Back to Gaya (2004)

Directors:

Lenard Fritz Krawinkel
Holger Tappe

Writers:

Jan Berger
Don McEnery
(more)

Release Date:

18 March 2004 (Germany)

Genre:

Fantasy | Animation

Plot:

The beautiful world of Gaya is home to a community of creatures, known as the Snurks, who are much smaller than humans...

Plot Keywords:

CGI Film | Computer Animation

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Patrick Stewart	...	Albert Drollinger (voice: English version)
Emily Watson	...	Alanta (voice: English version)
Glenn Wrage	...	Zino (voice: English version)
Alan Marriott	...	Boo (voice: English version)
Bob Saker	...	Mayor / Tramp (voice: English version)
Lorelei King	...	Female Gayan / Susi (voice: English version)
Kate Robbins	...	Female Gayan / Valerie (voice: English version)
John Guerrasio	...	Galger (voice: English version)
Redd Pepper	...	Bramph (voice: English version) (as Red Pepper)
John Schwab	...	Zeck (voice: English version)
Stephan Lander	...	Professor N. Icely (voice: English version)
Claudia Lössl	...	E.N.I.A.C. (voice: English version)
Dimitri Kyrianos	...	Billy (voice: English version)
Dan Russell	...	Fred / Chad (voice: English version)
Michael Herbig	...	Boo (voice: German version)
Vanessa Petruo	...	Alanta (voice: German version)
Sebastian Höffner	...	Zeck (voice: German version)
Torsten Lennie Münchow	...	Zino (voice: German version) (as Torsten Münchow)
Klaus Sonnenschein	...	Galger (voice: German version)
Bodo Wolf	...	Professor N. Icely (voice: German version)
Heidrun Bartholomäus	...	Susi (voice: German version) (as Heide Bartholomäus)
Friedrich Schoenfelder	...	Albert (voice: German version)
Wolfgang Völz	...	Bürgermeister (voice: German version)
Uwe Büschken	...	Chad (voice: German version)
Melanie Pukaß	...	Valerie (voice: German version)
Gerald Paradies	...	Fred (voice: German version)
Marion von Stengel	...	E.N.I.A.C. (voice: German version)
Lutz Schnell	...	Taxifahrer (voice: German version)
Michael Nowka	...	Ken (voice: German version)
Thomas Petruo	...	Penner (voice: German version)
Hans-Werner Bussinger	...	1. Wache (voice: German version)
Georg Tryphon	...	2. Wache (voice: German version)
Adrian Killian	...	Billy (voice: German version)
Jochen Schröder	...	Erzähler (voice: German version)
Gabriele Schramm	...	Additional Voice (voice: German version) (as Gabriele Philipp-Schramm)
Heike Beeck	...	Additional Voice (voice: German version)
Suzanne Vogdt	...	Additional Voice (voice: German version)
Iris Artajo	...	Additional Voice (voice: German version)
Uwe Jellinek	...	Additional Voice (voice: German version)
Tim Moeseritz	...	Additional Voice (voice: German version)
Jan Kurbjuweit	...	Additional Voice (voice: German version)
Michael Bauer	...	Additional Voice (voice: German version)
Jaron Löwenberg	...	Additional Voice (voice: German version)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Eric Wobma	...	Reporter (voice: Dutch version)

Directed by
Lenard Fritz Krawinkel
Holger Tappe

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Jan Berger
Don McEnery
Bob Shaw

Produced by
Pierre Grage	....	co-producer
Lenard Fritz Krawinkel	....	producer
Stephan Mallmann	....	executive producer
Stefan Mischke	....	executive producer
Sebastian Riemen	....	assistant producer
Holger Tappe	....	producer
Harro von Have	....	associate producer
Thierry Wase-Bailey	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Michael Kamen

Film Editing by
Fabian Mueller		(co-editor)
Alexander Soskin

Production Design by
Henning Ahlers
Fredrik Kammer

Production Management
Fabian Mueller	....	assistant production manager
Sonja Schlichter	....	casting production manager
Sonja Schlichter	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Fabian Mueller	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Jens Benecke	....	storyboard artist
Lars Benecke	....	set designer
Michael Mantel	....	storyboard artist
Thies Schwarz	....	set designer
Stefan Speth	....	illustrator

