I
am drawn to Michael Sormann's sketches. They are fun, full
of energy, and great to look at. But even these sketches
don't hold a candle to his 3D translations of them.
"Theme
Planet" represents Sormann's sketches sprung to life.
The scenes spill over with detail. You can see and almost
feel every wrinkle, bolt, rustspot and pore. The
film's environment - a planet composed entirely of one humoungous
multi-leveled theme park - provides a great backdrop for Sormann
to work his detailed magic.
As
the main characters race to the center of Theme Planet, I
have to wonder what's just around the next bend. Watching
this film develop is great entertainment.
Sormann is also quite prolific. Details and gobs of geometry
just seem to fall out of his fingers onto the computer screen.
He updates his Theme Planet website
frequently and always has something interesting to show.
UPDATE 2007 - Until recently, Sormann was the lead
artist at Rockstar Vienna (a computer game company). But good
news for Theme Planet fans, he is now freelancing to support
himself as necessary, and dedicating the rest of his time
to finishing his film. Still no estimate of a finish date,
but the fact that he's moved his film project from a part-time
concern to something more approaching full time can only be
a good sign for the film.
"Theme Planet is a giant theme park floating through
Space, consisting of strange, huge attractions. There is
no surface, just gigantic structures like rollercoasters
and other attractions.
From the heights of these structures down to the very heart
of the planet, in the mysterious planet's core lies the
hidden lair of the "Mad Constructor". This bizarre
madman tinkers in his secret laboratory headquarters deep
within the planet's depths alongside his humble assistant
"Igor".
"I
like movies a lot and it would be great to buy myself
some popcorn in the lobby of a cinema featuring Theme
Planet one day."
- Michael Sormann
In
the upper regions of the planet, thousands of creatures
busy themselves, working on the maintenance and organisation
of the whole structure. And this is where we find our two
heroes, Pig and Elephant: they work as technicans on the
forever-crumbling rollercoasters.
As for me, I've been working for several years now in the
Computer game industry. Until recently I was Head of the
Art Department of Rockstar Vienna. I have always dreamed
about creating a feature film and I hope that my short film
project "Theme Planet" is a step in this direction.
I like movies a lot and it would be great to buy myself
some popcorn in the lobby of a cinema featuring Theme Planet
one day."
