Melnitsa Animation Studio Explained

Melnitsa Animation Studio
Location City:Saint Petersburg
Location Country:Russia
Key People:Aleksandr Boyarsky (CEO)
Sergey Selyanov (chief producer)
Konstantin Bronzit (art director)
Industry:Animation
Motion pictures
Products:Animated films
Num Employees:325 (2014)

Melnitsa Animation Studio (Russian: Студия анимационного кино «Мельница», "melnitsa" meaning "windmill") is one of the largest animation studios in Russia. Deutsche Welle called the studio the Walt Disney of Saint Petersburg.[1] Alongside its animation projects, Melnitsa has an effort devoted to creating digital special effects for both animation projects and live-action films.

History

The studio traces its roots to several animated projects in the late 1990s, including television commercials, the short film Die Hard by Konstantin Bronzit (Grand Prix of the Annecy International Animated Film Festival, 1998), and the animated series "Global Bears Rescue" and "Technology", created for Poseidon Film Distributors Ltd.

In 1999, Melnitsa was formally established with backing from STV Film Company's Sergey Selyanov and led by Aleksandr Boyarsky.[2] STV Film Company retains a 50% share of the studio.[3] The newly formed studio's first project was Adventures in Oz (Приключения в Изумрудном Городе) for NTV-film (НТВ-кино), a four-part animation released in 2000.

In 2001, Melnitsa released its first 3D-animated project - the short film Good Morning (С добрым утром) by Denis Chernov. In 2002 Melnitsa released two short films by the famous animator and director Konstantin Bronzit: There Was an Old Lady for Scholastic Entertainment and the 3D-animated film The God.

In 2000, Melnitsa began work on the feature-length animated film Little Longnose (Карлик Нос) directed by Ilya Maksimov, based on the fairy tale of Wilhelm Hauff. The film premiered on March 20, 2003, reportedly becoming one of the first Russian animated feature film released to theatres in nearly 40 years.[4]

On December 23, 2004, the feature film Alyosha Popovich and Tugarin Zmey (Алёша Попович и Тугарин Змей) was released, directed by Konstantin Bronzit. The film was completed on a $4 million budget, and took in about $1.7 million at the box office.[5] [6] This marked the beginning of Melnitsa's "The Three Bogatyrs" trilogy, and two more films were planned over the next several years.

In January 2005, at the 10th Open Russian Festival of Animated Film in Suzdal, the new short film by Konstantin Bronzit premiered, called Cat and Fox (Кот и Лиса). Bronzit's film, based on a national Russian tale, was part of the huge government-sponsored project by Moscow-based Pilot studio called "Gora Samotsvetov" (Гора самоцветов)http://www.multiskazka.ru/. The project, when complete, will consist of 52 13-minute films based on fairy tales from all of Russia's nationalities.

On March 15, 2006, the second film in the "3 Bogatyrs" trilogy was released, called Dobrynya Nikitich and Zmey Gorynych (Добрыня Никитич и Змей Горыныч), directed by Ilya Maksimov. It came on the heels of the animated blockbuster Prince Vladimir, which was released on February 22, 2006.

Luntik, an animated series launched in 2007, gathered a total of over 2 billion views on YouTube.[7]

The third film in the trilogy, Ilya Muromets and Nightingale the Robber (Илья Муромец и Соловей Разбойник), was released on July 7, 2007, grossing $10 million on a $2 million budget and setting a record for Russia's domestic animation industry,[8] later surpassed by the studio's Three Heroes on Distant Shores earning $26 million in 2012.[9] The 2013 film Three Warriors On Far Shores again established a new record for Russian animation, grossing $31.5 million.[7] The release of Krepost in 2015 led to some controversy in Poland, as it depicted a 17th-century battle between Russian and Polish armies.[10]

The studio's 2007 short film Lavatory – Lovestory was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film, followed by a nomination for We Can't Live Without Cosmos in the same category during the 88th Academy Awards in 2016.[11]

