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Author
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Topic: Hello- I redesigned the Smurfs for The Smurfs movie!
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ClumsyRules
Smurf Movie CGI Character Designer
Member # 3377
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posted 07-26-2011 10:40 PM
Hi all you Blue Buddies!
My name is Allen Battino and I redesigned all the Smurfs for the new Smurfs movie, opening this Friday. I was brought in by the executive producer, Jordan Kerner, and the film's director, Raja Gosnell to take our beloved Peyo Smurfs and guide them into the form of three dimensional, living, breathing (without nostrils?) creatures that could be believable in a live setting and interact with live actors. It was a formidable task, as they were having trouble getting all the decision makers on the same page (LaFig, The Sony execs, the head of Sony Animation as well as the producer and director) so I had my work cut out for me. Luckily, everyone responded well to the direction I was taking with the designs, and we were off to getting the film into production.
I'd be happy to answer any question that you may have regarding the new designs, the transition from 2D to 3D and I'll share some personal art later on down the line! Post away, Smurfophiles!
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CGI character designer for "The Smurfs" (2011) and "Smurfs 2" (2013)
Note: These are my own thoughts and opinions. They do not represent the opinions of Sony, Lafig, K Ent. or anyone involved in the making of the Smurf films.
Posts: 69 | From: Los Angeles, CA | Registered: Oct 2010
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ClumsyRules
Smurf Movie CGI Character Designer
Member # 3377
Member Rated:
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posted 07-26-2011 10:52 PM
To get the ball rolling, here's a plaque presented to me by the producer at the end of my stay on the film. It's a bit crazy looking, but that's my face on a Smurf body (a well meaning gesture of appreciation). All the surrounding characters are taken from my production artwork. ![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
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CGI character designer for "The Smurfs" (2011) and "Smurfs 2" (2013)
Note: These are my own thoughts and opinions. They do not represent the opinions of Sony, Lafig, K Ent. or anyone involved in the making of the Smurf films.
Posts: 69 | From: Los Angeles, CA | Registered: Oct 2010
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Smurfy1For2
Blue Believer
Member # 1224
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posted 07-26-2011 11:06 PM
HOLY SMURF that is SOOOO cool ClumsyRules!!! I'm so excited about the movie I can't wait!!!!
The new design looks aweseome and I love Smurfette's hair. Gutsy looks super tough.
But heres something I've been wondering, do the new Smurfs have bellybuttons? Cuz they have pecs now, it only makes sense!!
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u wished u rocked as i
Posts: 1966 | From: Fairfield, VA | Registered: Nov 2005
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ClumsyRules
Smurf Movie CGI Character Designer
Member # 3377
Member Rated:
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posted 07-26-2011 11:11 PM
Smurfy1For2,
No, I'm sorry- they don't have bellybuttons. Neither did the original Peyo Smurfs. They also don't have finger nails, but they do have finger nail impressions for some human-like detail.
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CGI character designer for "The Smurfs" (2011) and "Smurfs 2" (2013)
Note: These are my own thoughts and opinions. They do not represent the opinions of Sony, Lafig, K Ent. or anyone involved in the making of the Smurf films.
Posts: 69 | From: Los Angeles, CA | Registered: Oct 2010
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Candy the blue rabbit
Smurfling
Member # 3465
Member Rated:
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posted 07-26-2011 11:26 PM
Do you have any photos of the designs for the new character Gutsy smurf,And if so can you post them here in Bluebuddies?
Posts: 45 | From: Smurf Village | Registered: Jan 2011
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Peazjelly
Super Smurf
Member # 3101
Member Rated:
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posted 07-26-2011 11:28 PM
I am impressed with your design work, ClumsyRules. I imagine there were varied opinions on where to go with the new design.
You could on the one hand take the smurfs to a totally human-like level of detail, with nostrils, fingernails, etc.
You could also have make them look like cartoons with big bold lines very little texture.
So how did the process work? How did you manage to balance out everyone's notions as to what a "smurf" was? Did anyone suggest anything really funny like the costume from Batman & Robin?
Your plaque is very nice, by the way a great keepsake from hopefully a trilogy (or more) of movies.
