The animals from the Ipswich Nature Centre recently starred in their own video where the animals themselves did all the talking.
They wondered who it was that the children are most excited to see on a trip to the Ipswich Nature Centre.
The dingo is sure they are coming to see him because ‘he is magnificent’.
‘It’s not likely dingo’, the spotted-tail quoll responds, as she is sure they are coming to see her.
Roy Kolberg was the creative director of filming, editing the shots together, putting in the voice overs and colour correction.
“The team at Ipswich City Council had come up with the concept and written the script,” he said.
“We spent the day at the Ipswich Nature Centre and filmed each animal for about half an hour.
“It was scripted in a way where the animals didn’t have to do anything specific, except the cow, Dexter.
CutPolish managing director Roy Kolberg
“We wanted him saying ‘good morning’ and moving his head up as he did, so we had a ladder next to him with some of his favourite branches of leaves so he would look up at them.
“With the bilby, we had to be quick to film them as they dashed between cover.”
The video has been hugely successful with over 100,000 views already.
“I loved working on it, the whole team at council were really friendly and their enthusiasm really kept us going,” Mr Kolberg said.
“I’m stoked at the outcome, it’s had really great engagement and if it gets people to visit the Nature Centre, that is the best result.”
Mr Kolberg also worked with special effects animator Matt Meersbergen, who can make animals talk.
Mr Meersbergen tagged along with the film crew to take how own close up shots of the animals’ mouths.
“I took some video of the mouths from different angles so I could reference them when I got back to the post production,” Mr Meersbergen said.
“In post (production), I put specific tracking points on the animal’s face which allowed me to make a 3D version of their mouths.
“That model keeps them in proportion for when I superimpose it over the real mouth.
Animator Matt Meersbergen
“I then went through frame by frame to track where the mouth is on the actual film.
“Once I put the model over the actual mouth footage, I was then able to move the mouth in time with the voiceover.
“Once all that gets approved, I added the fur back on, add texture lighting then render that out in a sequence back onto the footage with my new mouth over the top of the real one.”
Applying the animation and special effects took four weeks but Mr Meersbergen said it was an enjoyable job.
“I’ve been to the Ipswich Nature Centre many times, it’s a nice place and it’s free which is great,” Mr Meersbergen said.
Check out this behind the scenes making of the video
The Ipswich Nature Centre is in Queens Park and is opening Tuesday to Sunday 9.30am until 4pm.
During school holidays it opens seven days from 9.30am until 4pm and is closed Christmas Day and Good Friday.