Filmography

Short Film

Year Production
2021
2019 He Can't Live Without Cosmos
2015
2007
2003

Full length

Year Title cartoon Director Author(s) script Production Designer Budget Box Office
2003 Little Longnose
Карлик Нос
Aleksandr BoyarskyAleksandra Averianova$2,5 million $569 837
2004 Alyosha Popovich and Tugarin Zmey
Алёша Попович и Тугарин Змей
Ol'ga Ovinnikova $4 million $1 730 000
2006 Dobrynya Nikitich and Zmey Gorynych
Добрыня Никитич и Змей Горыныч
Ol'ga Ovinnikova $4,5 million $3 620 000
2007 Ilya Muromets and Nightingale the Robber
Илья Муромец и Соловей-Разбойник
Vladimir ToropchinAleksandr Boyarsky
Maksim Sveshnikov

Oleg Markelov
$2 million $9 739 679
2008 The Tale of Soldier Fedot, The Daring Fellow Lyudmila Steblyanko Lyudmila Steblyanko
Roman Smorodin
Anastasia Vasil'eva $2 586 097
2010 How Not to Rescue a Princess
Три богатыря и Шамаханская царица
Aleksandr Boyarsky
Ol'ga Nikiforova
Elena Lavrent'eva
Oleg Markelov
$2,5 million $19 010 585
2011 Ivan Tsarevich and the Gray Wolf
Иван Царевич и Серый Волк
Vladimir ToropchinAleksandr Boyarsky
Rostislav Khait
Leonid Barats
Sergei Petreykov
Marina Kudryavtseva $3 million $24 830 497
2012 Three Heroes on Distant Shores
Три богатыря на дальних берегах
Konstantin FeoktistovAleksandr BoyarskyLidiya Savina$3,5 million $31 505 876
2013 Ivan Tsarevich and the Gray Wolf 2
Иван Царевич и Серый волк 2
Vladimir ToropchinVladimir Toropchin
Aleksandr Boyarsky
Svetlana Sachenko
Svetlana Degtyarёva $20 962 988
2015Three heroes. Horse Course
Три богатыря. Ход конём
Konstantin FeoktistovAleksandr Boyarsky
Svetlana Sachenko
Svetlana Degtyarёva $3,5 million $19 390 136
The Fortress
Крепость. Щитом и мечом
Fyodor DmitrievAleksandr BoyarskyOleg Markelov$1 176 906
2016 Ivan Tsarevich and the Gray Wolf 3
Иван Царевич и Серый волк 3
Darina SchmidtRostislav KhaitLeonid Barats

Sergei Petreykov

Svetlana Degtyarёva $10 271 463
2017 The Three Heroes and the Sea King
Три богатыря и морской царь
Konstantin FeoktistovAleksandr Boyarsky
Svetlana Sachenko
Alena Tabunova (idea)
Andrei Yakobchuk $4 $14 134 274
2017 Fantastic Journey to OZ
Урфин Джюс и его деревянные солдаты
Vladimir ToropchinFyodor Dmitriev

Darina Schmidt

Aleksandr Boyarsky
Darina Schmidt
Anatolii Sokolov $3 068 073
2017Three Heroes and the Princess of Egypt
Три богатыря и принцесса Египта
Konstantin FeoktistovAleksandr Boyarsky
Svetlana Sachenko
Andrei Yakobchuk $3.5 million $12.6 million
2018Three Heroes. The Heiress to the Throne
Три богатыря и наследница престола
Konstantin BronzitMaksim Sveshnikov
Vadim Sveshnikov
Konstantin Bronzit
Yuliya MaslovaDaria Ivanova$2.5 million
2018Sadko
Садко
Maksim VolkovVitaly MukhametzyanovAlexander Arkhhipov
Dmitry Novoselov
Slava Se
Aleksei Motavin
2019Fantastic Return to OZУрфин Джюс возвращаетсяFyodor DmitrievAleksandr BoyarskyAleksei Korobkin
2019 Ivan Tsarevich and the Gray Wolf 4
Иван Царевич и Серый волк 4
Rostislav Khait
Leonid Barats
Sergei Petreykov
Daria Ivanova
2020Барбоскины на дачеElena GaldobinaFyodor DmitrievAleksandr BoyarskyAleksandra ShokhaOleg Markelov$2 million$951 075
2020Horse Julius and the Big RacesКонь Юлий и большие скачкиDarina Schmidt
Konstantin Feoktistov
Maksim Sveshnikov
Vadim SveshnikovAleksandr Boyarsky
Andrei Yakobchuk$2.4 million$4 875 202

