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Cinesite played a significant role in bringing the beloved Smurfs back to theaters this summer, collaborating with Paramount Animation. This partnership marks a notable advancement for the teams in London, Montreal, and Vancouver, as they participated in every aspect of a feature-length, primarily animated film for the first time.

The new Smurfs movie, directed by animation expert Chris Miller (known for Shrek the Third and Puss in Boots), was first presented at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, premiered in Brussels in late June, and was released widely on July 18. It is now available on Paramount+. This fourth film in the series combines animation and live action while staying true to the original style and tone of Peyo’s comic books.

Before the film’s digital release, Cartoon Brew interviewed Chris Kazmier, the VFX supervisor and a key member of the Cinesite team, to discuss the making of this hybrid film, which aligns perfectly with Cinesite’s adaptable approach to digital storytelling.

From Arizona to Vancouver: A Smurfy Animation Trail

Kazmier began his animation career at Fox Animation on Anastasia and later worked at PDI/DreamWorks and Sony Animation, contributing to popular films like Shrek, Hotel Transylvania, and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. In 2015, he transitioned from the West Coast to Montreal, joining Cinesite as the company was establishing its first feature animation pipeline. Kazmier reflects, “It was something of an adventure for me. At that time, Cinesite functioned more like a small startup, even though it was quite large. Now, things are much more organized, and we have a very robust VFX and animation feature pipeline. It’s great to still have people who got their first studio job here and didn’t want to leave.”

This experience, combined with improved organization and quality control, enabled the Cinesite teams to develop a flexible workflow, allowing them to adapt quickly to large-scale projects. Following successful collaborations with Paramount on Paws of Fury and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, Kazmier and his team were invited to test for the Smurfs project. Shortly after, while still working on TMNT, Cinesite secured the deal with Paramount. “For me, such an interactive process was exciting,” Kazmier noted.

Smurfs marks the first time Cinesite managed all animation and VFX for an animated feature. Paramount involved the teams early in the process, emphasizing the importance of staying true to Peyo’s original designs and moving away from previous adaptations. “We’ve seen what a 3D Smurf looks like; now we are going back to the original design, and that’s what they wanted us to craft,” Kazmier explained.

To achieve this authentic look, Cinesite offered a scalable approach, integrating animation, compositing, and asset reuse while delivering a high-quality final product within a tight timeline. “Even before production designer Max Boas joined the project, they got to know our teams, and we got to know them. Paramount had editorial and previz, and at the same time, we were already working on assets that they would then use in their own previz process. Getting on so early in development was a delight,” Kazmier said.

Collaboration was key, with directors and animators working closely together throughout the project. Art directors and production designers shared artwork, adjusted it based on feedback from Cinesite teams, and returned with updated concepts for implementation.

The Challenges of Bringing Peyo’s World to the Big Screen

Creating a new Smurfs environment while maintaining Peyo’s comic book style presented challenges. Smurfs are essentially 2D characters, and transforming them into 3D models required innovative solutions. “When you look at a Peyo Smurf, you see some distinct features. The mouth is always on one side, and you never see him from the front. These aspects had to be considered by our animators,” Kazmier noted. A special face rig was designed to control mouth movements and eye highlights, preserving the original look and feel.

To enhance the authenticity of the designs, Cinesite tackled line work from a lighting perspective. As light shifted across the characters, lines would appear or fade based on shading, a unique rigging feature that provided animators with the tools needed to achieve the desired poses and meet production standards. Drawing from their experience on TMNT, Cinesite developed a custom 2D VFX tool to create comic-book style effects, adding a playful touch to the visuals.

“Even with details such as camera language, we had to work closely with Paramount’s previz teams. Certain lenses just don’t work on Smurf characters. If you do a close-up on a Smurf, you just see their big nose. We had to discuss every aspect to create this non-photorealistic rendering that balances flatness and drawn looks with a more shaped world,” Kazmier explained. “What proved most interesting was scaling everything to Smurf size, matching every element to their world, and aligning each 2D, 3D, and lighting effect.”

Sing and Dance Like Nobody Is Smurfing

The new Smurfs film features two original songs by Rihanna and several other pop hits and remixes, with numerous dance scenes throughout. Paramount filmed these sequences with professional dancers, carefully matching each dancer to characters like Smurfette and Grumpy. Cinesite animators then adapted these realistic dance moves to fit the Smurf characters. “It was all about keeping the volume and essence of the characters while synchronizing with the music,” Kazmier said. “Once the opening scene was done, the rest became very easy.”

Animating the Smurfs to sing was equally challenging, especially since many songs were finalized late in production. However, the song “Always On the Outside,” performed by James Corden, was delivered early, allowing Cinesite’s facial rig and animation teams to convey emotions effectively. “I’m actually sad some of the songs we worked on didn’t make the final movie,” Kazmier shared. “There’s a whole Ken (played by Nick Offerman) song that we eventually decided to cut, but sometimes you have to make those decisions to favor storytelling.”

Bridging Live Action and Animation with Cinesite’s Dual Expertise

For the VFX division, Suzie Askham, VFX Supervisor, and her team focused on integrating Smurfs into vibrant settings like the streets of Paris and the Australian Outback. Cinesite teams were consistently on-site to gather necessary data and discuss angles and lighting with the directors, ensuring a collaborative process. “Suzie had these little 3D-printout Smurfs everywhere that served as size references, which helped tremendously,” Kazmier noted. “She created lighting maps and gathered reference footage, aiding the previz team in creating sets and locking shots, allowing our teams to match camera movements and integrate the Smurfs seamlessly.”

For the Australian scenes, both teams visited the Karlu Karlu / Devils Marbles Conservation Reserve to capture extensive texture and reference footage before recreating the environment in CG, balancing photorealism with a playful cartoon style.

All for Smurf and Smurf for All

Thanks to their deep involvement in the project and ongoing communication between departments, Cinesite’s animation and VFX teams gained valuable insights during production. “Being agile, having the ability to quickly adapt, and remaining flexible are key learnings I’ve taken from this project,” Kazmier concluded. “By the end of production, we reached a level where we could add entire sequences as Paramount requested, pulling all departments together. That kind of workflow is what I will remember most about this endeavor.”

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