They say “write what you know”, and the veteran host and filmmaker Uli Meyer does exactly that. Meyer – An animation legend whose credits include Who framed Roger Rabbit,, Traffic jam,, An American tail: Fievel goes to the westAnd the next adult animated function of Genndy Tartakovsky Fixed – has just finished filming on a teaser for DifficultA new hybrid functionality live / animation it currently develops. The film is described as a loving and chaotic tribute to cereal mascots that dominated Saturday morning television in the 1990s.
Inspired by his commercial work at the start of his career (several examples below), Meyer’s latest project mixes hand-made animation with modern AI themes, nostalgia and the cost of digital memory.
“In the 90s, we made these wild and colorful cereal advertisements that were broadcast between the cartoons – and then they simply disappeared,” explains Meyer Caricature. “A few months ago, I found some of our old images and started to share it online. The answer was overwhelming. People remembered these characters – it brought back their childhood. That’s when I knew Difficult had to arrive.
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Instead of waiting for the improbable permission of cereal manufacturers to use the original characters, Meyer invented his own mascots and built an original world around them.
In the 1990s, Difficult Starts in a London animation studio led by a team of husband and wife famous for having created beloved cereal mascots. Their world collapses when new regulations prohibit sweet advertisements for children, effectively canceling their entire industry overnight. The husband fled to America, leaving behind his wife and daughter, Maya.
Decades later, Maya’s 12 -year -old daughter Charli discovers a VHS band from old advertisements. Hoping to connect with the grandfather she never met, she downloads digitized clips to Tiktok using AI tools. But the experience goes horribly badly: his viral videos open a portal between the worlds, freeing the mascots formerly cute, now twisted and improved in AI, in the real world.
“The mascots are angry,” said Meyer. “They have been forgotten, abandoned. Now they use AI to reinvent themselves, and they don’t come back exactly like cuddly icons.”
To bring Difficult For life, Meyer pulled a teaser of proof of concept using his original 35mm camera equipment, relics of his commercial days, supported by a dedicated team of employees. The animation is entirely hand -drawn in TVPAINT, with practical effects and hand made mats to make a Who framed Roger Rabbit-Set style. Appropriate, given Meyer’s involvement in this emblematic film.
“In an industry that looks more and more about automation and generative tools, this film is a statement,” said Meyer. “We embrace traditional crafts. All in Difficult is carefully done – no shortcuts, no automotive wheels, no IA animation. It is a work of love.
The production team includes long -standing collaborators such as the director of photography Markus Ilchner, the production director Vanessa Wheeler, the record player of Sound Charlie Hinde and the artists of special effects Mark Bailey and Lisa Meyer. Live distribution presents Margaret Clunie and Tom Ashley, while animation veterans like Boris Hiestand, Dean Roberts, Gary Dunn and Michael Schlingmann breathe life in the new characters of mascots.
The Crispy Clovers cereal box presented in the film was designed by Dunn, adding a satirical edge to the retro charm of the project.
“As artists, we answer at the time,” said Meyer. “We see how AI changes narration and production. Difficult Concerns what is happening when you mix nostalgia, loss, technology and rebellion. And we say it in a way that honors the analog soul of animation. »»
Difficult is currently in development, Meyer seeking the interest of partners and distributors.
For fans of Saturday morning caricatures, the tradition of cereals and artisanal animation, Difficult Promises a delightfully strange adventure, a spoonful of sugar and AI chaos at the same time.