In Production

Full length

Serial cartoons

Year Title cartoon Directed by of the animated series The main authors of the script Production Designer Number of seasons Number of series
1999—2000Adventures in the Emerald CityПриключения в Изумрудном городеAleksandr Makarov (1-2)Ilya Maksimov (3)

Denis Chernov (4)

Evgeny Markov (1-2)Mikhail Bartenev (3-4)

Andrei Usachyov (3-4)

Yuriy Solovyov (1-2)Ilya Myshkin (3-4)1 season4
2006—presentLuntik
Приключения Лунтика и его друзей
Darina ShmidtElena Galdobina2008-2015Ekaterina SalabayDarina Shmidt
Fyodor Dmitriev
Elena Galdobina
Mariya Domogatskaya
Anna Sosnora
Alexandr Mal'gin
Svetlana Sachenko
Tatiana Gorbushina
Marina Komarkevich (1-2 seasons)
Tatiana Klein (2-6 seasons)
Irina Fёdorova (5-6 seasons)
Vita Tkachёva (7 seasons: series 2012)
Ekaterina Maksimenko (since 7 seasons)
8, in production 9 season 500+
2011—presentThe BarkersБарбоскиныElena GaldobinaEkaterina SalabayElena GaldobinaFyodor Dmitriev

Konstantin Feoktistov

Vadim Smolyak

Anna Sosnora

Lyudmila Steblyanko (1-100)Alesya Barsukova (91-130)

Marina Makarova (131-212)

14 seasons212
2018—presentLittle TiarasЦаревныKonstantin BronzitElena Galdobina

Darina Schmidt

Darina SchmidtFyodor Dmitriev

Aleksandr Sinitsyn

Andrei Yakobchuk252

See also

References

  1. Web site: The Walt Disney of Saint Petersburg. . March 22, 2016. March 31, 2017.
  2. Book: Giannalberto Bendazzi. Animation: A World History: Volume III: Contemporary Times. 6 November 2015. CRC Press. 978-1-317-51988-1. 194.
  3. News: Мультяшки на миллиард: кто зарабатывает на героях российских мультфильмов. 4 April 2017. РБК.
  4. News: Alosha Breaks Toon Records in Russia. 4 April 2017. Animation Magazine. 11 February 2005.
  5. Web site: ru:Алеша Попович и Тугарин Змей — кассовые сборы — КиноПоиск. https://www.kinopoisk.ru/film/81041/box/. КиноПоиск. 4 April 2017. ru-RU.
  6. Book: Birgit Beumers. Directory of World Cinema: Russia. 2011. Intellect Books. 978-1-84150-372-1. 269.
  7. News: Russian Animation Rises From Ashes of 1990s. 4 April 2017. Moscow Times. en.
  8. News: Is Russian ani ready to rise? Stay tooned. 4 April 2017. The Hollywood Reporter. en.
  9. Web site: Barraclough. Leo. Russian Cinema: Toon Boom Echoes, But Not Far Enough. Variety. 4 April 2017. 8 September 2014.
  10. News: Rosjanie przygotowali kolejną antypolską produkcję. Tym razem indoktrynują dzieci. 4 April 2017. naTemat.pl. pl.
  11. News: Russian cartoon competing for Oscars. 4 April 2017. Deutsche Welle. en.

External links