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__It's PeazJelly Time
Posts: 439 | From: SC | Registered: Feb 2010
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Squeaky Smurf
Hering Smurf
Member # 2416
Member Rated:
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posted 07-26-2011 11:31 PM
So here's the Smurf designer for the new Smurf movie!! Smurfy nice to meet you in Bluebuddies. ![[Smile]](smile.gif) ![[Smurfette]](graemlins/smurfette.gif) ![[Graduate Smurf]](graemlins/graduate.gif) ![[Happy Smurf]](graemlins/Happy_Smurf.gif) ![[Wild Smurf]](graemlins/Wild_Smurf.gif) ![[Scuba Smurf]](graemlins/Scuba_Smurf.gif)
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Keep on always smurfin'!!
Posts: 7498 | From: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | Registered: Jul 2008
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ClumsyRules
Smurf Movie CGI Character Designer
Member # 3377
Member Rated:
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posted 07-26-2011 11:45 PM
@ Candy: I do have some Clumsy art, but I'd have to get permission from Sony before I post it- we'll see...
@Peazjelly: Before I was brought on the film there was some investigation done with the peeps at SPA (Sony Pictures Animation) to see how humanistic they could take it. They actually did a gradual transition from a Peyo proportioned generic Smurf to something that resembled a blue troll with lots of detail, wrinkles and deep pores! They did come up with a decent form for the body, which gave me something in CG (Computer Graphics) to leapfrog from. The face, however, required a lot of work. When I came on, they hadn't found an artist that was nailing it. I've been working in the CG animation biz since the mid 1980's - really at the start of commercial use - so the transition from 2D to 3D was a clear path. I studied Peyo's comic art, got a feel for his proportion, detail and the personality he infused in the characters, and then stopped referencing from there. Drawing is full of visual cheats and contradictions that can't be hidden in 3D. A CG character must be camera-centric, pleasing and readable from almost all angles. Peyo's Smurfs literally translated posed a host of problems if used in a CG/live action setting. Everything had to be revised and reproportioned, details added, a few removed, in order to be believable as realistic creatures, not too cartoony. Presentation art needed to look like CG, even though it was mostly painted. As long as the designs remained "smurfy", I pushed the characters into a direction that worked for the film. More on this subject later...
@Squeaky Smurf: Thank you for the welcome wagon!
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CGI character designer for "The Smurfs" (2011) and "Smurfs 2" (2013)
Note: These are my own thoughts and opinions. They do not represent the opinions of Sony, Lafig, K Ent. or anyone involved in the making of the Smurf films.
Posts: 69 | From: Los Angeles, CA | Registered: Oct 2010
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Peazjelly
Super Smurf
Member # 3101
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posted 07-26-2011 11:56 PM
I think you struck a nice balance between what people expect from modern 3D animation and Peyo's original design. The proportions are very smurfy. The fact that I don't think about the proportions when I look at them tells you that you did it right.
How hard was Clumsy? His clothing was always kind of saggy and droopy on the Hanna Barbera cartoon, which was cute. But now all the Smurfs have folds in the clothing. What visually makes Clumsy "Clumsy" and not some generic Smurf?
Thanks for answering our questions.
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__It's PeazJelly Time
Posts: 439 | From: SC | Registered: Feb 2010
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ClumsyRules
Smurf Movie CGI Character Designer
Member # 3377
Member Rated:
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posted 07-27-2011 12:23 AM
When I first came on the project, I was focused on four characters: A generic Smurf we called Smurfy (which was the black and white "spy" pic that is posted in the movie thread here), Clumsy, Smurfette (who was the hardest) and Papa Smurf. I think my first piece of art was of Clumsy, which the producer really liked and knew was going in the right direction. What makes Clumsy, Clumsy? A more ellipsoidal face, bigger, rounder nose, bigger longer ears, doe eyes, round cheeks, a low, small, earnest mouth, some soft freckles- and a sightly smaller torso with larger feet and hands than the others. But his signature trait is the oversize hat that rides the edge of his brow. The hat brim replaces his eyebrows most of the time. He was meant to be the cutest, kid-like Smurf who is the klutz with a heart of gold.
A note about the HB cartoon- my directive was to stick with the Peyo designs as a starting point and not reference the HB cartoon designs, which were different and not as good. They were designed to be easy to draw fast- which made them more circular and had less variation. Peyo's designs clearly had more character and liveliness.
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CGI character designer for "The Smurfs" (2011) and "Smurfs 2" (2013)
Note: These are my own thoughts and opinions. They do not represent the opinions of Sony, Lafig, K Ent. or anyone involved in the making of the Smurf films.
