Award Winning Memoir of a Snail Finished in DaVinci Resolve Studio

DaVinci Resolve Studio used to create unique palettes and emotions for acclaimed stop motion animated film.

Blackmagic Design today announced that “Memoir of a Snail,” an award winning stop motion feature film that boasts unconventional creativity, was graded in DaVinci Resolve Studio by Colorist Deidre (Dee) McClelland, CSI.

Written and directed by Academy Award winner Adam Elliot, known for his stop motion animation genius, the film tells the story of Grace, a snail collecting misfit finding her way in the world. It has earned global acclaim, winning the Cristal for Best Animated Feature at the 2024 Annecy International Animation Film Festival and BFI London Film Festival’s Best Film accolade.

The storytelling approach cleverly balances lighthearted humor alongside darker themes. “I had worked with Adam on previous films and it was an honor to have been approached by him again to help bring this beautifully crafted world to life,” McClelland said.

McClelland worked alongside Elliot and director of photography Gerald Thompson to align on a look that best captured the quirky characters and their environments. “A tour of the studio where I was able to see the characters and props helped me to understand the direction of the film along with a comprehensive storyboard and a specific color palette for each scene and location,” she said.

“Each place carried its own unique palette,” she continued. “Paris, for instance, was portrayed as warm and nostalgic; created using a soft edged vignette, giving an almost sepia toned warmth, contrasting with Melbourne’s muted, gray tones that reflect a subdued emotional state.”

She added, “The romantic scenes had a specific look which was captured through the lens. However, some of the shots didn’t have the intended filtration. I was able to emulate this look by using some of DaVinci Resolve’s FX tools. While we used the blur tools and soft edged vignettes to get the romantic look, we also enhanced the red items in the shot with some tracking, keying and color warping.”

Consistency was key to managing the look across departments. Post production facility Soundfirm coordinated the color space to ensure consistency as shots were sent and received from VFX vendors. With constant updates and close coordination, everything was kept on schedule despite the inevitable last minute changes.

“DaVinci Resolve was invaluable throughout the project. As updates rolled in from other departments, the software allowed me to keep working on the grade without interruption, which helped us stay on schedule,” she concluded. “From our P3 DCP final to HDR and SDR Dolby tone mapped versions, Resolve facilitated every deliverable.”