As a first step, a one-minute sales teaser featuring the three main characters of the film was created in order to persuade buyers to invest in the film.

While director Tomer Eshed developed the script together with screenwriter Johnny Smith (Gnomeo and Julia) Lumatic took charge of the creative and technical lead of the project. Dennis Rettkowski, working as supervising technical director, developed a production pipeline, and Alexander Pohl assumed the role of production designer.

First Sketches

After finishing the script and initial character design rough sketches of every scene were hand drawn by director Tomer Eshed, who worked closely with DOP Olaf Aue on the early visualisation. This was the first representation of the film that the rest of the team were able to refer to.

3D Layout

All layout and storyboard work was done in-house at Lumatic with a team of animators and film makers.

Due to the production’s restrictions an alternative approach to the story pipeline had to be developed.

Unlike traditional storyboarding process, the film was initially staged in rough 3D using dummy sets and dummy characters. That enabled us to develop a camera approach, tackle challenging character size relations, and deliver individual cameras to the modeling department of the partner studios during the staging process.

Cinematography

DOP Olaf Aue was involved from early visual conception to the grading of the final images, and helped to define the stereoscopic approach of the film.

Storyboard

After approval the staged shots were handed over to the storyboard department for detailed drawing of poses and facial expressions, based on the predefined framing, size relations and viewing directions.

The drawn storyboards provided a precise reference for the editor, and an accurate indication of the desired acting beats for the animation departments in Belgium and Spain. This level of percision helped a lot in communicating the vision clearly, and reach satisfying results despite the remote working conditions.

Once the storyboard pass was complete the producers and the rest of the team in all production locations were able to better evaluate the films dynamic evolution.

From thumbnails to storyboard

In an early stage of preproduction, a table reading of the script was conducted with the director, scriptwriter and a few voice talents. The recording was used as a rough dialog track for the initial thumb-board animatic, and defined the base for overall timing of the film. After story refinements a second voice layout recording was made, which provided the audio track for the 3D layout pass, and the backbone for the final dialog recording.

The final dialogs were recorded at Goldcrest Studios in London. The original voice cast featured top class actors such as Sir Patrick Stewart, Felicity Jones, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Freddie Highmore, Meera Syal, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Nonzo Anozie, Jimmy Hibbert, and many more.

The final voice recording was based on the finished animatic. The original voice cast featured top class English actors such as Sir Patrick Stewart, Felicity Jones, Thomas Brodie-Sangster and Freddie Highmore.

The voices are an essential component for character animation. The animators were able to use them as well as video recordings of the recording sessions to express the required acting nuances and performance demands.

Most of the shots were animated at Cyborn in Belgium, and Able & Baker in Spain under the supervision of animation directors Federico Radero and Felix Gönnert. Lumatic took over the animation of several key scenes, which were animated in-house under the supervision of Lars Krüger.

Tomer Eshed worked closely with the partner studios' supervisors and animators throughout the entire animation process, traveling back and forth between the production houses.

The animation process was traditionally divided into three steps. In the blocking pass the acting beats, poses and expressions were defined. In the splining pass the animation was smoothed, and details were added. The polishing pass finalized the process.

The animated shots were delivered to Rise FX and Big Hug FX for lighting, except for the parts that were rendered in-house. The lighting artists in the different departments matched the light to the conceptual artwork that was provided by Lumatic as an artistic reference.

Master shots were defined for each sequence, that were reviewed and approved by the director, DOP and production designer and were used as lighting templates for the rest of the shots in the sequence. Additional visual effects like fire, snow smiulation and atmospheric effects were added in relevant shots, and were created by the simulation artists in the different studios.

The character design was a particular challenge in the production. Due to the large number of characters and sets, we had to develop efficient methods to cover the workload within the time- and budget-frames. Most of the characters were pre-sketched by director Tomer Eshed and were subsequently handed over to the character design department, led by Thorsten Kiecker, for further development.

The duration of the design process varied from character to character, and depended on the character’s role in the script. After the conceptual design was done, maquettes were sculpted, mostly by the head of modeling Michel Herm, and delivered for final modeling/rigging in Belgium.

The character design process began in parallel to script development and overall production design.

Almost all the characters were based on conceptual designs by director Tomer Eshed, and were further developed by the character design team, supervised by Thorsten Kiecker. Detailed poses and expression sheets were created for each character, as well as color concepts and prop designs.

