3/13/03 Welsh Studio Dives into Otherworld

In Otherworld, from Welsh studio Cartwn Cymru, live actors dive into the sea and come up inked and painted in the mystical world of Mabinogi. The animated feature film bookended by live-action sequences also integrates photography and 3D graphics to create a unique fantasy world. Completed in fall 2002, the film has screened in cities all over Wales.

Based on the medieval epic Mabinogi, Otherworld sees Lleu, Rhiannon and Dan transported through an underwater golden doorway to a mystical realm. Like Cool World before it, Otherworld is a bizarre 2D animated realm where anything is possible.

The blending of media was achieved through Adobe Photoshop, Maya, and Cambridge Animation Systems' Animo software. Cartwn Cymru created all the 2D animation in Animo's ink-and-paint module. Accompanying 3D visual effects were provided by Moving Picture Company (MPC).

Otherworld was commissioned by Channel Four Wales (S4C), with additional funding by British Screen Finance and the Arts Council of Wales National Lottery Fund.