Posts: 69 | From: Los Angeles, CA | Registered: Oct 2010
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ClumsyRules
Smurf Movie CGI Character Designer
Member # 3377
Member Rated:
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posted 07-27-2011 12:36 AM
On costumes- There really wasn't much of a budget for costumes, because in the world of CG any object that comes in contact with another surface requires a process called "collision detection" which can use up a lot of processing power. Also, there was so much already to build with Smurf Village and all the props that we decided to get by with a few sight variations in pants and hat color. Most of the Smurfs are the classic white hat and pants. Some cameo characters to look out for...
SPOILER ALERT!!!! If you don't want to know, move along...
Baker, Farmer, Jokey, Vanity... but I won't reveal any more, you'll have to see for yourself. See how many you can pick out this weekend!
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CGI character designer for "The Smurfs" (2011) and "Smurfs 2" (2013)
Note: These are my own thoughts and opinions. They do not represent the opinions of Sony, Lafig, K Ent. or anyone involved in the making of the Smurf films.
Posts: 69 | From: Los Angeles, CA | Registered: Oct 2010
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ClumsyRules
Smurf Movie CGI Character Designer
Member # 3377
Member Rated:
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posted 07-27-2011 12:48 AM
Here's an example of some costume variations I prepared (but not necessarily used):
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CGI character designer for "The Smurfs" (2011) and "Smurfs 2" (2013)
Note: These are my own thoughts and opinions. They do not represent the opinions of Sony, Lafig, K Ent. or anyone involved in the making of the Smurf films.
Posts: 69 | From: Los Angeles, CA | Registered: Oct 2010
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Oakley Smurf
Brainy Smurf Snaeha
Member # 2823
Member Rated:
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posted 07-27-2011 04:05 AM
Of all these Peyo' design of CGI smurfs.
You're brilliant!
I hope your smurf design will be use in the smurfs sequel.
I liked your thoughts about Peyo' design!
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I'm Brainy Smurf's alter ego one that didn't wearing glasses...for now...
"Eyesight 200/20 but I always see what's on my mind"
Posts: 696 | From: Bangkok,Thailand | Registered: May 2009
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Vic George The ND Guy
Super Smurf
Member # 300
Member Rated:
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posted 07-27-2011 01:34 PM
I still like how Papa Smurf's beard is made real and textured, not like making him look like an animated stuffed toy with a patch of white fluff on his face.
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VIC GEORGE -- Westfield, MA, USA
"Cat and mouse games really aren't much fun for us mouse types" -- Empath from "Empath The Bandit Smurf"
Posts: 4102 | From: Westfield, MA | Registered: Mar 2003
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ClumsyRules
Smurf Movie CGI Character Designer
Member # 3377
Member Rated:
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posted 07-27-2011 01:55 PM
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CGI character designer for "The Smurfs" (2011) and "Smurfs 2" (2013)
Note: These are my own thoughts and opinions. They do not represent the opinions of Sony, Lafig, K Ent. or anyone involved in the making of the Smurf films.
Posts: 69 | From: Los Angeles, CA | Registered: Oct 2010
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BlueTiger10
Super Smurfette / Reporter Smurfette
Member # 3411
Member Rated:
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posted 07-27-2011 09:20 PM
It looks more detailed in High Definition for one thing. Maybe we could see what the Smurfs' Christmas short on the Blu-Ray release would look like. Just like the "Kung Fu Panda" spin-off short, "The Secrets of the Furious Five".
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1287845/
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Twitter/HubermanProject
Posts: 947 | From: City Island, Bronx, NY USA | Registered: Nov 2010
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Vic George The ND Guy
Super Smurf
Member # 300
Member Rated:
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posted 07-28-2011 07:41 AM
Beware...THE EYE!!!
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VIC GEORGE -- Westfield, MA, USA
"Cat and mouse games really aren't much fun for us mouse types" -- Empath from "Empath The Bandit Smurf"
Posts: 4102 | From: Westfield, MA | Registered: Mar 2003
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Sassette
Moderator
Member # 2
Member Rated:
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posted 07-28-2011 09:16 AM
It must have been most difficult to do Smurfette, given that she is so different from the rest of the Smurfs and that she has a flowing dress and hair.
ClumsyRules, you did an amazing job of redesigning all the Smurfs! We blue buddies fans are all so excited about the 3D movie coming out tomorrow!
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Have a smurfy day!
