World renowned british artist Mike Hill proudly presents his latest project, “Christmas Knight”. Mike and his partner, Jessica Capasso, realized that the world is in need of a Superhero that isn’t as dark and brooding as the ones of late – children need more from their heroes than doom and gloom. The “Christmas Knight” is a fresh new take on an endearing character, and an homage to the superheroes of our past.
Mike and his business partner Jessica spent 3 years bringing the “Christmas Knight” to life. With help from a handful of friends, they set to work creating a superhero that would transcend generations – and spark a bit of nostalgia in everyone. With his skills as an artist, Mike created all of the practical pieces in his garage evenings and weekends – everything from the Elves and their over-sized props to the Christmas Knights’ supersuit. The computer generated elements (the Rudolph inspired supercar, the “Santa Slay-er”, the inverted Christmas snowglobe refuge at the North Pole, and the underground fortress) were all conceptualized and designed by Mike – then brought to life by their friend and colleague Jess Bryden. Mike and Jessica spent their spare time shopping for costumes and hand-sewing cloaks and capes. Then, over 3 days, the entire film was shot in front of a green screen.
Starting in 2009, they wrote 2 versions of the script. The first draft was a dark, gritty, and very unconventional take on a beloved childhood character. When they stepped back and read what they had written, they realized this was not the character or level of violence they wanted to present to the children of the world. So, they threw it away and started from scratch. They believe the current script is a fine balance of action and excitement – without the grit and grime. It is a true action-adventure film.
In addition to the teaser film and script for Christmas Knight, Mike and Jessica have also created a picture book adaptation of the film that will be ready for this fall – just in time for the holiday season. They know that going public is not the “status quo” approach to pitching a film project, but it is the approach that they are comfortable with. They decided to introduce the Christmas Knight to the world, and let the Superhero fans themselves be the voice. Said Hill, “It is the fans that buy the tickets and breathe life into these characters – so lets band together and breathe some life into the Christmas Knight!!
You can visit ChristmasKnight.com for more on the short.
