Using a mix of CGI and hand drawings, "Sir Billi" manages to produce a unique movie experience.

Embarking on Scotland’s first full-length animated feature film, Glasgow-based Billi Productions Ltd and independent studio Glasgow Animation have started post-production including final colorization, lighting, and rendering on the new animated family film “Sir Billi,” according to Sascha Hartmann, co-founder of Billi Productions Ltd. Hartmann is directing “Sir Billi” from a screenplay written by his wife Tessa Hartmann. John Fraser is producing, with Sir Sean Connery serving as executive producer.

Expanded to a feature length CGI film from a shorter concept, “Sir Billi” features an all-star cast including Academy Award® winner Sir Sean Connery in his first animated voice-over role, and Tony Award® winner Alan Cumming. All animation has been created in-house by the Glasgow Animation team of 60 creative professionals who designed proprietary technology specifically for the film.

Originally, the team used Alias, Wavefront, and Autodesk’s off the shelf software Maya for the short film teaser. Eventually though, they wrote many of their own programs to achieve the distinctive look and warmth they wanted for their characters, to provide a film unlike any other animated project. Their first challenge was to improve the rendering time as the animation process included up to 80 layers and rendering time was slowing production. The creative team went to work and eventually produced an in-house proprietary production pipeline that was able to decrease rendering time by 30%.

The team’s second challenge was to improve the way the background shots were used within the feature. By improving existing technology, they were able to strike a balance between the realistic animated scenes of the villages and the abstract drawings the animators had hand drawn for the backgrounds. As a result the scenery has a unique mix of realistic and abstract design, exactly as the director envisioned the scenes. The best part is that the entire project was managed in-house by the company’s experienced animators and tech leads hired from around the world.

As for the film: when tragedy strikes in the Scottish Highlands, there can be only one man for the job, Sir William Sedgewick, aka Sir Billi, an inimitable Highland hero, a grandpa, and an active senior skateboarding veterinarian who goes above and beyond the call of duty fighting villainous policemen and powerful lairds in a battle to save an illegal fugitive, Bessie Boo the beaver. Sir Billi braves treacherous ravines and hazardous gullies with his sidekick Gordon the Goat (Alan Cumming) to save Bessie Boo and Wee Dave the rabbit as they hurtle down a scenic yet perilous river. The movie provides thrilling car chases, heroic skydiving, and daring stunts while providing scenic views of the Highland community’s unrivalled landscapes, breathtaking scenery, and hidden secrets.

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