Posts: 4475 | From: Smurfingland | Registered: Jul 1999
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ClumsyRules
Smurf Movie CGI Character Designer
Member # 3377
Member Rated:
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posted 07-28-2011 11:59 AM
Thanks, Sassette. Yes, Smurfette was the hardest one because when they originally tried doing a literal CG translation of the Peyo design, she stopped being pretty. At the same time it was difficult to get LaFig (the Peyo organization) to move in a drastically different design direction with her face and body proportions. It was a gradual process of refining shapes and features to get her looking prettier, rather than going quickly to the final solution. I could have done that , but the difference would have appeared so drastic that no one would have been comfortable with it. Also, hair in CG is intrinsically difficult already, but add the big waves and shape that are part of the classic Smurfette silhouette and it was a dilemma. Real hair doesn't rest in that shape. That level of body doesn't exist in real world physics unless it's in motion. That's why her hair is straighter and less thick in this film. It allows for more shapeliness when she moves around. But as you can see in the still art, her hair is closer to the Peyo design, which works for a single image. Her torso is now less childlike, which was appropriate for the comic art but would not work for the movie. She's an adult Smurf and needed some sleeker proportions to go along with her level of maturity.
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CGI character designer for "The Smurfs" (2011) and "Smurfs 2" (2013)
Note: These are my own thoughts and opinions. They do not represent the opinions of Sony, Lafig, K Ent. or anyone involved in the making of the Smurf films.
Posts: 69 | From: Los Angeles, CA | Registered: Oct 2010
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Smurfy1For2
Blue Believer
Member # 1224
Member Rated:
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posted 07-29-2011 01:23 AM
I love the eyes!! So pretty and gets your attention! Great work ClumsyRules!!
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u wished u rocked as i
Posts: 1966 | From: Fairfield, VA | Registered: Nov 2005
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Sassette
Moderator
Member # 2
Member Rated:
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posted 07-29-2011 04:09 AM
  Smurfette is Smurfalicious
I love the dainty features of CG Smurfette, such as her smaller nose, slender fingers and feminine lips. Her eyebrows seem thinner and more shapely too. I guess that all helped to make her "prettier".
One of the first things I noticed when I saw pictures of Smurfette was that "her hair is straighter and less thick". I think her CG hair is a really pleasing compromise between realistic hair and the old cartoon hair.
In the old cartoons, they really played up her eyelashes to extremes... was this something you considered?
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Have a smurfy day!
Posts: 4475 | From: Smurfingland | Registered: Jul 1999
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ClumsyRules
Smurf Movie CGI Character Designer
Member # 3377
Member Rated:
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posted 07-29-2011 03:41 PM
The eyelashes are a good example of where a flat art Smurfette needs that level of exaggeration to play up the girly-ness. An animated, dimensional Smurfette can do that with performance, so we could tone down the eyelashes to a believable size, proportionately. One of our goals was for the Smurfs to show a closer physical relationship to humans. Since they have most of the same physical traits, they would appear more realistic with the details we expect on human faces like pores, peach fuzz, individual hairs, etc. Much bigger eyelashes would mean thicker lashes, and when they get too thick they start to look grotesque on a realistic character.
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CGI character designer for "The Smurfs" (2011) and "Smurfs 2" (2013)
Note: These are my own thoughts and opinions. They do not represent the opinions of Sony, Lafig, K Ent. or anyone involved in the making of the Smurf films.
Posts: 69 | From: Los Angeles, CA | Registered: Oct 2010
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ClumsyRules
Smurf Movie CGI Character Designer
Member # 3377
Member Rated:
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posted 07-29-2011 03:45 PM
I hope everyone is going out today or tonight to see The Smurfs movie!!!!!!!
This weekend's box office success may have a bearing on future Smurfs films!!
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CGI character designer for "The Smurfs" (2011) and "Smurfs 2" (2013)
Note: These are my own thoughts and opinions. They do not represent the opinions of Sony, Lafig, K Ent. or anyone involved in the making of the Smurf films.
Posts: 69 | From: Los Angeles, CA | Registered: Oct 2010
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BlueTiger10
Super Smurfette / Reporter Smurfette
Member # 3411
Member Rated:
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posted 07-29-2011 04:26 PM
"I hope everyone is going out today or tonight to see The Smurfs movie!!!!!!!"
"This weekend's box office success may have a bearing on future Smurfs films!!"
- ClumsyRules
Yep, I hope to see it too. And if you said "Future Smurf Films", then you can do spin-offs, holiday specials and sequels.
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Twitter/HubermanProject
Posts: 947 | From: City Island, Bronx, NY USA | Registered: Nov 2010
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