Directed by DK Welchman, they were a huge logistical undertaking. Let us remind you that the live-action film was hand-painted by a team of over 100 oil painters and 100 digital painters from four different countries. They used 1,300 liters of paint to paint over 80,000 frames, and the whole thing was then animated. However, this did not impress film critic Tomasz Raczek, who said during the Gdynia Film Festival that the image looked as if it had been applied with “some kind of filter, not a real painting”. He also thought that the level of acting was not good enough and gave the whole film a rating of 5/10. His video review was shared on his Facebook profile by artist Karol Prochnacki, who added a few accusations of his own.
They complain that the painters for “The Peasants” received too little money
Prochnacki was happy that Tomasz Raczek did not succumb to “coquetting with the hard work of painters.” He also stated that the enormous work of artists was not adequately financially appreciated. “The salaries were ridiculous, not to say unacceptably low. Artists were paid per frame of the film, depending on its complexity – from PLN 80 for the simplest frame to PLN 300 for the most demanding one. I know this from the production itself, as a painter I was interested in the rates ” – he wrote in a post that was then shared by 30,000 people. fans fanpage Pop culture mysticism. The entry was commented: “The saddening context of the latest Polish blockbuster.” What’s more, the news that individual frames from the film can be purchased on the film’s website for prices ranging from 250 to 5,000 euros also caused outrage.
We asked the creators and producers of the film to comment on this matter. Sean Bobbitt told us:
Firstly, this is the rate before inflation increases and it is the amount per animation frame, and each image we sell contains many animation frames (around 30 on average). The remuneration for the key frame from which the animation starts was many times higher. The average salary of painters over the last six months was PLN 6,824 net per month
– comments for the film producer. We also found out that 45 percent the overall budget of the film was taken up by the costs of the animation itself. This includes: painting animation, equipment, the VFX process (which is the stage between photos and painting animation), digital animation (the so-called “inbetweening”) and overall animation. The producers told us that about 30% of the budget was spent on painting animation alone. from the budget. This also includes, among others: development, acting photos, legal services, editing, sound, music, etc.
What was it like working on “The Peasants”?
Anna Karcz, the painters’ coordinator, explained to us what the film animation process looked like, what elements the artists worked on and what the remuneration was like: – The first frame, i.e. First Frame (FF), is the first painted frame of a given shot or part of a shot, because sometimes the shots were so long that we had to divide them between the painters. The painter had from four to 56 hours to paint such a frame, depending on the degree of complexity (whether it was a close-up, a frame with many figures and a wide plan, or a landscape). This is the frame to which the painter had to devote the most time: preparing the paints, selecting the right colors, and giving the required style. Each stage of FF painting was supervised by a supervisor and ultimately this frame was approved first by Piotr Dominiak, animation director, and then finally by DK Welchman – he says.
– The animation process then began on the image painted in this way: each subsequent frame was an animation frame. The painter had from 15 minutes to eight hours to paint them – depending on the degree of copying, the number of figures, movement, etc. – he explains.
How much did painters earn for painting “Peasants”?
So what did the remuneration system look like in “Chłopy”? – The more time it took to paint a FF or an animation frame, the more the painter earned from it. Therefore, the faster he painted and animated, the more he could earn. If he painted an animation frame in four hours instead of the agreed eight hours, he received remuneration for eight hours of work – explains Karcz.
– Determining how much time the painter needed to paint the FF and the animation frame was the responsibility of the animation directors Piotr Dominiak and Małgorzata Kuźnik (second animation director), who are experienced animators from “Loving Vincent”. The basic monthly salary in Poland was PLN 7,095 gross, with a contract for specific work with the transfer of copyright. And on this basis, 8 hours of the painter’s work, as can be easily calculated, amount to PLN 337.86 gross. The average salary as of July 2023 is PLN 7,523.20 – he informs.
Additionally, she explained one more issue: – However, a key frame – KeyFrame – is one frame from a shot or scene that gives an outline to the entire shot, is created earlier than the other animators’ work on the shots. This is a guideline, a reference for the painter regarding style, colors, etc. KeyFrames were painted only by certain painters – opoiada.
Sean Bobbitt also added: – Regarding keyframe, there are two concepts. What Ania is talking about is a key frame – design painting. Specifies the style for the entire shot. However, in animation, a key frame also means a frame painted in oil, where “inbetweening” was used, i.e. the oil painter did not paint 12 frames per second, but, for example, six frames, and the remaining frames were created digitally based on key frames before and after – he commented.
In the first week after the premiere, “Peasants” was seen in Polish cinemas by 300,000 viewers. The film was released in cinemas on October 13, and until October 19, it was seen by 307,000 viewers. On October 25, this number had already increased to 520,000 people.
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