The final stage of the character design process was the creation of 3D Maquetts, sculpted by Lumatic's head of modeling, Michael Herm, in close collaboration with Tomer and Thorsten.

The character design team created altogether about 80 character turntables and roughly 100 props.

Firedrake is the hero of the story. His good heart, courage and sense of responsibility drives him to go out on a dangerous quest around the world to find the Rim of Heaven, the place where all dragons could live in safety. In the novel as well as in the film, his motivation is primal and is the driving force behind the plot. However, in the book he is featured as a mature dragon. The decision to make him a younger character in the film was made in order to achieve a group dynamic between him, Ben and Sorrel, that would more resemble classic films like “Stand by me”, “Goonies” and many more, where a group of kids go out to a secret adventure, without the knowledge of the grown-ups around them. His base design as a winged quadruped was partially based on Cornelia Funke’s original illustrations, but his final design ended up drifting into a more naive and likable direction, after it became clear that he is going to appear as a younger character in the film. Classic dragon features like sharp teeth, spiky horns, and other monster-like features were strongly reduced in order to reflect his friendly, nonthreatening nature. His lower body was designed according to the anatomy of a lion cub, to convey majesty and a future leader.

As the female lead Sorrel plays an important role in the story. Her character traits and personality never drift away much from how she is described in the novel. Sorrel is Firedrake’s loyal friend, and she sees herself as his protector. This position is compromised when Ben joins the group, which also confronts her with her inherited prejudice mindset against humans. Throughout the adventure she learns that humans can also be good, and ends up changing her ground beliefs about them. Sorrel’s design went through a few rounds before it got to its final state. In the novel she was described as a cat-like humanoid. She was originally sketched accordingly, but as her design evolved the cat featured were reduced, and became a bit more fox-like. One of the main challenges were to make Sorrel feel like an appealing, good-hearted character, despite her natural spite and skeptical attitude. Her lemur-like tail got replaced by a more bunny like tail, and her head ended up becoming drop shaped, which helped support her femininity and distinguish her silhouette, together with other features like her wide pelvis and long eyelashes.

As in many boy-meets-dragon stories, Ben’s character plays an essential role. His character ended up diverting substantially from the way he was described in the novel, so that his character arc could be developed, and bring across the notion that humans can choose their moral ways. As an orphan who lost his parents in a tragic accident, Ben was a victim of circumstances. He lived alone and stole for survival, until his and Firedrake’s paths crossed. This led him to join the quest and eventually find out more about his true nature and greater destiny. Ben starts off as an egoistic character, believing he doesn't need anyone else in his life, but as his role solidifies and his back-story revealed during the movie, he ends up abandoning his selfish ways, and is rewarded with the home he deserves. Ben’s design also diverts significantly from the novel, and was changed many times in the development process, until the balance between his true and false selfs became apparent. As he goes through this transformation Ben’s outfit changes as well. Different wardrobes had to be designed for his default streetwear, fake dragon rider costume, traditional fur coat for the Himalaya sequence, and his final look in his new loving home with the Greenbloom family.

Nettlebrand is the villain of the story, and the threatening force that behind the heroes on the quest. Being originally a human experiment that went out of control, he manifests human cruelty, greediness and destructive potential. Being created in the Middle Ages as a dragon killing device he is constructed from metal plates and scales, resembling armor elements typical of that time. His design had to also correlate with modern mechanical destruction devices used by the humans in the film. These historical aspects and the high level of rigid components made Nettlebrand’s design particularly challenging. His rusty metal coat covers his original golden color. Besides the descriptions and illustrations in the novel, that provided a starting point for the design process, Nettlebrand’s design was also influenced by different animals. His large leonine jaw was meant to complement Firedrake’s feline body posture and indirectly connect the two as adversaries. His body design was a combination of a gorilla-human-like torso merging into a reptilian, iguana-like rear.

