Nice stuff, I really like the visual style. My only crit is the facial animation, most of the mouth shapes seemed like they needed to be pushed a little further, but maybe it’ll read better at a larger resolution.
Is this something that already has funding or is this teaser to generate interest among studios/investors?
I love the warm look of the skin. And the style is quite nice. They kind of look like old painted wooden dolls brought to life. Especially the way the hair is done. I probably would have gone way bigger with the facial shapes like DaveW suggested. Very cool.
wow. just inspirational 
has the feel of the older more delicate xmas classics… with a smooth flow.
Gorgeous. Agree about the facial shapes but man you really nailed a great look for this one. Have to admit, since it was a Fred Tepper film I was expecting something demented to happen, like the kid fall out the window and die or something.
3 big thumbs up!
great style and comp Very Nice
Agree the mouth shape seemed alittle soft, but really that is just being picky :wise:
Hey, that looks really nice. Its a very warm feeling captured therein, with the characters, and the style of the render. I imagine it is a look that other people will do more of too. (Im not saying its the first work to attempt that look, but its probubly real close if it isnt, and its VERY well done!)
Look forward to watching the rest!
Fred & Co, this is remarkable! Very nicely done. Personally I appreciate the lack of over-acting in the faces; it’s very natural and matches the style. No MTV pacing here, but peaceful and fluid, the camera lingers that moment longer to allow me to read deeper into the characters and their situation - to me that’s important because as it draws in my emotional involvement.
The sequence is nicely finished with visuals and sound. No crits from me, except that the video clip does not quite match the written story outline; left me a touch confused. But I understand this is a screen test.
If the whole movie has similar clean and wholesome subject matter, I’d let my kids watch it when it comes out.
Nice work you guys!!
Thanks. And thanks everyone else, for the crits too. As for the story, originally it was as in the video, that he wants to finally prove that Santa is real, but I’ve changed it to what’s in the synopsis on the site because I didn’t want it to seem similar to that other Christmas film about a kid going to the North Pole. In reality, it was very different, and I wrote it long before the movie came out (after the book though, but I’d never heard of it). It’s possible that when it goes into full production it’ll go back to the original story, because I think it’s much stronger.
Fred
Great work guys, everything seems to fit well in this short. I personally think that rather than pushing for over acting, you can actually push for more subtleties on the face. As a screentest
everything is in there my opinion.
Overall look and feel is great! Sound work is excellent and the child voices superb!
I am impressed - I’d like to see more, which is what it’s all about.
Hi Fred,
It’s just beautiful. I agree that it would be much stronger to have the boy’s quest
be proving that Santa is really real, rather than just that he wants to get his Christmas
wish list to Santa. That other film wasn’t very good, because the story wasn’t very good.
It actually made Christmas seem kind of scary. That pobably wasn’t their intention,
but it’s true.
Very, very nice. Great look and feel 
I just don´t get it why they suddenly start whispering.
Its a nice looking film, the point was to show off messiah in production which it does and does very well indeed.I think you guys did this in’04 and it still holds up.
The thing is there are a million and a half Xmas stories out there all dealing with the same point of finding a fictious character which supposedly sets things right, its a hard thing to pitch. There really is no value or moral to take home with you in that particular vein of storylines. Its why films like Polar Express fall flat on their faces.
That song that your hear coming to dept. stores, " He knows when your sleeping, he’s knows when you are awake." One of these days some kid is going to take issue with this staking. its funny, there is supposedly 12 of Xmas, where are they?
Well here’s an idea , although it might be too much like “Miracle on 34th Street”:
The kid sets out to find the real Santa Claus because Santa Claus is that important
to him, but what he finds is a man who believes he is actually the real St. Nicholas.
Not the modernified commercialized Santa Claus, but St. Nicholas - a real holy man,
the patron saint of children. Maybe this character is wealthy enough to be able to
do the things the real St. Nicholas did - gift giving, but maybe not gold but
nuts and fruits. Just like the original. And of course the boy learns a thing or two
on the way, as determined by the writer. I think that could be interesting. I don’t
think that has been done.
Maybe even though the modern “St. Nicholas” has doubtful sanity, maybe clues
could start showing up that maybe indicate he really could be a real holy man.
Like the ability to work miracles.
Take all this as just the fun of of batting ideas around! I can’t resist it.
Here’s a little info on the original St. Nicholas.
http://www.stnicholascenter.org/Brix?pageID=35
http://home4christmas.com/csanta1.html
