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Diplodocus is a curious little dinosaur dreaming of a great adventure and finding friends. Unfortunately he lives in a boring prehistoric swamp. He would love to discover what is behind the muddy dam surrounding his home. But his overprotective parents won’t allow, as they have build the protective wall for a reason – they believe their son to be naive and irresponsible, and they constantly have to pull him out of trouble.
Diplodocus does not know yet, that he actually lives inside of a comic book created by Ted, an artist dreaming of success. When his publisher persuades him to get rid of the old-fashioned dinosaurs blocking his career, Ted puts the eraser to the paper and starts deleting the prehistoric jungle and Diplodocus’ parents.
In shock, Diplodocus witnesses a strange whiteness wiping across his home. Trying to escape from the deadly danger, the little dinosaur jumps out of the comic strip and lands in a completely different story created by Ted. There, he meets the self-absorbed wizard Hocus Pocus and a pair of quirky but sympathetic scientists – Professor Nervekowsky and Entomology. Together they set off for a great adventure in order to save Diplodocus’ family.
A curious and sympathetic little dinosaur who has no idea how powerful he actually is. Over the course of the story, Diplodocus grows from an insecure dreamer into a natural leader, and with his natural enthusiasm he will inspire everybody around him.
Egocentric magician who would do anything to hide his lack of talent. During the journey with Diplodocus, Hocus Pocus experiences for the first time, how good it feels to help others. He finally learns that friendship is more valuable than tricks and fame.
Perfectly organized lab manager and brave rocket pilot. Her biggest challenge is to open up to spontaneity and step out of her daily routine full of tight rules.
Confused scientist who easily gets entangled in the most complicated theories. He will learn to appreciate simplicity and see the most obvious solutions right in front of his nose.
90% of the film take place in the colourful and dazzlingly vivid world of Diplodocus and his friends. These sequences will be created with high end 3D animation combined with matte paintings.
10% of the film will take place in the world of Ted, who will be played by a well-known actor.
An extraordinary distribution asset of the film is the possibility to shoot the live-action part in different languages and with local actors. We can easily offer localized versions for different markets and cast local stars. The live-action scenes require just 3 shooting days in a film studio.
Graduate of Łódź Film School and Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg. Director, writer, animator and artistic director of Human Ark. His short films Headless, Mouse, Fly Away Penguin and Splinter scooped awards at festivals all over the world.
He has worked at top studios around the globe, such as Digital Domain in Los Angeles, where he was an animator for I, Robot and Aeon Flux, or at Prana Studios in India, where he directed the cinematics for the Fight Club game, based on David Fincher’s feature film.
„When I first saw the books by Tadeusz Baranowski I was charmed by their energy and imagination. That little dinosaur’s story, as interpreted by director Wojtek Wawszczyk really deserves a place in worldwide animation. Human Ark has done a great job of capturing the essence of this classic Polish story. And more importantly, they’ve found ways to make it universally appealing. The story, the studio, and the exceptional creative environment I’ve found in Warsaw are going to make Diplodocus an incredible movie. I’m glad to be a part of it”.
Mark Palmer
The screenplay of Diplodocus is the result of a collaboration of several authors in a writers’ room. Part of the writing team were Polish filmmakers and comic book artists such as Wojtek Wawszczyk, Rafał Skarżycki, Jakub Tarkowski and Michał Śledziński, and the American writer Mark Palmer. Additionaly, we involved script doctors Phil Parker and Richelle Wilder, who have worked for companies such as DreamWorks and Aardman.
Mark Palmer has been working as a writer and script editor for children’s films and series since 1994. He has written for Warner Brothers, Cartoon Network, Disney Channel, ABCfamily and Nickelodeon. Among his works are e.g. Kim Possible (Disney), The Wild Thornberrys (Nickelodeon) or The Famous Jett Jackson (Disney). For BBC and ABC he worked on the series Out There, which has been nominated as best children’s programme by the American Writers Guild.
„Diplodocus has an interesting take on a universal theme about creativity and believing in imagination. I think the story will have broad appeal as both children and adults can relate to the journey. The script is funny, with many clever observations illustrated through a fun ensemble of likeable characters. Considering the source material comes from a popular comic, the potential for franchise opportunities could be endless. I also really like the humans at Human Ark. It’s a great team of collaborative artists.”
Kris Pearn
We have the honour to work with Kris Pearn, an excellent story expert who helps us streamline all elements of the screenplay for storyboarding. His expertise in character motivation, action timing and comedy is a great asset for the production process.
Kris Pearn is a Director and Animation Story Artist with over 20 years’ experience in film and television. He has worked on such features as: Open Season, Surf’s Up and Hotel Transylvania. Kris was Head of Story on Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs, and co-directed Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs 2. He also worked at Aardman Animation Studio as a Story Artist on Pirates: Band of Misfits and as Story Supervisor on Arthur Christmas. Kris has also published numerous comics and children’s books. His new animated feature The Willoughbys premiered on Netflix in 2020.
Diplodocus is inspired by the comic books of Tadeusz Baranowski (*1945), an acclaimed Polish writer, illustrator and painter, who has a strong fan base in Poland. Several generations of children in Poland have grown up reading the adventures of Diplodocus, Professor Nervekowsky and Entomology, which are classics of Polish comic book art.
Baranowski’s work has been published in Poland and Belgium, where he worked for the legendary TinTin magazine. Between 1984 and 2014 Baranowski has published 14 comic books, which are being re-published continuously. In total, over 2 400 000 copies have been sold. The screenplay for Diplodocus is loosely based on the two comics Podróż smokiem Diplodokiem
(Journey with Diplodocus) and Antresolka profesorka Nerwosolka (Professor Nervekowsky’s Mezzanine). These books are milestones of Polish graphic art and part of Poland’s cultural heritage.
The Diplodocus film addresses an international audience. However, in Poland it will reach a special status. Already highly expected by Baranowski’s fans, Diplodocus will find a prominent place in the history of cinematography in Poland.
Human is an animation and post-production studio that has been operating on the Polish and international production market for 15 years. A team of experienced directors, animators and producers create digital special and post-production effects as well as 2D and 3D animations for films, advertising, art and entertainment. What distinguishes Human is the high quality of character animation, the ability to create complex visual effects and the high artistic value of the productions.
Founded in 2012 as a labour of love for animation, PFX is now a leading Prague based full-service animation and post-production studio. Reputation has been built on high-quality 3D CG animation, with special focus on lighting, rendering and compositing. PFX team offers more than one hundred and fifty dedicated and motivated creative professionals with a shared passion for bringing new characters and worlds to life.
Telewizja Polska S.A. also known in English as the Polish Public Television (PPT) is a Polish state media corporation. It is the largest Polish television network.