Trailer:
http://www.kikaandbob.com/trailer.html
Our involvement was slightly different from the usual interventions. Historically HoBSoft concentrated on complicated feature films like Brendan and the Secret of Kells connecting 6 producing studios, Chico and Rita, connecting 7 producing studios, or Song of the sea connecting 4 studios.
Kika & BoB II is a relatively simple Flash production (26 x 11min) involving only 2 studios in Brussels (Walking the Dog) and China (Agogo Entertainment Limited). This experience shows, that even on such low cost productions, the HoBSoft method works very well and creates great value for the production company.
Here is how we did it:
1) Episodes would be arriving in the form of simple strip type animatic with lightly animated camera.
2) The editor marks up sequences, scenes and panels in the editing system (FCP7 in this case) by making new tracks with simple cuts + exports a frame stack and audio track of the animatic.
3) HoBSoft automatically builds standardized Flash files for each scene, including duration, audio and panels + some standard layers + renders the (relevant layers in) Flash file, creates previews in the system, but also creates media files that goes directly and automatically into the FCP. In this case we maintained 4 tracks in editing, Animatic, Layout, Ready and Approved.
4) When the Flash files are ready the files automatically appears on the file server in the Layout studio and on the To-Do-List of the layout artist.
5) When the Layout is complete the Layout artist marks the Layout task ready in HoBSoft.
6) HoBSoft then verifies that the duration is still good, the correct layers are present, then stores the Flash file in the production archive for easy Backup, renders the layout (relevant layers) and creates media files for the FCP that automatically replaces old media files in the Layout and Ready tracks. The Layout task is then presented to the Supervisor and Director.
7) If the supervisor or Director requires changes they Retake the task - with a comment and perhaps a drawing directly in the HoBSoft interface.
If the Supervisor and the Director are satisfied they Approve, perhaps again with comments and drawings. HoBSoft then creates new media files for the Approved track that automatically goes directly into the FCP.9) HoBSoft would then automatically transfer the Flash files to the outsourcing studio in China (secure encrypted connections - yes, that works in and out of China) and show the Animation task in the To-Do-List of the Animator.
The relevant files automatically appears on the Chinese file server.
10) When the Animation is complete the Animator marks the Animation task ready in HoBSoft.
11) HoBSoft then verifies that the duration is still good, the correct layers are present, then transfers the Flash file to Brussels, stores the Flash file in the production archive for easy Backup, renders the animation (relevant layers) and creates media files for the FCP that automatically replaces old media files in the Ready tracks. The Animation task is then presented to the Supervisor and Director.
12) Supervisor and Director Retake or Approve, comments, drawings...
13) Automatic new media files, backup...
14) To compositing and or VFX - if necessary - same story
While approving, Supervisor and Director can also make adjustments to the files while doing their approvals so as to avoid sending back the work to the artist for fixing of trivial issues.
I hope this info was interesting.
Any questions, don't hesitate to ask
