George Babbit The House of Magic

George Babbit The House of Magic

Cast: George Babbit, Murray Blue, Shanelle Gray, Doug Stone
Director: Ben Stassen and Jérémie Degruson
Genre: Family
Running Time: 85 minutes

Synopsis: Thunder, an abandoned young cat seeking shelter from a storm, stumbles into the strangest house imaginable, owned by Lawrence, an old magician and inhabited by a dazzling array of automatons and gizmos. Not everyone welcomes the new addition to the troupe as Jack the rabbit and Maggie the mouse plot to evict Thunder. The situation gets worse when the magician lands in hospital and his scheming nephew sees his chance to cash in by selling the mansion. Thunder is determined to earn his place in the family and so he enlists the help of the magician's assistants to protect his magical new home.

The House of Magic

About the Production

How It Came About

The House Of Magic is based on an attraction film made around a decade ago. An attraction film is a 4D film lasting 10-15 minutes (a 3D film with physical effects in the theater). It was a 12-minute film called Haunted House.

After Sammy's Adventures and Sammy 2, we were looking for ideas for a feature-length movie and we thought this would be a good one to turn into such a film. Of course, it was a short and we had to turn it into a real story. In fact, the first 10 minutes at the start of our film recall certain shots and decors from that attraction made a decade ago.

In the beginning, the English title was The Enchaunted House (enchanted/ haunted), but the word 'magic" fits better with the film because the house belongs to a magician and because the characters use magic. So we preferred to call it The House Of Magic. And it's not a scary film at all. Even the scene where the potential buyer for the house ends is scared and leaves the house screaming 'the house is haunted!" is completely fun because the audience knows the whole thing has been orchestrated by the characters who live in the house.
Ben Stassen (Producer and director)

Animating The Characters

There are 50 characters in The House Of Magic and each one is drawn. Beforehand, there was a lot of research. We tried out different designs and a range of approaches. For Thunder, we needed a young cat, somewhere between a kitten and an adult cat, so in terms of proportions, we did different tests to get the effect we wanted.

We also did sketches of characters, the annoying characters that we enjoyed mistreating. And for Lawrence, we looked for actors that might look like him. Initially, I was looking at Pierre Richard – I thought he was the archetypal old man with crazy gray hair. If it had been a live-action movie, Pierre Richard could have played the role.

There are four stages to creating a sequence.

Firstly, the storyboard, which is the whole film in drawings. Many sequences are discarded, and it helps us slim down the film as much as possible without it being too expensive. We do a 2D animatic that gives us a first feeling for the film.

Then it's time for the layout, which is when the project goes from 2D to 3D. We position the cameras and the characters in the space and start to really quantify how the different sequences will be broken down into shots.

After the layout is done, the film really starts to come alive.

During the animation phase, all the shots are animated and that's when the characters become real. The emotion appears along with their facial expressions and the special effects. We also add the character effects, such as the movement of their clothes and hair. Then it's over to the lighting department who handle the photographic direction.

The final stage is compositing, when we create the ambiance and refine the colors until we have the final image.

We're very proud of the result. A year ago, I was less happy but now, I'm feeling much better!
Jérémie Degruson (Co-director)

The Music

For the music, I was lucky enough to meet up again with composer Ramin Djawadi with whom I worked on my first film, Fly Me To The Moon. Since then, he's been working on major projects such as the series Prison Break and Game Of Thrones, or films like Safe House with Denzel Washington, Hotel Transylvania, and Pacific Rim, but he's very faithful and has worked on all our films.

Ramin Djawadi has a great talent for creating themes, and themes are always useful in an animation film because you have to create everything – there are no actors who come along and project their personality and take the film in hand. You start with a blank screen, there is no light, no sound and no music – you have to do it all. So having someone like him who knows how to create themes for characters or moods is important.

Whether dealing with commercial songs to which we bought the rights or orchestral compositions, you can either chose the music before you start the animation or when the film is finished. For example, we do it beforehand if we want to animate the sequence to the musical beat. As in the sequence with the ballet, when the cat comes into the house, welcomed by the magician who wants to have a party and starts up the phonogram. At that point, we hear a song and they dance for three minutes. For that scene, the music had to be composed and recorded, or else purchased, before we started.

So when you start working on the soundtrack, you know there are certain places where you need a song, and then all the rest is written according to the visuals. For two months, in his studio, Ramin Djawadi watched the film on a loop. To do a scene, he watched it, he wrote some music and then either it worked or it didn't. The music has to be synchronized with the finished image.
Ben Stassen

The Inhabitants Of The House
Thunder: Thunder is such a funny little cat. Abandoned by his family one stormy night, it didn't take him long to push open the gates of The House of Magic to find shelter. Despite the objections of a grumpy rabbit and a moany mouse, our hero was soon adopted by the house's owner. And once he's met all the fun animals and animated objects that live in the house, Thunder becomes as brave as a lion. He ends up facing all kinds of dangers to protect his new family and shares his hair-raising adventures with us.

Lawrence: A swish of the magic wand and voila - here's Lawrence. But from which planet does this strange magician with his kind smile hail? Do you think he's old? Just imagine! He reigns with the energy and imagination of a 10-year-old child over a cheery gaggle of animals and animated objects that live in the house. And in the crazy world of this joyful illusionist, there is always room for a newcomer. Especially if that newcomer is a little cat who isn't afraid to flex his claws to defend his new pal.