Twigleg is another key figure in the story. His character does not divert much both in personality as well as in appearance from the way he is portrayed in the novel. As Nettlebrand’s slave, Twigleg spent centuries tormented and afraid, until he is sent to spy after the heroes, getting caught and ending up changing sides. He is an Humonculus, a tiny artificial human, created by the same evil alchemist who created Nettleband. His design stays close to the author’s original illustrations, but was further developed in order to fit the film’s visual language. Drawing inspiration from the novel’s artwork, as well as from films like “Edward Scissorhands,” Twigleg’s costume and general look took on a dark, Gothic direction. His pale skin, pointed boots, tiny, spider- like fingers, as well as other characteristic features like his pointy nose and hair shape, were all described vividly in the novel. Twigleg was initially designed as a character with no pupils, in an attempt to emphasize him as being an artificial creature, but it was eventually decided that this feature might damage his overall appeal.

Gravelbeard is Nettlebrand’s side kick. He is an opportunistic mountain dwarf, who deludes himself as being as powerful as Nettlebrand. He regards himself as Nettlebrand’s partner, while Nettlebrand only keeps him around as a slave substitute. Gravelbeard is not very clever, and doesn’t learn a thing from his mistakes. He is the subject of a lot of slapstick and physical gags in the film, and was overall a lot of fun to create. His design went through many development rounds, and ended up different from the way he was illustrated in the book.

Professor Greenbloom is an important side character the group encounters after crashing in the desert. He is a fantasy creature expert, who dedicated his life for their preservation and wellbeing. After meeting Ben and finding out about his tragic past, Professor Greenbloom’s heart goes out to him. He invites Ben to join him and his family at his resort. Professor Greenbloom’s character was partially based on Steve Irwin (“the crocodile hunter”). His design was based on the original illustrations of the author, but got modified in order to fit the look of the film. Vita and Guinevere, the professor’s wife and daughter, have bigger roles in the novel, but they are only featured briefly in the film. Professor Greenblooms dogs design was influenced by Jim Hensons Puppets.

Subisha is a wise, old Indian woman, who helps the group fulfill the quest, after they seek her out in the small village where she lives. She is a good friend of professor Greenbloom and an experienced dragon expert, who fills in a lot of essential information regarding the world mythology and Ben’s true role in the story. Her original name in the novel was Zubeida Ghalib, but it was changed in the movie to a Hindi name because a Hindi husband figure for her, who was written into the script as comic relief. When interacting with him, Subisha’s calm and supportive nature switches to hot- tempered and impatient, exposing a whole different side of her personality. Subisha’s design went through many development rounds before reaching its final state. Her clothes are mostly based on traditional Indian outfits, while her overall facial and body proportions are based more on classical western cartoon aesthetics.

Subisha’s wacky husband, was introduced into the story to lighten up the India sequence and make it less lecture-like. Deepak has a good heart, but he is also slightly mad. He has a high ranking within the villagers, who respects him despite his odd manners, but he also constantly runs into clashes with Subisha, who can hardly tolerate him at times. Deepak is an original character that did not appear in the novel. His design was influenced by the Franco-Belgian aesthetics, which ended up corresponding visually with Subisha’s western influences, while maintaining an essential difference between the two figures, in order to support their characteristics.

Slatebeard is the oldest dragon in the pack. He is peaceful and kind, and the one who tells Firedrake about the Rim of Heaven. The rest of the dragons don’t pay much attention to old Slatebeard’s stories, but Firedrake is captivated by them and embarks on the quest with a strong conviction regarding the existence of the place. Nevertheless, in times of crisis, Slatebeard’s word is respected by the dragons. He has a strong moral sense, and gets very worried after Firedrake’s and Sorrel’s departure, and even more troubled by Bottleneck’s decision to go to battle against the humans, after misinterpreting the reason for Firedrake’s and Sorrel’s disappearance.

Graniteface is the leader of the dwarf group. He is dominant and the first to engage in conversation with Firedrake and Sorrel. Like the rest of the dwarves, Graniteface is amazed to encounter a live silver dragon, and is also the one who heard rumors regarding the Rim of Heaven and the prophecy around it. The information is less than accurate, but it provides the group with the next lead on their quest.

Stonebeard is one of the mountain dwarves that the group meets in the forest after leaving the city. Like his colleagues, Graniteface and Gravelbeard, he is a simple-minded miner, on his way back home after a long day’s work. He is a more passive character compared to Graniteface and Gravelbeard, and means no harm to anyone.

