Short Films, Epic Ambitions

For nearly two decades, directors Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski, in collaboration with the National Film Board of Canada, have pushed the boundaries of visual effects in animation. 

From Madame Tutli-Putli’s groundbreaking eye effects andHigglety Pigglety Pop!’s blend of live action and stop-motion puppetry, to Gymnasia’s innovative VR experience, directors Lavis and Szczerbowski have expanded the frontiers of cinematic puppetry. 
For their latest collaboration with the NFB, The Girl Who Cried Pearls, the challenge was to create visual effects that blended seamlessly with the film’s hand-crafted aesthetic. In this talk, co-director Chris Lavis and NFB Technical Director Eric Pouliot break down the pipeline and techniques that went into makingthis stop-motion masterpiece.