When your kitty’s left the city, when your moose is on the loose, when your cow has said ciao, call Hitpig, the world’s greatest animal tracker! Aniventure called on Cinesite to bring the wacky world of HITPIG! to life, having previously collaborated on three feature films.
In the first part of this two-part case study about the making of HITPIG!, we explore the influence of Pulitzer Prize-winner Berkley Breathed’s work, and how the film’s look and tone were developed.
Hitting it off
Initial production design at Cinesite began with Berkeley Breathed’s The New York Times bestseller, Pete and Pickles. Berkeley along with Directors David Feiss and Cinzia Angelini, Art Director Sylvie Lacroix and Cinesite’s development team worked closely together, creating and presenting initial visuals, which included an ‘80s, maximalist approach. The goal was to capture the essence of Berkeley’s unique style, his painterly look, dry humor, and poignant emotions and transport audiences to a world they’ve never been.
Hitting the Road
HITPIG! is, at its heart, a road trip movie like no other, taking audiences from the Arctic tundra to Central London, San Francisco to the Outback, and Vegas to India. Each location needed its own established look and mood. In order to achieve this, colours and lighting keys were created for every sequence and location. This colour script established the rich and vibrant hues which are uniquely HITPIG! These colour choices were intrinsically tied to the film’s narrative to ensure that every choice supported the comedic or emotional intent of each scene.
Once the creative style had been established, tests were created with a range of 3D sets and assets, which were then worked into a set of approved reference shots. These guide shots were followed by the whole Cinesite team to ensure look consistency. Even something like the look of the sky was carefully considered, and a painterly style was individually created for each scene, with detail added like speed of cloud movement to ensure realism and consistency.
Hitting the Shot
Cinematography — the combination of the staging of actors, camera and lighting — for HITPIG! was vital to help guide the audience through the emotional journey of the characters. At the start of the project, Berkeley spoke to the team about his philosophy of composition, and indeed, many of the shots in the film are taken directly from his illustrations.
With the freedom of 3D, other shots reflect the scale of the outside world compared to Pickles’ life in captivity. Through the contrast of artificial light sources with natural light sources, we created a way to highlight Hitpig’s transformation from hardened bounty hunter into a sympathetic, loyal friend. Initially, Hitpig is surrounded by artificial light, but as he grows closer to Pickles and struggles with his own self-identity, more natural elements of sunlight, moonlight, and even firelight are introduced. The subtle dance between these two types of lighting carries the audience on his emotional journey of self-discovery. The combination of these approaches to camera and lighting makes the cinematography in HITPIG! a compelling film experience.
Hitting Home
Hitpig travels all over the world, catching escaped animals in his specialized CatchVan. Everything has been retro-fitted for Hitpig’s size and needs, reflecting his personality and purpose, and all the modifications are in service to being a top animal bounty hunter: periscopes, satellite dishes, propulsion boosters, and more. At the flick of a switch, the wheels rotate, lifting the CatchVan into the air and flying Hitpig towards his next capture.
But his CatchVan is more than a high-tech vehicle, it’s his home. One of the first sequences completed by Cinesite’s team is set inside Hitpig’s CatchVan, where he demonstrates his culinary skills with a masterful display in his fully stocked mobile kitchen. His attention to detail in creating a home-cooked meal that only he will enjoy speaks volumes about his character.
