Another interesting and in-depth exclusive interview with writer/director/VFX supervisor/animator/sound designer MATT DRUMMOND, this time talking about his latest bit of enchantment, THE SECRET KINGDOM.
One of my favorite creative filmmaking forces, Writer/Director MATT DRUMMOND does it again! His last film, “My Pet Dinosaur” was fabulous from its storytelling to its visuals. Now, with THE SECRET KINGDOM, Matt ups the ante and delivers something truly magical. A fantastical adventure filled with heart, bravery, and charm…not to mention the most adorable characters, including one of my faves, Pangolins. THE SECRET KINGDOM also draws on parallels to Frank L. Baum and the Land of Oz as well as a bit of Lewis Carroll’s Wonderland. THE SECRET KINGDOM is beyond enchantment. With frame one, you are swept into this world of wonder and on the journey of a lifetime. A world, a kingdom, you never want to leave.
SYNOPSIS: Siblings Peter and Verity go on a magical journey to THE SECRET KINGDOM, a land of enchantment hidden beneath their bedroom floor! But an ancient enemy, the evil Shroud, threatens to destroy the Kingdom, and it falls to Peter and Verity to help protect the Kingdom and its inhabitants. Joining forces with their singing Pangolin liaison Mr. Pling, the trio embark on their quest to find and unite five mystical treasures, make their way to the Citadel, and save the Kingdom. Along the way, they meet all sorts of creatures, among them, Mendax the dragon, turtles Ego and Ergo, the Luminere, The Gauntlet, and more. Each will play an important role in Peter and Verity’s journey for the quest is not an easy one as the siblings will be forced to face epic challenges that will test their bravery and their love to the limit.
Starring Sam Everingham and ALyla Browne as Peter and Verity, respectively, standout voice work for Mr. Pling, Ego and Ergo comes courtesy of Darius Williams, Beth Champion, and Rowland Holmes, while Matt Drummond himself voices Mendax, Limineree, and the elder Pangolin leader Elwyn. The live-action and voice performances are impeccable. You want to know each of these characters and perhaps even want to bring some home with you.
As a storyteller, Matt brings forth multiple themes that are beautifully expressed through exquisitely detailed visuals and characters, and often with exceptional metaphors. But at the film’s heart is the relationship between Peter and Verity, and Mr. Pling, that draws you ever deeper into their journey to save the Kingdom. We see caring siblings who are really each other’s best friend, self-sacrifice, sacrifice to help others, overcoming fear, finding your own true self (something that mirrors the journey), finding your inner strength, bravery, and so much more. Each creature that we meet is key to a certain theme while adding adventure, whimsy, and even danger along the way. One of the strong character traits involves thinking your way through a problem and working together versus arguing and fighting your way through. Strong lessons are found from beginning to end.
The visuals are outstanding. Calling on his own background in VFX, animation, motion capture, and compositing color, Matt puts all of these skills to work in service of the story, elevating it with intricacy, texture, and beauty. Edited by Joseph Morris, pacing is perfect and will keep even the youngest little adventurer in your family entertained and glued to the screen.
And Chris Wright’s score is a pure delight with wonderful orchestration and instrumentation.
Always a joy to speak with Matt, we dove deep into THE SECRET KINGDOM and the fantastical elements that brought this story to life, not to mention what the future holds for the world of THE SECRET KINGDOM, and how Matt’s creativity and decades of VFX work allowed him to dazzle us with the end result. As you listen to this exclusive interview with MATT DRUMMOND, you’ll hear us discuss, among others:
- the impetus for this story and its themes
- research into dreams and fear
- visual influences
- Pangolins and what makes them perfect as characters in this story; their psychological appeal
- Luminere the Lemur
- Mendax and his empathic traits
- building trust between characters
- how Matt’s own real-life “self-dares” became an important trait of Peter’s
- The Gauntlets and their creation; the fluidity and liquidity of their movement (something we haven’t seen in animation before)
- new technology utilized in THE SECRET KINGDOM
- design cues for creatures that come from the real world
- hard edges versus round edges and the significance of each
- Matt’s theory that every object has a story to tell, even a rock; the importance of backstories
- using a little lightbulb as a metaphor for imagination and creativity; the inspiration for the lightbulb
- the writing process
- the visual design process; storyboards? concept sketches?
- color, color, color
- editing process with Joseph Morris and finding the film’s pacing
- Chris Wright’s score and orchestration; musical elements that complement the story; recurring motifs; light instrumentation
- Mr. Pling’s singsong rhyming; Ego & Ergo voice work
- sound design and sound mix
- spatial positioning of the soundscape
- casting Peter and Verity and casting voice artists for the creatures
- working with the voice artists; Matt’s own voice work (he voices 3 characters, including Mendax)
- what Matt learned about himself as a filmmaker in the process of making THE SECRET KINGDOM
- turning THE SECRET KINGDOM into a full series
- and more!
TAKE A LISTEN…
by debbie elias, Exclusive Interview 05/30/20233
