Posts in Adventure News
Tales From Black Manor, “Mommy’s Little Star,” First Look
Tales From Black Manor, “Mommy’s Little Star,” First Look

Check out the First Look for Tales From Black Manor, Episode 9: “Mommy’s Little Star.”

Horror Films of the 70s

If some of the earlier episodes lean into modern day Dark Fantasy films, Mommy’s Little Star leans more towards the horror films of the 70s. Part of that is the story. The family becoming more and more cult like - whether or not they’re still following the Book of Death, or beginning to embellish their rituals was really fun to play with. The footage we found and then the coloring, lean towards those films of the 70s, while still remaining rooted in the look and feel of Black Manor.

Adventure NewsNick Trivundza2024, Tales from Black Manor
The BackSpace Trilogy
The BackSpace Trilogy

We grew up with trilogies. 

There was the Star Wars Trilogy, The Indiana Jones Trilogy, and the Back to the Future Trilogy that really meant a lot to us. We were trained to think in threes. What followed were even more trilogies such as Alien, Jurassic Park, the Matrix, and the Lord of the Rings. Many of these have even more sequels now - but early on there were always three.

This seemed like an escapable rule for films. It didn’t matter if it was action, sci-fi, or fantasy. It seemed like the rule even applied to heist movies (Oceans 11, 12, 13) and even the Dollars Trilogy (A Fistful of Dollars, A Few Dollars More, The Good the Bad and the Ugly). The list goes on and we loved it.

When we began work on the first sequel, BackSpace Returns, we began to envision a possible trilogy of adventures for Hunter and Mono exploring the far ends of the universe and the distant reaches of BackSpace.

There’s something that seemed to strike a nerve about these two characters and we couldn’t wait to find out what happened to them next, whether that was meeting Rival and B-Team or taking on Jet and Command.

With a third film, we began to think about a conclusion. If BackSpace is the first act, and BackSpace Returns is the second act, then this is the one that needs to function as the final act. It needed to tie up the story that makes the trilogy feel cohesive while still being its own film.

 
Adventure NewsNick Trivundza2024, BackSpace, BackSpace Forever
Tales From Black Manor, “Welcome to the 80s,” Out Now!
Tales From Black Manor, “Welcome to the 80s,” Out Now!

Watch Episode 7 of Tales From Black Manor now! The latest episode, “Welcome to the 80s” is one of our favorites!

Official Synopsis:

Rumor has it that Little Ivy Black still stalks the halls of Black Manor. When curiosity turns into a dare, two friends venture into the eerie manor, unaware of the nightmarish horrors they'll encounter.

Adventure NewsNick Trivundza2024, Tales from Black Manor
Watch the ICONS Opening!
Watch the ICONS Opening!
 

Step into the Opening Titles of 'ICONS,' a captivating series that unravels the tales of exceptional women who defied societal norms, shattered barriers, and played pivotal roles in shaping history. From groundbreaking scientists to fearless leaders, visionary artists, and trailblazers in various fields.

 

STILLS

Adventure NewsNick TrivundzaICONS, 2024
Tales From Black Manor, “Welcome to the 80s,” First Look
Tales From Black Manor, “Welcome to the 80s,” First Look

Check out the First Look for Tales From Black Manor, Episode 7: “Welcome to the 80s!”

Black Manor, Inspirations

One of the funnest things to do is mix references and inspiration. For “Welcome to the 80s” we were obviously inspired by that 80s Amblin vibe that Stranger Things has done such an amazing job with. This was mixed with just a touch of The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and “The Ring.” Finally for the dream sequence, we were inspired by the “Dust Covers” by Dave McKean from “The Sandman.”

Adventure NewsNick TrivundzaTales from Black Manor, 2024
Design and Animation Reel, 2024 Upate!
Design and Animation Reel, 2024 Upate!

Check out this 2024 Update to our Design & Animation Reel!

It features work from some of our favorite clients, agencies, collaborators, and brands such as Apple, The Oscars, NFL, Harper Collins & HarperOne, Reflective Democracy, Expedia, Facebook, Meta, Amalgamated Foundation, Airbnb, Expanesthetics, Mission, Imaginary Forces, Mocean, and Amazon Studios to name a few.

Adventure NewsNick Trivundza2024
BackSpace Forever, Official Synopsis and Poster
BackSpace Forever, Official Synopsis and Poster

BackSpace Forever, Synopsis

In this thrilling conclusion to the BackSpace Trilogy, we find Hunter and Rival must team up to survive the outer reaches of BackSpace. After breaking their contracts, they’ll be sent on a suicide mission as their only way to survive. 

BackSpace Forever is the third short film in the BackSpace Trilogy. Following the award winning short film that received 100K plays in just 24 hours, went on to screen at film festivals around the world, and receive distribution from Gunpowder and Sky’s sci-fi brand Dust. 

BackSpace Returns, the second short film was viewed in over 100 countries in its first 24 hours of release and was also received distribution by Dust. The series has been viewed over 1 Million times and is currently screening at film festivals around the world. 

Adventure NewsNick TrivundzaBackSpace, 2024
Tales From Black Manor, “The Land of Death and Dreams” Out Now!
Tales From Black Manor, “The Land of Death and Dreams” Out Now!

Happy Holidays! The latest episode of Tales From Black Manor can be watched right now! 

