I’m sitting down (virtually) with Panayiotis Christophorou, discussing his short animated film “Invitation For Return”. The movie, for which the concept was created almost 30 years ago, is a metaphor for the tumultuous times seen by Cyprus in recent history. I found the project story fascinating, and I asked Panayiotis to share some glimpses from it with you, in an attempt to paint a picture of what it meant to create the short film that has been (probably) the longest time in development.
Marius: Hi Panayiotis, congratulations on completing this film, and on winning the “Best Animated Film” award at the Stockholm Film Festival. It’s been a long journey, hasn’t it?
Panayiotis: Thank you very much. It was a very long journey, full of pleasure and adversities. But it filled my life with knowledge, experience, and memories. Hopefully, the film will get more accolades in the future.
M: Tell us some bits about your past. What were the main steps in developing the project?
P: For over 35 years, I have been doing work for others, including commercials, broadcast work, documentaries, etc. In filmmaking, the client is yourself. The fear of the unknown made me more cautious, building solid structures, resilient enough to handle the load. I wrote the script in 1996, and in 1997 I proposed my idea to the Cyprus Film Board, which approved it with enthusiasm. I was using Lightwave 3d and a few plugins like messiah:studio and Worley Labs tools. However, factors beyond my control changed things dramatically, setting my film on hold.
M: I think it’s amazing that you never gave up on the idea, and on the work. What kept you going for all this time? Were there times when you wanted to abandon the project?
P: When Newtek developers left and formed Luxology, it was disastrous for me because I realized that my film’s future had become foggy. There was a period where Ι was a beta tester for Newtek, Worley Labs, and Luxology at the same time. Nobody knew that, I honored my NDA (Non-Disclosure agreements). However, modo was not yet mature enough to accommodate my needs. In 2003, I abandoned the film production while I had an open eye on technology developments. I have never lost my faith. I knew that the time would compensate for my patience and determination. During the COVID-19 pandemic, I pulled out the film and drove it to completion using Modo and Blender.
M: How did the project evolve over time? Is the final movie based on the original idea and story, or it’s been changed over time?
P: Although time changes everything, Films are not based on timeliness. How many films were made for WW2 or Jesus Christ? For this reason, I kept the story of the film the same, maybe with some cosmetic changes. Technology is changing dramatically. The technology of the 2000 is for the museum. Now things are more interactive and easier but needs are more demanding.
M: What were the biggest challenges you faced in creating this movie?
P: Cyprus is an island, a small country with a short tradition in film production. Due to the market size, the opportunities and budgets are ridiculously limited. I often work for clients abroad, so I am familiar with global trends, demands, and standards. This helped tremendously because I wasn’t making the film for local consumption. However, I was very lonely. I had some theoretical support from peers, but practically there was no one to help me solve the problems I encountered. I powered through and found solutions alone.
M: Is creating an animated movie a task too big for a single person?
P: A translation of a Greek poem written in 1904 by Konstantinos Kavafis about desires, answers this:
“
Just like beautiful bodies that never grew old,
tearfully enclosed in a bright mausoleum,
with roses at their heads and jasmine at their feet,
so are those desires —
the ones that passed without fulfillment,
never granted a night of pleasure,
nor a dawn touched by moonlight.
“
M: What can you tell me about the technical obstacles that the production faced? How did you go around them?
P: Some bugs were so painful. Although I submitted them for fixation, they were not in the development company’s priorities, nor was there demand from crowds for fixation. To avoid them, I developed my own technologies as workarounds. Specifically, I developed an in-house Global Illumination system, a skin shader with subsurface scattering, and a hair shader. The stock solutions didn’t suffice for me. I was unable to fix a bug that was generating artifacts. I had to heal the problematic results, frame by frame.
M: How does it feel to see the completed film, after all this time?
P: Exactly as the birth of my daughter. Very moved, excited, relieved. It is impossible to explain such a volcanic experience.
M: At RenderStreet, we’re proud to have been able to help with your work. Can you please tell me a bit about your experience with rendering your project on our farm?
P: Rendering a demanding project is a serious endeavor. It’s very time-consuming. A little mistake can be disastrous. Running a local farm not only does not suffice, but it needs maintenance, upgrading, and “babysitting”. With RenderStreet, I did not have these headaches. Previewing the film was very fast and illuminating, and allowed me to quickly fix sudden problems or omissions and resubmit my work for rendering. I was able to tackle problems that were undetectable without motion. RenderStreet met my needs like a glove. I did not have to sell my kidney to render the film. Very-very satisfied. Very friendly user interface, online monitoring, and ease of use. Brilliant! Highly recommend it!
M: As an artist and a creator, what comes next for you?
P: Making this film was so sweet, and fortunately, it rewards my work with satisfaction and recognition. I do not have plans to settle. My desire now involves a feature film with real means and actors. If an idea of a short animated film arises, I have many reasons to implement it, fortunately, carrying the experience of the first film. Naturally and unavoidably, financial sources are crucial.
M: Thank you, Panayiotis, and I hope you’ll succeed with your next project!
More information about the short, including social background and technical details, can be found on the https://lightgambler.com/ website.
