Madame Tutli-Putli

Chris Lavis & Maciek Szczerbowski

2007

Canada

17'16"

Stop motion animation with digital effects

Madame Tutli-Putli boards the night train. As day descends into dark, she finds herself alone, caught up in a desperate metaphysical adventure. A drift between real and imagined worlds, Madame Tutli-Putli is drawn into an undertow of mystery and suspense.

The NFB (National Film Board of Canada) presents a stunning, stop-motion animated film that takes the viewer on an exhilarating existential journey. It introduces groundbreaking visual techniques and is supported by haunting and original score. Painstaking care and craftsmanship in form and detail bring to life a fully imagined, tactile world unlike any you have seen. The night train awaits you.

From Curators

In the chase of “simulation” by digital technique imaging, the “uncanny valley” effect usually bothers the artists. This effect makes the character humanoid whose eyes or expression is inadequately controlled. By using bespoke motion-tracking, and then composing and transplantation actors’ eyes of their performance into film stop-motion animation, “Madame Tutli-Putli” not only avoids representing lifeless hollow puppets but mostly vivid the characters’ emotion by unique digital techniques.

Chris Lavis & Maciek Szczerbowski

Artist Introduction

Chris Lavis and Maciek Szcerbowski have recently completed their first professional film, “Madame Tutli-Putli”, produced by the National Film Board of Canada. In addition to their role as filmmakers, Chris and Maciek wear many hats-as animators, sculptor, collage artists, screenplay writers, and art directors.

In 1997 they founded Clyde Henry Productions, a Montreal-based film and production company specializing in multimedia, stop-motion animation and visual effects. They have received acclaim for their award-winning illustrations, music videos and broadcast design, and provoked a cult following for “The Untold Tales of Yuri Gagarin”, a serial comic strip published in Vice magazine.