In production, Super Lucha is a comedy and action short film in stop-motion. Aimed at a young audience, it fuses the aesthetic of Japanese anime with the colorful universe of Mexican lucha libre. The story follows Ennio, a 10-year-old boy heir to a saga of masked heroes, and his journey to become a fighter for good alongside his friends. The 26-minute project prioritizes a handmade and expressive style.
Hybrid technique: physical puppets and 2D digital faces ðŸŽ
The technical process of Super Lucha, directed by Goulwen Merret and Agnès Lecreux, employs a mixed methodology. Articulated physical puppets are used, whose faces are replaced in post-production with 2D digital animation. This allows for a great variety of expressions. Furthermore, visual effects like speed lines and flashes are integrated directly during the volume shoot, using practical in-camera techniques to add dynamism.
Stop-motion with facial DLC? The evolution of the puppet 😄
It seems puppets have also entered the era of downloadable content. Now you can have a foam body and change your face with a click, something many humans would envy on Monday mornings. This hybrid approach solves the eternal problem of stop-motion: either you spend years sculpting a thousand heads or your characters have the expressiveness of a brick. A logical step, although perhaps the puppets will start demanding royalties for the use of their digital image.