ALPHADOGS’ COMPLETES POST-PRODUCTION WORK ON ‘LITTLE ALVIN’
Feature-length DVD from Bagdasarian Productions shot and edited in high-definition
January, 2004—Burbank, Calif.—
AlphaDogs, Inc., a post-production studio focused on keeping clients “ahead of the pack,” today announced that
it has completed work on Little Alvin and the Mini-Munks (www.chipmunks.com),
a groundbreaking emotional-learning DVD for children created by Bagdasarian Productions.
Little Alvin and the Mini-Munks was filmed and edited entirely in high-definition, then was downconverted to standard definition for distribution. “AlphaDogs was the right post house for this project,” said Jerry Rees, director of the project and former director and writer for Disney. “At AlphaDogs, this project isn’t just a number and a name—we get personal attention and I know that they’re not going to drop the ball.”
Terence Curren, president of AlphaDogs, and Russell Frazier, vice president of graphics, worked extensively to perfect Little Alvin and the Mini-Munks to ensure that it met the high standards of other Bagdasarian Production projects. Frazier rotoscoped a number of elements in Discreet combustion*, eliminating rods on puppets that appear in the video and in one scene, entirely eliminating an onscreen character.
“Terry and the AlphaDogs team went out of their way to make Little Alvin and the Mini-Munks amazing,” noted Rees. “They cared about the quality of our project as much as we did. They displayed a real sense of pride in their craft, which elevated the final product. Working with them was a great experience.”
During the post-production process, Rees created entire scenes in Adobe After Effects that would normally be done in a dedicated animation program. He worked closely with AlphaDogs as he completed the complex effects sequences, which sometimes exceeded 300 layers, resulting in what Curren called “incredible animation.”
“Our talented crew has years of experience working with high-definition projects, which helped us deliver the finished project quickly and to meet the budget requirements of Bagdasarian Productions,” said Curren. “In addition to our team’s talent, we are committed to keeping abreast of the latest technologies, enabling AlphaDogs to provide the best post-production solutions in the industry. We are honored to have been chosen to complete post-production work for Little Alvin and the Mini-Munks.”
Little Alvin and the Mini-Munks was created and written by Janice Karman and produced by Ross Bagdasarian. The DVD, which stars the Chipmunks and Chipettes as preschoolers, includes six new songs and combines puppetry, live action and computer animation. Karman and Bagdasarian provided the voices for the Chipmunks and Chipettes, as they have for the past 23 years.
Already, the DVD is proving to be hugely popular with parents and children. The Bagdasarian Productions team worked with noted child psychologists to ensure that a number of lessons—including telling the truth, sharing and sibling rivalry—are age-appropriate and presented honestly and directly. “The response has been absolutely incredible!” noted Bagdasarian.
About AlphaDogs
AlphaDogs, Inc., is considered one of the finest post-production firms in the
entertainment industry. The AlphaDogs team combines a wealth of talent, decades
of experience and a dedication to outstanding customer service. With AlphaDogs,
clients can rest assured that their project is receiving personal attention and
the highest-quality work from an award-winning team. AlphaDogs’ offices
are located at 1612 West Olive, Suite 200, Burbank, Calif. 91506. For more information,
call 818-729-9262 or send email to info@alphadogs.tv.
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Contacts
for Alpha Dogs:
Christine Brodeur or Robert Karpman
Socket Media, Inc
310-829-0556 or 310-829-0586
info@socketmedia.com
for Bagdasarian Productions:
Melissa Segal
Bagdasarian Productions
323-655-4283
melissa@evergreenconcepts.com
©2003 AlphaDogs, Inc. AlphaDogs, the AlphaDogs logo and “Ahead of the Pack” are trademarks and/or servicemarks of AlphaDogs, Inc.