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Articles by Trollcake staff, about Trollcake projects or anything under the sun.

Making a Music Video for “My Best Friend” by Emili

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Trollcake’s talented Emili Harris just posted a sample of her new track My Best Friend.

The song features her soft, lovable voice singing, while she plays gorgeous acoustic guitar chords.

Her brothers and I love the song so much we decided to secretly make a music video for it, starring Emili as a cartoon character.

Kelvin sketched out these three character drawings.

TJ & I will be working on storyboarding, then painting backgrounds and then animation.

The Best Films of 2018 – Staff Picks

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2018 has been an amazing year for film fanatics like us

Several smaller-budget films have somehow made it to the screen and some streaming-only films have actually been worth watching – and remembering!

Here is our list of the best films of 2018:

      1. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
      2. Hotel Artimus
      3. Mother!
      4. Sorry to Bother You
      5. Eighth Grade
      6. BlacKkKlansman
      7. Isle of Dogs
      8. Annihilation
      9. Black Panther
      10. Bad Times at the El Royale
      11. You Were Never Really Here
      12. Mandy
      13. First Man
      14. Minding The Gap
      15. Ralph Breaks the Internet
      16. Searching
      17. First Reformed
      18. The Frontrunner
      19. A Star Is Born
      20. Burning
      21. Ghost Stories
      22. Roma
      23. Bohemian Rhapsody
      24. Avengers: Infinity War
      25. A Quiet Place
      26. The Favourite
      27. Solo: A Star Wars Story
      28. Aquaman
      29. Mission: Impossible – Fallout
      30. Venom
      31. The Incredibles 2
      32. Sicario: Day of the Soldado
      33. A Simple Favor

And the most disappointing films of the year are:

      1. Ant-Man and the Wasp
      2. Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
      3. Ready Player One
      4. Inheritance
      5. Deadpool 2
      6. Tomb Raider
      7. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
      8. Pacific Rim: Uprising
      9. The Girl in the Spider’s Web
      10. The Predator
      11. Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again
      12. Blindspotting
      13. Upgrade
      14. Slender Man
      15. Superfly
      16. The Cloverfield Paradox
      17. Bird Box

Let us know if we missed any, or if you agree or disagree with our list, in the comments below!

About Us

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Trollcake Studios is a small production studio in Oslo, Norway. Our focus is on animated shorts, comedy sketches, opinion blogs and gaming.

We live or die based on the support of our followers, so if you enjoy any of our work, please consider donating or subscribing to our cause.

Meet the staff:

Richard C. Harris
Lena Natalie (Ginny)
Kelvin Alexander
Thomas J. Diego

Dark Deeds promo

2015-08-04 15:20:00

Voice Acting Demo

by Rich C. Harris

“They say Dark Deeds are done in places of darkness. Oh, no. Dark deeds happen wherever there are deeds to be done.”

Promo video:

Our original vision for Trollcake

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Originally posted on trollcake.com on 12 June 2014:

Trollcake was created on the notion that everybody should have access to learning tools that can teach them the trade of independent film-making for free. All you need is ambition, a desire to tell stories, a decent smart-phone (or good camera) and access to a computer.

Trollcake will help you learn the rest!

As often happens with startups, we pivoted a few weeks later to focus on content: Animated shorts & Podcasting.

Who knows what the future holds! :p

Song analysis: Take a Walk by Passion Pit

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2014-06-06 02:23:10

Trollcake Music has posted their first Song Of The Week (SOTW) featuring Passion Pit’s ‘Take A Walk’, with in-depth analysis, review and lyrics.

Segment:

If ever a song serves as the perfect window into our day for future generations, ‘Take A Walk’ by Passion Pit, is a shining example. A clear message about the state of America today, Michael Angelakos‘ lyrics tell it proud in the same vein as Bob Dylan, Jesus Rodriguez, Eminem and The Dixie Chicks. There is no holding back. The state of The Union is getting out of control. 1984 never felt nearer. The biggest question on my mind is “Who will listen?” and also a little bit of “Hell yes! Somebody has the balls to say it like it is!”

Read the rest, including an interpretation of the lyrical meaning or message. What ‘Take A Walk’ means, @ TrollcakeMusic.com

Songs Of The Week: Trollcake Music Analysis

MOTW: Bringing Out The Dead

2014-06-05 17:10:40

Bringing Out The Dead (1999) is an under watched gem starring Nick Cage, Patricia Arquette, John Goodman, Ving Rhames (with hair!), directed by Martin Scorsese.

Wondering why you haven’t heard of it? Don’t feel bad: It was buried under a year of big movies including Star Wars Episode I, The Sixth Sense, The Matrix, Toy Story 2, The Green Mile, The Blair Witch Project, and others.

I didn’t get around to seeing it myself until I found it on DVD in 2003. So fucking glad I did!