Sound Department
Max Bauer	....	foley artist
Normann Büttner	....	foley mixer
Normann Büttner	....	sound designer
Normann Büttner	....	sound effects editor
Steve Cook	....	sound supervisor
Tony Currie	....	adr editor: English version
Blair Jollands	....	sound effects editor
Peter Maxwell	....	sound re-recording mixer
David Peacock	....	sound engineer
Kath Pollard	....	sound re-recording mixer
Nils Rademacher	....	adr editor
Nils Rademacher	....	dubbing editor
Nils Rademacher	....	sound designer
Nils Rademacher	....	sound effects editor
James Seddon	....	dolby consultant
Miha Jaramaz	....	additional sound editor (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Henning Ahlers	....	lighting supervisor
Christian Bahr	....	lighting artist
Henning Baumeister	....	character animator
Michael Best	....	digital effects artist
Bernd Bohnert	....	cloth supervisor
Jan Dubberke	....	digital compositor
Michael Enzbrunner	....	character animator
Oliver Finkelde	....	cloth artist
Gildas Gerdes	....	hair & fur supervisor
Pierre Grage	....	visual effects
Ivo Grigull	....	character animator
Lars Groeger	....	lead texture artist: nature sets
Patricia Göttsch	....	digital compositor
V. Hugo Hernandez Gomez	....	character animator
Christian Hipp	....	technical director
Angela Jedek	....	character animator
Jens Kafitz	....	lead texture artist: sets
Fredrik Kammer	....	lighting supervisor
Fredrik Kammer	....	lighting/rendering technical director
Sven Kroog	....	lead character modeller
Thorsten Kuttig	....	Filmbox artist
Thorsten Kuttig	....	animation supervisor
Thorsten Kuttig	....	modeler
Thorsten Kuttig	....	skinning artist
Thorsten Kuttig	....	technical director: Motion Capturing
Tobias Lawrenz	....	modeling artist
Florian Linner	....	Filmbox artist
Florian Linner	....	character modeler
Florian Linner	....	digital character setup
Fabian Mueller	....	pre-visualization
Michael Peter	....	hair/fur artist
Michael Peter	....	lead texture artist characters
Michael Peter	....	render artist
Michael Peter	....	texture artist
Roland Pfisterer	....	lighting artist
Roland Pfisterer	....	render assistant
Manuel Pietschmann	....	digital effects artist
Kay Poprawe	....	lead texture artist: sets
Heribert Raab	....	visual effects
Christian Sawade-Meyer	....	animator
Udo Schlörmann	....	digital compositor
Katrin Schmid	....	additional effects
Florian Schroeder	....	film recording operator
Wino Stelzer	....	character animator
Sheldon Stopsack	....	lighting artist
Pedram Taghdisi	....	character animation
Nicolai Tuma	....	animation supervisor
Pierre Grage	....	compositor (uncredited)

Animation Department
Hartmut Engel	....	character animator
Uwe Heidschötter	....	animator
Mascha Jürgens	....	character animator
Robert Kuczera	....	character modeler
Oliver Kurth	....	character designer
Benedikt Niemann	....	animation supervisor
Carsten Seller	....	animator

Music Department
Christopher Brooks	....	music producer
Andy Brown	....	music contractor
Tom Chichester-Clark	....	additional music editor
Ilan Eshkeri	....	composer: additional music
Janice Ginsberg	....	music supervisor
Julian Kershaw	....	orchestrator
The London Metropolitan Orchestra	....	music performed by
Stephen McLaughlin	....	music mixer
Stephen McLaughlin	....	music producer
Nils Rademacher	....	Trailer Music
Nils Rademacher	....	music editor: temp music
Andrew Raiher	....	composer: additional music
Jeff Toyne	....	orchestrator

Other crew
Ralph Oliver Graef	....	legal advisor
Pascal Karls	....	computer systems manager
Florence Larsonneur	....	business affairs: Recorded Pictures Company
Richard Mansell	....	business affairs: Recorded Picture Company
Ricardo Marcelino	....	computer systems
Martin Muser	....	script consultant
Sonja Schlichter	....	production coordinator

Thanks
Michael Kamen	....	dedicatee

Production Companies

• Ambient Entertainment GmbH
• Recorded Picture Company (RPC)
• Morena Films
• e·Sence® - digital department (financial support)

Distributors

• Warner Bros. (2004) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Entertainment Film Distributors (2004) (UK) (theatrical)
• Fox-Warner (2004) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Metropolitan Filmexport (2005) (France) (theatrical)
• Shaw Organisation (2005) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Soyuz (2005) (Russia) (theatrical)
• Three Lines Pictures (2004) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• DNC Entertainment (2005) (Italy) (all media)
• Entertainment in Video (2005) (UK) (DVD)
• First Look International (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Focus Film Facts (2004) (Netherlands) (DVD) (VHS) (rental)
• IPA Asia Pacific (2004) (Thailand) (all media)
• Jetix (2009) (Netherlands) (TV)
• Prime Time Entertainment (2004) (Netherlands) (DVD) (retail)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (Germany) (DVD) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Film Finances  completion guarantor
• MovieScore Media  soundtrack

Also Known As:

