Are you an animator looking to break into film or TV with a new or different visual style? Netflix might be interested.
The streaming service just announced a new project based on Alex Kershaw's bookThe Liberator: One World War II Soldier’s 500-Day Odyssey from the Beaches of Sicily to the Gates of Dachau. The series will tell the true story of U.S. Army officer Felix Sparks and the 157th Infantry Regiment's fight through occupied Europe. The regiment hailed from Oklahoma, its soldiers mostly Native Americans, Mexican Americans, and cowboys.
This will not be a traditionally animated project. The four-part series will be a hybrid of live action and CGI called Trioscope Enhanced Hybrid Animation.
This is the first time the animation technique will be used in a series. Georgia-based production company School of Humans and visual effects artist Grzegorz Jonkajtys pioneered Trioscope animation to create a hyper-realistic graphic novel look that they say is more detailed and nuanced than traditional rotoscoping.
Jeb Stuart (writer of Die Hard and The Fugitive) created the series. Jonkajtys, whose visual effects credits include Sin City, Pan's Labyrinth, and The Revenant, will direct all four episodes. A+E Studios, Unique Features, and School of Humans are producing.
The announcement demonstrates Netflix's willingness to work with pioneering artists who want to tell stories in new ways.
Streaming and on-demand services allow some leeway for risk-taking, which is exciting for creators who might want to try unusual animation styles or long-form storytelling that doesn't follow traditional TV series models. If you're a writer, director, or animator, Netflix continues to be an attractive platform.