IMDb synopsis:

A Manhattan ambulance paramedic, overworked and haunted by visions of his failures, fights to keep a tenuous grip on his clarity.

What to say?

With a reported $55 million budget, Bringing Out The Dead made only $17 million in the U.S. Box Office, barely making the top 100 for 1999.  Bringing Out The Dead currently holds the 93rd spot, just above Muppets from Space and below The Rage: Carrie 2.

Ouch!

Other Trollcake Fave Films from the same year include:

(Links to each film’s Box Office Mojo page)

4 of 5 stars

Original post title: FFOTD: Bringing Out The Dead

Modern Fairy Tales – A Series of Shorts

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2014-06-04 22:57:03

Introducing our latest project:

Modern Fairy Tales – A Series of Shorts

Modern Fairy Tales [working title] is a new series of short films we are working on, each running 4-6 minutes each.

Series Title: Modern Fairy Tales

Summary: A young boy who enjoys reading Fairy Tales books, suddenly notices them coming to life in the world around him.

Here are the storyboards for one episode called Major Humphrey, based on the Mother Goose Nursery Rhyme: Humpty Dumpty.

 

The script:

 

             CAPTAIN HUMPHREY
               First Draft
                    by
    Christopher Vigil & Richard Harris
Based on Asbjørnsen & Moe’s Humpty Dumpty




INT. SPACE STATION - ARTIFICIAL LIGHT
Camera zoomed in on antique book NORWEGIAN FAIRY TALES, by
Asbjørnsen & Moe. The book fills entire screen. Camera
zooms out and pans up to show YOUNG BOY sitting on a white
bench in space station HULDE. Boy looks up at CAPTAIN
HUMPHREY, an egg-shaped robotic head, hovering near a
hallway. Camera follows hallway to the outer door.

                                        TRANSITION TO SHOW
                                        VIEW OF SPACE
                                        STATION FROM SPACE.

EXT. SPACE - VIEW OF SPACE STATION & STARS

The space door opens and Captain Humphrey floats out of
station and over to THE WALL - a long crane from Hulde
stretching out towards a satellite.

Boy is watching Humphrey through a round window from inside
the ship. Glances back at book.


INT. SPACE STATION - ARTIFICIAL LIGHT
Boy is reading story of Humpty Dumpty.
                                        CUT TO VIEW OF BOOK
                                        FROM BOY’S POV.
                                        CUT TO HUMPHREY ON WALL.
EXT. SPACE - VIEW OF SPACE STATION & STARS

Humphrey is fiddling with a control panel on the satellite.

Control panel sparks up and Humphrey’s shell cracks.

Flashing lights, alarm, sound of music box style fairy tale
music, as countdown warning.

                                        CUT TO VIEW OF BOOK
                                        FROM BOY’S POV.

INT. SPACE STATION - ARTIFICIAL LIGHT

Animated book illustration shows Humpty Dumpty falling off
the wall and cracking.
                                        CUT TO HUMPHREY ON
                                        WALL.

EXT. SPACE - VIEW OF SPACE STATION & STARS
Implosion!
MEDICS rush out in space suits to fetch Humphrey’s remains.

                                        SLOW FADE OUT.

INT. SPACE STATION ICU - BRIGHT LIGHTS
Medics work on Humphrey but can not revive him.

                                        CUT TO VIEW OF BOOK
                                        FROM BOY’S POV.

INT. SPACE STATION BENCH - DIM LIGHTS

Animated book illustration: All the King’s horses and men
couldn’t put Dumpty together again.

INT. SPACE STATION ICU - BRIGHT LIGHTS
Medics cover Humphrey with heads down. Slowly walk away.

FADE OUT.











Written by Chris Vigil and Richard Harris


Downloadable PDF version: Captain Humphrey (Humpty Dumpty draft 1)




 




Humpty Dumpty


A Mother Goose Nursery Rhyme


Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the king’s horses and all the king’s men
Couldn’t put Humpty together again.


Source: Wikipedia








Written by Chris Vigil and Richard Harris 

Music by Nickleus 

Produced by Trollcake Productions AS 

A Trollcake Studio production 

Story Consultants: Henning Schee, Jean-Erik Burdechau, Caroline Peterson




    



	    
	

	
		

		
	

	
	



							

	    
		

		


								

		
	

				
			
MOTW: The Strangers

							

											
					
					
																
									

				
			
			
				


        				
2014-06-04 22:28:29


Todays Fave Film (FFOTD) is The Strangers (2008) – a fucking excellent thriller / horror movie written and directed by Bryan Bertino.


Top Five Reasons The Strangers is Amazing: 1. Cinematography 2. Atmosphere 3. Silence 4. Music 5. Direction   Watch this when you want to be creatively inspired, or feel the perfect mood of a terrifying event.


Original post title: FFOTD: The Strangers




    



	    
	

	
		

		
	

	
	



					    

		
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