Toonocalypse trailer shows Armageddon in Edinburgh

Apocalyptic scenes of a ruined Edinburgh are to be unveiled in a gripping new film which mixes live action with animation.
Aliens rampage through the city. Picture: compAliens rampage through the city. Picture: comp
Aliens rampage through the city. Picture: comp

A new trailer has been released for Toonocalypse, which follows the plight of university students Michael and John after colourful monsters – known as toons – land at Salisbury Crags and settle into life on Earth.

But before long the toons begin wreaking destruction throughout the Capital, with the trailer depicting a horror plane crash scene at George VI Bridge and a fiery horizon from Calton Hill as blazes rage across the city.

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Director Owen Rixon, who graduated from Edinburgh College of Art with a degree in animation, hit on the idea of a low budget disaster movie three years ago and now hopes to submit it to major film festivals.

Aliens rampage through the city. Picture: compAliens rampage through the city. Picture: comp
Aliens rampage through the city. Picture: comp

Described as “Cloverfield meets Who Framed Roger Rabbit?”, the film features a mixture of real actors and 2D cartoon monsters.

Owen, who runs the production company The 2D Workshop with friend Callum Barton, said: “We are currently all guns blazing to try and get a rough version done by February so we can submit it to the Edinburgh Film Festival.

“We plan to enter it into as many festivals as possible but we would like to premiere it in Edinburgh as the city is such an important part of the story.”

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The film was shot over two days in June with actors performing scenes in Princes Street, Calton Hill and Salisbury Crags while interior shots were filmed at Owen’s flat, in Newington, and at another friend’s home in Fountainbridge.

He said: “It was all done on a low budget. We just got a crew together and borrowed a camera from a friend.

“It was a 4am start on Princes Street and we were filming until the evening. It was good fun but very high speed.”

Despite initial bursts of rain and some drunken revellers trying to snag a starring role, the shoot went smoothly and the team have now been working hard to animate the flurry of cartoon invaders.

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Owen, 27, has already enjoyed a taste of success with his degree film, Welcome to Twister, which was nominated for a Scottish New Talent BAFTA and a Maclaren Award at the Edinburgh Film Festival.

But the 2D Workshop team now hope that their first professional film will put rocket boosters to their animation careers.

Owen added: “The response to the trailer has been really positive so far. We have had great messages from people in the industry, people who I aspire to be, who have said it is impressive that we have managed to pull this off on such a small budget.”

The short film project was funded by a successful Kickstarter campaign last year, which smashed its £7000 fundraising target in just two months.

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