Maggie: Little Maggie has always got something to say. She never holds back from complaining, being mean about others or sparking an argument. Maggie the mouse is Jack the rabbit's best friend and together, they make a magical team.

She is tiny, testy, and even a little timid. But she doesn't make a meal of it. She comes to realize that Thunder is a brave little cat, ready to rise to any challenge to defend the gang of animals and funny objects that live in The House of Magic.

Jack: In The House of Magic, Jack's the one who sets the rules. Old Jack's seen everything in the time he's lived here and some little cat from nowhere isn't going to bother him. Jack is the head of the fun-loving gang of animals and talking objects that live in the house and he's going to have to get used to the fact that Thunder is now part of the family, and he's a great cat to boot.

Carla & Carlo: Carlo and Carla love to bill and coo. Carlo is proud and brave and Carla is sweet and devoted, and they love each other like they only met yesterday. What more could they ask for? That they might be left in peace with the happy gang of animals and fantasy objects that live in the house, for example.

Edison: Edison is a ray of sunshine. He's a warm and friendly guy like no-one else. And once he's your friend, he's your friend for life. You can count on his light to shine on the darkness and to chase out any unwelcome visitors.

Kiki: Stop barking, Kiki! This little Chihuahua barks so loud because he's afraid. Since he's come to believe the house is haunted, he's even more suspicious of all the animals and objects that live there. Apart from Thunder the cat maybe, for whom he would even be prepared to step outside.

And Also...

Clara: Clara is a real twinkletoes. Look how gracious she is, how precise, how delicate. But don't hassle her friends because if you do, Clara can be a real little dragon.
Stomp: Who wants to hang out with Stomp? Do you like bright colors? Love chewing gum? Then one thing is for certain - you're going to love Stomp.

Gunther: Let's hear it for Gunther, who has the most wonderful moustache in the house. Round like a cheese and as gentle as a lamb, Gunther is a pure product of the Tyrol mountains.

Chef: Chef is such an amazing cook. He certainly knows a thing or two about cooking. A champion of all kinds of pancakes, he's the magician of the ovens in The House of Magic.

Bubble Tom: Did you eat some soap, Bubble Tom? His feet are suckers, bubbles come from his mouth, and when he's mad, he starts to smoke. Bubble Tom is definitely not like the others.

Daniel: Watch out for the ambitious Daniel. He's too well turned out to be honest if you want my opinion. Daniel would like to get hold of his uncle's house and sell it to the highest bidder. But the happy bunch of animals and magic objects that live there have a different idea. Especially little Thunder, who will do anything to stop the insolent Daniel in his tracks.

Meg: When Meg is around, it's like being at the movies. Sit down, get out your popcorn and open your eyes. Meg will screen one of her best films and at The House of Magic, everyone loves it.

The Gizmos: The Gizmos are such a funny bunch. They run, they dance and they even make music. But above all, they love Lawrence, the old magician who made them. And they'll do anything to protect him.

Sphery: Sphery is full of energy. Wait till you see him jumping on his six legs and lighting up with all the colors of the rainbow. You won't believe what he can do. And as Lawrence the magician says, "When Sphery is there, the world looks beautiful, even when it's raining!"

Twiggy, Twigga, Twiggoo: Life is great for Twiggy, Twigga and Twiggoo. You need something? Just ask them and they'll come rushing to your aid. And in the kitchen, they make great little apprentices who are appreciated by everyone in the house.

Trunk: Trunk is courage personified. Six legs, two love handles and a trunk big enough to do as much magic as you like. And if you've never seen a trunk ride a bike, that's because you've never been to The House of Magic before.

Tyson: Tyson is as strong as an ox. Breathe in and breathe out - you won't make any mistakes when Tyson's around because everything he does, he does it right. And when Tyson does the cleaning, it means upheaval on every floor.

Ding, Dang, Dong: It all rings true for Ding, Dang and Dong! But they never drop a clanger. When they need to, they certainly make themselves heard. And watch out if you behave badly with their friends.

Brika: Brika is a beating drum. This little bespectacled monkey is the work of Lawrence the magician. He's a musical robot like no other, and in the chaos of the House of Magic, it's Brika who sets the tone.

Grammy: Tonight, Grammy is spinning the beats. This old Gramophone is no spring chicken but when he spins his discs, everybody starts to dance. There's nobody like him for getting the happy gang of animals and crazy objects that live in the house on their feet.

Sprinkly: There's no one quite like Sprinkly for giving you a good watering. All the plants in the house can thank the old magician for making this obliging little robot. And it's thanks to Sprinkly and his tomfoolery that the whole house has fun until their thirst is quenched.

Handy: Handy is always there to offer a helping hand. He knows The House of Magic like the back of his hand and life here, with this happy bunch of animals and funny objects, fits him like a glove.

Freak: Drriiing! Hello? Freak here. In The House of Magic, there's no need to chase after the phone because the phone comes to you. This is a truly mobile phone that is both efficient and kind. And if you're looking for a good dose of adventure, you've got the right number.

Cronien: Nobody knows how to dance better than Cronien. No other camera, even a digital one, can tap-dance quite like he can. So don't be surprised if you're fully focused on him like we are.

The House of Magic