Feature-length DVD from Bagdasarian Productions shot and edited in high-definition
AlphaDogs, Inc., a post-production studio focused on keeping clients “ahead of the pack,” today announced that it has completed work on Little Alvin and the Mini-Munks, a groundbreaking emotional-learning DVD for children created by Bagdasarian Productions.
Little Alvin and the Mini-Munks was filmed and edited entirely in high-definition, then was downconverted to standard definition for distribution. “AlphaDogs was the right post house for this project,” said Jerry Rees, director of the project and former director and writer for Disney. “At AlphaDogs, this project isn’t just a number and a name—we get personal attention and I know that they’re not going to drop the ball.”
Terence Curren, president of AlphaDogs, and Russell Frazier, vice president of graphics, worked extensively to perfect Little Alvin and the Mini-Munks to ensure that it met the high standards of other Bagdasarian Production projects. Frazier rotoscoped a number of elements in Commotion, eliminating rods on puppets that appear in the video and in one scene, entirely eliminating an onscreen character.
“Terry and the AlphaDogs team went out of their way to make Little Alvin and the Mini-Munks amazing,” noted Rees. “They cared about the quality of our project as much as we did. They displayed a real sense of pride in their craft, which elevated the final product. Working with them was a great experience.”
During the post-production process, Rees created entire scenes in Adobe After Effects that would normally be done in a dedicated animation program. He worked closely with AlphaDogs as he completed the complex effects sequences, which sometimes exceeded 300 layers, resulting in what Curren called “incredible animation.”
“Our talented crew has years of experience working with high-definition projects, which helped us deliver the finished project quickly and to meet the budget requirements of Bagdasarian Productions,” said Curren. “In addition to our team’s talent, we are committed to keeping abreast of the latest technologies, enabling AlphaDogs to provide the best post-production solutions in the industry. We are honored to have been chosen to complete post-production work for Little Alvin and the Mini-Munks.”
Little Alvin and the Mini-Munks was created and written by Janice Karman and produced by Ross Bagdasarian. The DVD, which stars the Chipmunks and Chipettes as preschoolers, includes six new songs and combines puppetry, live action and computer animation. Karman and Bagdasarian provided the voices for the Chipmunks and Chipettes, as they have for the past 23 years.
Already, the DVD is proving to be hugely popular with parents and children. The Bagdasarian Productions team worked with noted child psychologists to ensure that a number of lessons—including telling the truth, sharing and sibling rivalry—are age-appropriate and presented honestly and directly. “The response has been absolutely incredible!” noted Bagdasarian.
About AlphaDogs
Founded in 2002, Burbank-based AlphaDogs, Inc. quickly established themselves as leaders and innovators in the rapidly changing digital post arena. The company maintains an early adopters edge; testing and assimilating leading technologies to keep ahead of the pack with solutions such as the RED camera and were the first post house in Los Angeles to take delivery of the Avid Symphony HD editing system. Personal attention from a seasoned award-winning team assures client satisfaction accompanies each cost-effective delivery of superior post production services—from editing and audio re-recording to broadcast design & effects.
AlphaDogs is home to the popular Editors' Lounge and headquarters of the growing media transfer specialty service Digital Service Station; now serving California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois and Ohio. AlphaDogs is located at 1612 West Olive, Suite 200, Burbank, CA 91506.
Visit the AlphaDogs team on the web: www.alphadogs.tv.
