  - and his dream to be a soccer player, and play for England.

     The mine is under threat, with "The Boss" of the sinister Raven Corporation wanting control at any cost!  A number of “accidental” events happen to thwart our Hero.

    Will Mungo end up playing for his country, and can he save the mine and his family?

    Set against the backdrop of the Wild Cup, the strong storyline and humour plays out against a visual look that is both charming and innovative.  Strike is a feature-length, stop-frame animated film. 

    The creative team consists of BAFTA award-winning writers and ex-Aardman animators.  The animation used over 65% recycled materials to make the sets and puppets.

    Enjoy! And please share our posts on social media today to help us spread the news about our release!!!

    Facebook @strikethefilm

    Twitter @strike_thefilm

    Instagram @strike_thefilm

    Thank you! 

    Trevor, Jeremy and Edward


    Continue reading
  • STRIKE SPECIAL SCREENINGS IN PICTUREHOUSE CINEMAS

    As the Director of STRIKE I am over joyed that STRIKE will be coming to Picture House cinemas for even more people to enjoy. STRIKE is a brilliant film and one the whole family will love. Special Kids Club screenings will take place on Saturday 27 July - all ticket info on this website.

    There are so many cracking scenes in this movie but the one I enjoy watching every time is when the TV comes up out of the boss's car.

    I love watching it in the cinema with an audience because the reaction is always the same. It's start with the audience watching the TV rise slowly up from the boot, then when it gets to the point where it is taking a little too long, the shot of Lewey snoring let's them know...We the makers of it know! And people enjoy being the point of that joke...and of course the brilliantly funny cut away shots of the townsfolk within it..."Great, I love it when a pan comes together" 

    More exciting announcements soon!

    Trevor Hardy, Director of Strike

    Follow us on:

    Facebook @strikethefilm

    Twitter @strike_thefilm

    Instagram @strike_thefilm

    Continue reading
  • STRIKE: THE POST PRODUCTION STORY

    Once a scene has been shot by the animators it gets passed over to the post production team, primarily to the Editor who puts it on the time line and thats it, Done!

    Well… No… not for the majority of the 1800 or so shots that go into Strike! 

    The next job is De-rigging. Here we painstakingly remove the rig or rigs that the animators use to move the characters and any shadows that they cast from the shot. We had an ever expanding team of “De-riggers” coming and going but top De-rigger was Raquel who got through well over 200 shots including all the really tricky ones that no one else wanted to do.

    From there just over 800 shots required more work. There was smokes, steams, gasses, dusts and explosions. Rain, puddles, lights and fireworks. Complete crowds to be added to football stadiums and complete football stadiums to be added to crowds. 3D modelling, compositing, set extensions and Matte paintings. A digitally generated pool that was added on to the in camera footage with splashes and flying fish. A car chase, glowing rings, runaway earth movers and a special powers, mole eye, through the rocks view sequence.

    In addition there’s a load of little tiding up, “fix in Post” jobs that had to be sorted. One of the team even had to digitally re-attach an eye that had popped out during animation with being noticed.

    I’m incredibly proud of the work the Post Production team got through on this project, working massively long hours to very tight deadlines while maintaining a great attitude and sense of humour though out all on a daily diet of chocolate buttons from Trevor.

    Check out the VFX reel below!

    Andrew Langworthy

    Post Production Department


    Follow STRIKE on social media to get all the behind the scenes exclusives!:

    Facebook @strikethefilm

    Instagram @strike_thefilm

    Twitter @strike_thefilm

    Continue reading
  • STRIKE TO BE RELEASED IN THE US IN 2019!

    GOOD NEWS FROM CANNES! MUNGO SCORES GOLD (AGAIN) AS STRIKE GETS A US RELEASE IN 2019!

    Congratulations to all our filmmaking team as this week STRIKE'S US release was announced in Cannes -  Indican Pictures has taken North American rights for Strike.

    We are thrilled that our friends from across the pond will be able to enjoy our charming stop motion animated family film STRIKE!