"Boo, Zino & the Snurks" - UK, USA
"En busca de la piedra mágica" - Spain (imdb display title)
"The Snurks" - International (English title)
"Zurück nach Gaya" - Germany (TV title)
"A Terra Encantada de Gaya" - Brazil
"Az elveszett kristály nyomában" - Hungary (imdb display title)
"Back to Gaya - Pequenos Heróis" - Portugal (imdb display title)
"Gaya'ya dönüs" - Turkey (Turkish title) (DVD title)
"Le monde fabuleux de Gaya" - France
"Magiczny kamien" - Poland
"Mikroi iroes! Oi peripeteies ton Boo kai Zino" - Greece (DVD title)
"Nel magico mondo di Gaya" - Italy
"Tierra mágica" - Venezuela

MPAA:

Rated PG for scary action and some mild language

Runtime:

UK:91 min

Country:

Germany | Spain | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Certification:

Singapore:PG | Brazil:Livre | Iceland:LH | South Africa:PG | Netherlands:6 | South Korea:All | Germany:6 | UK:U | Italy:T | Portugal:M/6 | USA:PG

Company:

Ambient Entertainment GmbH

Trivia:

This is the first German film to be completely computer generated.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Family Guy: Not All Dogs Go to Heaven (#7.11)" (2009)

decent, but far from great

Well, I went to see this movie at a 10 a.m. showing before it got canned, and I was the only one in the cinema. So much for the trouble I went through in order to see this flick.

Well turns that the 5 stars it received are justified. It's a movie that isn't really bad, but makes you cringe when you think what could have been considering ist potential. The Visuals are very good at times and not so good at others. The main technical problem of this movie is the rather unrefined degree of animation (crappy would be to harsh a description to use) which is displayed during the characters movement and them talking (lip sync, facial animation/expression, eye movement, etc..).

The character's movements are either motion captured and therefore very smooth or handanimated. This mixture can work quite well, but it only works when you do a good job animating and blending these two styles in with each other so that nobody notices. Walking and other (relatively) easily capturable movements are done well, yet when it comes to complicated action scenes, with characters being thrown through air, holding on to the hood of a car the animation is poor and wooden. There is no persistent, "believeable" movement going on. In Toy Story for example characters did'nt necessarily move according to reality but they behaved in a unique and in the toy setting consistent as well as beleivable manner. Some polishing would have been necessary yet it didn't happen.

The next problem are facial expressions weren't anything spectacular either. They were acceptable, which unfortunately isn't enough for an animated flick whose main medium to convey the protagonists emotion is facial expression and therefore fails. On the other hand there weren't that many emotional scenes. Actually I can think of only one: the one where one guy tells the other and vice versa what they believe sucks about their friendship. that's it - no death, no loss, nothing to choke you up or get you involved.

The worst of the technical flaws, though is the downright bad or rather the lack of lip sync.

I read some comments here on IMDB before I went to watch this film and therefore my attention was raised on this matter, maybe it biased my perception - but only for the first minutes. After that I was convinced that the head animator must have been blind. In a german movie I expect the german voice overs to be lip synced correctly. I mean you can even have a programm interpreting speech as lip movements and they do a decent job(Deus Ex 1 & 2 for example), but this was so totally off that it must have been on purpose. As it turns out well 15 minutes into the movie or so, one of the main protagonists says something in english and is perfectly in lip sync. From then on its clear that the facial animation was entirely done for english. You then could even read from the lips what they said. Well that's an answer but no excuse, as others already stated, Shrek for example has the "handicap" but does an excellent job. Though some of the voice actors aren't first rate, which leads to some poor voice acting at times (the princess for example). This is really unforgivable and really degrades the exprience.

By the way, was I the only one who thought that "Buu" was cross-eyed?

The story wasn't that great either. Not only was it uninteresting and predicatable but it just wasn't convincing at all. I mean the villains motivation was right out hilarious. Poor character development alongside with a strange pacing of events managed to keep you from getting drawn in. In Pixar movies the stories are always well thought of, structured in a logical, interesting way and you kinda know what they're trying to get at. Also the story is interesting enough to keep you going even if the visuals would suck. Here we have few to no jokes which aren't even funny and worse, no themes like love, fear or friendship are explored beyond a superficial level. Not that I'm expecting a great depth in a children's movie, yet some, at least convincing, plausible depth would is something I expect and certainly most children see it the same way.

So this movie that has a medicore story some more or less severe animational issues, nevertheless it did enjoy it,and so will the audience for which it is intended.

But if you are expecting something like Monster, Inc. keep looking for Shrek 2 or wait till this hits the shelf at your local video store.

The only sad part to this movie is that all the dedication as well as hardwork the creators put in it show a potential which can be seen in glimpses throughout the movie is destroyed by the shortcomings of this movie. With a better script , better dialogue and more time to fine tune the animation as well as a fixed lip sync this movie could have been real good.

Hopefully, the next time, the team who put this together will overcome these flaws mentioned above and once they accomplish this we're in for a real treat!