TEEN SPIRIT

3D World takes a journey into Cinesite's work on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem has reinvigorated the on-screen adventures of the pizza-loving heroes in their half shells. 3D World speaks with Eric Cheung, Cinesite’s animation supervisor, and VFX supervisor Chris Kazmier about the studio’s part on the new, visually stunning film. For Mutant Mayhem, Cinesite’s artists worked in collaboration with Mikros Animation, taking on particular sequences and scenes.

With an origin in the comic book series created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird in the early 1980s, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have become an enduring set of characters across comics, toys, animated TV series and feature film versions and variations. Mutant Mayhem marks a particularly successful entry in the Turtles’ filmography with its dynamic animation and compelling story.

Our conversation begins with Cheung addressing the degree to which the character designs from the original comics informed the character design and animation undertaken for the movie. “Mutant Mayhem seeks to stand out by emphasising the youthful adolescence of the turtles, not just by casting teenage actors to play the heroes, but in the very visuals themselves,” he says. “The character design we were working with was more youthful; because the designs were slightly skinnier versions of the Turtles than audiences had seen to date. It was a kind of more teenage build.