S4 animates 3D Groovenians - News - S4 Studios

Post, Dec, 2002

Los Angeles -- S4 Studios (www.s4studios.com) recently completed work on The Groovenians, an all-3D, half-hour program created and designed by pop artist Kenny Scharf. The program debuted on Cartoon Network's "Adult Swim" in November.

The show is a music- and dance-filled fantasy, featuring title music by the B-52s, a score from Devo's Mark Mothersbaugh and the voice talents of Dennis Hopper, Paul Reubens, RuPaul, Debi Mazar and Vincent Gallo.

Using Newtek LightWave 3D Version 7, the S4 production team worked to bring Scharf's whimsical, day-glow art environments to the 3D realm of Groovenia.

According to co-founder/producer Larry Le Francis, "The Groovenians had to look and feel a certain way, due to Kenny's artistic style. Our challenge was to create a bridge connecting 2D traditional animation sensibilities with a walking, talking 3D format. Something we had already accomplished in other projects for Cartoon Network, Klasky Csupo and Disney."

S4 co-founder Geoffrey Kater adds, "At the beginning, we decided that rather than turn on all the 3D bells and whistles, we would create an animation style that was simplistic, economical, and focused on key poses, expressions and compositions, very much in the mold of the old George Pal Puppetoons of the 1940s and '50s. The entire project was focused on capturing one artist's style."

Additional credits for The Groovenians include CGI associate producer Robert Romero, lead animators Bryan J. Blevins and Steven Carpenter, and animators/modelers Eric Baldwin, Scott Fritts, Dale Hendrickson, Barry Howell, Donald Lang, Tony Rizo and Ken Wilder.