The Djinn with the thousand eyes is one of the side characters that were featured in the novel and stayed in the script. He is vicious and dangerous, but also the only one who knows where the Rim of Heaven is, and therefore plays a key role in the story. The encounter with him is intense but productive. Ben manages to trick him and receives a vision in return, which later on helps him guide the groups way through the Himalaya mountains. Some elements, like the old car wreck the Djinn emerges from, were adapted as they were described in the novel, but in the film the Djinn got a lighter tone to prevent him from being too terrifying for young audiences. Instead of literally having a thousand eyes, he ended up received multiple eye tattoos, that were originally supposed to be animated on his body, but that turned out to be an irritating effect so the idea was dropped. The actual eyes on his face behave as one unit for interacting, and multiply into many pixel-like eyes for the vision effect. This special feature required specific attention during the design process.

The Roc is another one of the side characters the group encounters on the quest. In the novel the Roc bird snatches Ben and almost gets him killed, but in the film Sorrel is the one that gets saved, so that Firedrake could discover his fire breath and relate it to the fact that Ben was sitting on his back at that time, a false belief he later needs to drop in order to defeat Nettlebrand. The Roc’s design was based on natural birds of prey, as well as the classical descriptions of the mythological creature, even though its size got reduced to fit the scale of the scene.

The Basilisk is another mythological creature adapted from the novel. It did, however, change from a demonic creature into more of a wild beast, in order to fit its role in the film. Traditionally, the Basilisk is described as a purely evil reptilian chicken-like monster, accompanied with a strong stench, and characterized by a deadly stare, that turns the victim into stone. The softer version of the Basilisk’s design was still chicken-based, but the Meduza-like effect was reduced to self paralysis when viewing its own reflection. This is something professor Greenbloom knows and uses in order to tame the Basilisk and save the group.

Sorrel is the oldest daughter in a family of forest Brownies, who live alongside the dragons. They are peaceful creatures that wish to harm no one, but have strong prejudices concerning humans, which they see only as an existential threat. The Brownie family’s design was extracted from Sorrel’s design. The Brownie family does not appear in the novel, and was created for the film.

Many additional characters had to be designed for the film. Some of them had an active role in the plot, some were created for comic relief, and some to inhabit the different locations the adventure takes place in.

The dragons were partially based on the illustrations in the book, but went through different rounds of development before their final appearance got established. Their coexistence with the Brownies played a larger role in early versions of the script and was sketched out for general inspiration.

Not all the characters that were conceptualized made it into the film. In early versions of the script additional dragon figures played a role, as well as other characters from the novel.

The crowds were created in a more generic way that the hero characters and were based on a random principle. An initial anatomical distinction was made between gender, age separation and three different body types. Facial features such as noses, eyes, mouths and ears were also designed in various forms, and then mixed randomly to achieve wide variety. Not all of the resulting characters were usable, but the basic characters in the final crowd scenes were extracted from this output. A secondary division was of outfits and props, individually designed and modified for each body type, and then mixed randomly as well. The variety of components and the different degrees of combinations provided us with the basis for human crowd simulations both in the city sequence, as well as in the Indian village.

Like the human crowds, the dragon crowds were divided into three main body types, which were further adjusted as adult males and females. The young and old dragon characters were designed separately from the crowd simulation system. The secondary parameter was color and additional features like horn lengths, back spikes, shapes, etc. Due to budget restrictions, we were not able to apply the same facial system we did on the human crowds. Expressions and phoneme sheets had to be designed for each body type, and were then driven by a simplified rig in order to accomplish the acting requirements of the different scenes the dragon crowds appeared in.

Based on early drafts of the script, the production designer Alexander Pohl and his team started creating mood boards, concept paintings and color sketches to develop the look and feel of the film. All major sets were created as rough three-dimensional sketches that were used as the basis for camera and action layout.

Using the previously defined scenes and camera angles, the final sets were created by Rise FX, Big Hug FX and Lumatic.

In the role of the mediator between the art- and the VFX-department the production designer was responsible to lead through the artistic transformation that ended up in the creation of the so called color script as the artistic guideline for the final grading process.

The creative goal regarding the production design was to hit the right balance between stylized and detailed designs. In order to minimize the discrepancy between stylized characters and photo-realistic set elements, the large shapes that define the space of the set were reduced to a simple, recognizable form. On the other hand, the colors in the final color script were overdrawn for each individual set from the start in order to rule out an uncanny valley effect.

In addition to the 3D sets, over fifty matte paintings were created at Lumatic by the production design team, most of which spanning 360 degrees.