    101 Films International sales company struck the deal for Strike at Cannes, the world’s leading film market!

    And there is more news to come from Gigglefish Studios with producers Edward Catchpole and Jeremy Davis (Homesick Angel) and director Trevor Hardy. Keep an eye out for more announcements soon. #StrikeTheFilm

     

    Follow us on social media to find out all the news first:

    Facebook @strikethefilm

    Instagram @strike_thefilm

    Twitter @strike_thefilm

    Continue reading
  • RE-CYCLED WASTE USED BY ANIMATORS ON STRIKE

    Having identified that we could recycle waste and objects and it could work within the limitations and challenges of our animation, we ensured that as sets and props were designed that we were aware of what waste material was around us and what we could lay our hands on or recycle, and in a number of cases the design changed to enable us to use the recycled object. 

    The most obvious use of this was the minehead. Here's a pic of the original broken bin:

    The bin lid gave us the distinctive dome shape onto which we used a thin layer of modelling clay to add in the detail for the mine, rivets and panels etc. Then various plastic tubes, straws, metal wire was used to add further detail and embellishment over the overall shape. The “mine head” was then painted and distressed and you can see the final creation in the photos of the set in Diggington, where you would be surprised at it's staring point.

    We even reused the plastic cups that were in the studio to make various machines that were used in the mine for props, as can be seen in one of the photos, with a machine part finished.

     Some of the more detailed props such as cameras and lights used recycled watch and clock parts. 


    As can been seen in these photos with various watch parts used to make a scale model working desk light! The quality and tactile feel of these props created a unique finish and look in the final film that, we believe, added to the stories charm and appeal!

    Keep up to date with all the STRIKE news as we release in UK Vue Cinemas this weekend of 11th and 12th May #StrikeTheFilm.


    FOLLOW US ON:

    Facebook @strikethefilm

    Instagram @strike_thefilm

    Twitter @strike_thefilm


    Continue reading
  • MUNGO ON THE BALL - Behind the Scenes with Director Trevor Hardy

    Well the first thought that rushes through my mind as I look at the BTS photo from STRIKE is....WOW!!! What a beautiful rig that is holding Mungo up in the air. We had an animator start working with us at GiggleFish (Will Hodge) smashing chap...he was looking at the rigs we were using and said that he knew a bloke that could let us borrow his really good Ex Aardman rigs...so when I look at that pic I think,'What a beauty'.

    Making Mungo run with a ball is a simple job you would think eh....but no! In stop-motion to get mungo to run with that ball took about 5 people to make happen.....that one simple little shot, five people!

    1: Camera/lighting person on set, lighting set ready for shot

    2: Puppet maker that has made a 'Mungo' puppet that can animate as needed to make the shot happen (And other puppets also in scene)

    3: Model maker, to make goal post and ball

    4: set builder, to make the grass pitch

    5: Animator to animate Mungo running with ball

    .....I lied...6 people!!! to make this simple little shot happen....Post production person, to take out rig from shot, so it looks like Mungo is running by himself...

    ...I lied again....7!!!! Dan Harding to add the shot onto the edited time line. 

    So, when I look at that photo, I see a lot.

    From Trevor Hardy 2nd May 2019


    REMEMBER TO FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL:

    Facebook @strikethefilm

    Instagram @strike_thefilm

    Twitter @strike_thefilm


    Continue reading
  • Trevor Hardy, Director of STRIKE, celebrates the UK release into Vue Cinemas from 11th May 2019

    Trevor Hardy: Director of STRIKE 

    BLOG POST 12th April 2019

    STRIKE has been an epic journey for all of us at GiggleFish. We are overjoyed at it's success and delighted by the attention it is getting.

    For me as the director of Strike, I am SO SO SO pleased that we have UK distribution. I have been travelling around France representing Strike or as it is known out there, 'Mango'...and it has been totally fantastic to see a European audience absolutely enjoying our film...However, having it play to its home crowd is a total treat. Myself and Neil James (The screenwriter, assistant director) always wanted this film to play out to a British audience. Strike although a global family film, myself and Neil knew that it was crammed with British humour. It is great that the 'Britishness' of it transcends to other counties but there is something about showing it to your own country that really makes me happy.

    I am so overjoyed and really excited that the fantastic VUE cinemas have run with STRIKE, it is brilliant that they can see what a fantastic, fun family film Strike is. I SO SO SO hope people come and see it and it is a huge success for us all.

    This is my first feature film, so I could not be happier....my first one and it gets a UK cinema distribution....WOW!!!! How fantastic is that.

    I would like to thank everyone that has been involved with STRIKE, from the cast, crew, the entire team and now everyone involved in VUE cinemas...THANK YOU EVERYONE....top job guys. 

    Continue reading
< Older entries