The Valley of the Dragons was challenging in many ways. On the one hand because most of the places are played here, on the other hand because it should actually be an uncomfortable place that the dragons want to leave, but there should also be scenes in the film that suggest a certain cosiness. In the book it is assumed that the valley is located in more northerly regions. Since these are mostly bare and if wooded, then only with conifers, it was especially difficult to tell the home of the brownies. Because these small, cat-like creatures build their caves in the cavities of trees, which was simply better designed with gnarled deciduous trees than with the straight, columnar trunks of the Nordic spruce. Swamps also appear in the script and so in the end the valley became a place that cannot be explicitly assigned to an existing country. The valley is most likely to be associated with British Columbia in western Canada, which has both arctic and warm temperate climates. The color spectrum of this set is dominated by cold green, turquoise and blue tones.

According to the script, the second set takes place in a German city by the sea. Here, too, there is no more precise information about which city is actually involved. All of the scenes here take place at night. There are two places that had to be designed. One is the harbor with an old warehouse, where Firedrake and Sorrel meet the orphan boy Ben for the first time; it is an abandoned part of the harbor, hazy and eerie. Blue-green and yellow-red shades dominate here. The other scenes take place in the city and especially in front of the premiere cinema, where Ben steals the knight's costume to escape his pursuers after he stole a necklace from a jeweler. The architecture is said to be primarily shaped by the historicist building that was common in the 19th century; but also the architecture of post-war modernism, which changed the German cityscape after the reconstruction, are included in the design concept. The architecture of the cinema is based on the newly designed building of the Zooplalast by Paul Schwebes. In contrast to the curved lines that are usually found in animated films, the formal language is strict and straightforward. In terms of color, the blue of the night is broken up by the complementary, amber-colored lantern and shop window light.

In this set, the antagonist Nettlebrand and his helpers are introduced for the first time. The scenes there take place outside in a mountain range and in a forest on a hill, where our heroes land, and once inside the castle of Nettlebrand. The whole scene is supposed to appear mystical, ghostly and, in keeping with the dwarf characters and the homunculus Twigleg, in an ironic way reminiscent of the black and romantic imagery of the Nibelung saga. Nettlebrand's castle, whose Gothic, sacred architecture is supposed to be reminiscent of the neoclassicism of a Neuschwanstein, sits enthroned in front of a mountainside like an ominous threat. This architecture is broken up by steam engine-like elements that are supposed to make the building appear like a living monster. This scene also takes place at night. In order to stand out from the cityscape and to support the mystical atmosphere, the light should be given a surreal character by means of light gobos. Fog and autumn leaves also support this atmosphere. The hall in which Nettlebrand resides is reminiscent of a sacred nave that has been badly damaged over the years. Here, too, style elements similar to steampunk are installed everywhere, which are intended to illustrate the transformation of the building by the magician Pestrosius.The dungeon halls in Nettlebrands Castle are intended to illustrate the size of this building once more. The fantastic representations of the dungeon halls of Piranesi served as a model.

After our heroes have escaped Nettlebrand for the first time, they involuntarily end up somewhere in the middle of a hostile desert. The scenery essentially consists of three locations. A dilapidated, ancient Egyptian temple complex in the style of the double temple of Kom Ombo, the tomb below where our heroes meet the basilisk and the oasis where the professor has set up a camp with his mythical creatures.The whole setting is strongly stylized. The temple complex is unusually located in the middle of a sea of ​​dunes that stretch like an endless sea to the horizon. No civilization far and wide. This is intended to make the hopeless situation of our heroes even more clear. Strong ocher / brown tones dominate, which should contrast with the azure blue sky.

The Montage sequence is a series of short shots that show different locations through which our heroes have to fight their way. A lovely song underlines in an ironic way the many absurd situations they get into. The places are wildly mixed up to illustrate the disorientation of our would-be adventurers. Here, some places are dealt with in quick succession, which are given significantly more leeway in the script or novel.

After the arduous odyssey through world history, our heroes land on a barren stretch of coast. Here Sorrel is kidnapped by a huge bird of prey and an action-packed chase begins. Right from the start, the set was designed as a kind of natural obstacle course. Since the bird of prey is reminiscent of a giant bald eagle, the decision to design the set in the style of the Grand Canyon in Arizona was only an obvious one. The challenge for the layout artists was to design the chase in such a way that the viewer gets the feeling of flying higher and higher until Sorrel plunges into the depths at the highest point to be rescued by Firedrake just above the bottom. For this purpose, a library of modular layout geometries of the rock formations was built, which could be moved as desired. The reddish-brown rock formations stand in stark contrast to the colors of the following set.

After the jubilation over the victory over the Roc-eagle, a gigantic jungle landscape with deep, overgrown gorges that seem to disappear in the subtropical haze opens up to our heroes on a high plateau. This is the place the professor spoke of. The Ravine of the Djinn, which is supposed to answer your question about the place where the Rim Of Heaven should be. They fly recklessly into the gorge to brave the next danger. The set represents a canyon overgrown by subtropical plants, which ends in a kind of arena in which the fight with the Djinn takes place. Warmer green tones dominate to stand out from the color palette of the Dragon Valley. The heroes have to fight their way through swampy waters and lianas. The steamy, hot atmosphere should literally be felt. There is an old beetle in the arena where the Djinn lives. Around the car are scattered relics of former enemies who fell victim to the Djinn.

After narrowly escaping the dangerous Djinn, the heroes continue their journey to India. In a bay they head for the village where the seer Subisha Gulab lives. The temple in which the story of the dragon rider is told is enthroned high up on a hill. With its vegetation, the bay is reminiscent of Kerala in the south-west of India. Conceptually, the village should look poor and improvised, but with its brightly colored colors it should set itself apart from all other sets, especially the very monochrome Himalayas set that followed. The architecture of the Dragon Rider Temple is based on the style of Hindu buildings of the 10th and 12th centuries, with its classic tower structures consisting of the slightly curved temple tower Sikhara and the underlying, separated Garbhagriha, in which the sanctuary is located.

The last part of their trip takes place in the Himalayas Mountains. Stylistically, things come full circle here. The inhospitable and cold environment corresponds to the atmosphere that the Dragon Valley is supposed to suggest; rather, it seems to be even more hostile to life. Dramaturgically, a retarding moment is created here, in order to allow the audience to immerse themselves in the hopeful and fantastic landscape of the Rim of Haven after the action-packed showdown. The angular, crystal-like, almost black rock formations protrude into the sky like pointed fingers and are highlighted in contrast by the soft, cyan-blue snow banks. To escape a snow storm, our heroes take refuge in a gigantic crystal cave. The idea of telling a surreal space here once again allows the real and metaphysical world to merge further. The gate to the hall where the showdown takes place is high up on a gigantic, crater-like mountain peak. The architecture in the hall with its geometric columns composed of many small cuboids draws its analogy from the rock formations and thus looks like a part of the mountain itself; ancient and out of this world. After the magical secret exit in the hall has opened, our heroes step out and enjoy the vastness and freedom of the Rim Of Heaven. For a brief moment a place of hope is revealed to the viewer. Lush green meadows and gentle valleys; crystal-colored waterfalls and colorful flower borders; everything is embedded in a soft sea of clouds, which is supposed to protect this magical place from intruders like a gigantic barrier.

The story ends with a short sequence in which the professor's estate is shown, where he lives in harmony and contentment with his family and the mythical creatures. We see Ben, who was taken in by the professor and how they wave goodbye to the dragons on their last trip to the Rim Of Heaven. In terms of landscape, the set is based on certain coastal regions of New Zealand. The property is characterized by the American country house style.

The last step of the image processing was color and stereo grading, which took place in ARRI Studios in Munich. The final colors were defined by the colorist, DOP, director and CG supervisor Dennis Rettkowski, who was also in charge of the stereography of the movie. A custom script enabled the use of modular stereo settings which automatically defined the correct lenses according to the varying size relations of the characters.

The film was finally mixed in Dolby ATMOS and received an additional HDR grading, that can be shown in adequate theaters.

The sound design was done in Bavaria Studios in Munich after the work on the image was complete. The high amount of details required specific solutions and fine balance between the different audio elements. The sound design was crafted by Stephan Busch and mixed by re-recording artist Christian Bischof, who based their work on an early detailed layout sound.

The score was written by film composer Stefan Maria Schneider, who also worked on all of Tomer Esheds short films. The music was an essential part of the story and had to capture the epic nature of the adventure. It was developed for over a year in close collaboration between Stefan and Tomer and was recorded in Budapest (strings / wood wing) and in London (brass).