The Land of Death and Dreams, Official Synopsis:

When one of the Seven Deaths crosses paths with Jones, a brave young soldier fighting for his life in WWII, the two fall for one another. But when Jones is killed in the line of duty, she brings him to the Land of Death and Dreams.

The Expanding Lore of Black Manor

Black Manor is so fun for us because we get to discover it as we create each episode since the sandbox is an ever evolving one. This is part of the experimental nature of the project. So far we’ve learned that other families have inhabited Black Manor, such as the Winters, but we’re also about to find out about The Seven Deaths, as well as The Land of Death and Dreams. 

Adventure NewsNick Trivundza2023-2, Tales from Black Manor
New Article on RAINDANCE!
New Article on RAINDANCE!

Check out this brand new article on RAINDANCE! We discuss some of the behind the scenes and inspirations for Tales From Black Manor. 

Here’s an excerpt:

Early on in our filmmaking journey an interview with Alfred Hitchcock made a big impression. He was talking about the context between two different shots. The first was the close-up of an actor and the second was what he was looking at. When editing these two shots together, context is created. The edit decides what the actor is looking at, which then informs the audience’s opinion about the character. 

This has been one of the main guiding principles as Tales from Black Manor has come together. How to create context from shots that at one point, had nothing to do with one another. Then from there, how do you create an entire world of fables, folklore and myth? 

You can read the Full Article on the Official Site:

Adventure NewsNick TrivundzaTales from Black Manor, 2023-2
Tales From Black Manor, “Mister Winter” Out Now!
Tales From Black Manor, “Mister Winter” Out Now!

The latest episode of Tales From Black Manor can be watched right now! 

Mister Winter, Official Synopsis:

During World War II, German soldier Adolphus Winter becomes consumed by the legend of Black Manor. He’s heard whispers that Death resides there with his ability to grant eternal life. As his obsession drives him deeper into darkness, Adolphus abandons his morals, willingly sacrificing everyone in his way.

Adventure NewsNick Trivundza2023-2, Tales from Black Manor
BackSpace Spain Premiere! 
BackSpace Spain Premiere! 
 

BackSpace will be making its Spain Premiere November 23! BackSpace will be featured at the ROS Film Festival as part of their fifth year celebration or V Edition.

Here’s the official Festival mission:

Since the early days of cinema robots have been an inspiration for great directors: Fritz Lang, Ridley Scott, James Cameron, Steven Spielberg, etc. starring in an endless list of films.

In recent years, film production with robotics theme has experimented a special boom, mainly due to the technological evolution of robots themselves, but also because the relationship between humans and machines is getting closer and closer and is increasingly becoming part of the social imaginary.

We’re thrilled that BackSpace will be screened again as the film makes its way around the world! If you haven’t already seen BackSpace, you can watch it here on the site along with the sequel BackSpace Returns! BackSpace Forever, the third film in the trilogy is currently in production.

And you can check out the Official ROS Festival Site here:

 
Adventure NewsNick Trivundza2023-2, BackSpace
Tales From Black Manor, “Mister Winter” First Look
Tales From Black Manor, “Mister Winter” First Look

The Different Eras of Black Manor

As we continued to explore the different aspects of Black Manor, one of our favorite discussions has been about the different time periods that surround the manor itself. Looking back at Series 1, the tale of Ivy and the tale of Anastasia are certainly different time periods. The second episode also has two very different time periods connected by characters and their immortality over the course of decades if not centuries. 

For this second series we began to look at Medieval settings, World Wars, and the 80s. These were some of the ideas that really excited us since each tale could have such a different tone. For Mister Winter, we settled on World War II. We also thought it would be interesting if the manor had changed hands throughout the ages and brought in another family - The Winters.

Check out the First Look stills below for the upcoming tale: “Mister Winter.”

Adventure NewsNick Trivundza2023-2, Tales from Black Manor
BackSpace & BackSpace Returns Screening in Greece!
BackSpace & BackSpace Returns Screening in Greece!

We’re so excited to announce another screening of BackSpace and BackSpace Returns! Both films will be screening at this year’s Icona Animation Festival! The festival takes place in Greece November 30 - December 3 and will be featuring some really great films! 

The aim of the Ionian Contemporary Animation Festival ICONA 2023, which is organized by the Department of Audio and Visual Arts of the Ionian University is to present the best from the field of animation from all around the world.

The festival also aims to preserve and help develop the cultural heritage of short animated film, contribute to creation of new films, provide ground for potential international co-productions and encourage dialogue between professionals, filmmakers and the public.

Make sure to check out the Official Festival Site right here:

Adventure NewsNick TrivundzaBackSpace, BackSpace Returns, 2023-2
Tales From Black Manor, “Alice & The Watch” First Look
Tales From Black Manor, “Alice & The Watch” First Look

Welcome Back to Black Manor

When we finished Tales from Black Manor, we always knew there could be more tales to tell. During the writing process of the first three episodes, the lore of the world continued to grow, as did the family. We began wondering what it would be like to grow up in the House of Black - and while the main characters in Series 1 craved immortality - what if that wasn’t always the case? What if someone didn’t want to live forever? The character of Alice began to emerge and she had a very different opinion than the previous narrators.

Check out the First Look stills below for the upcoming tale: “Alice & The Watch.”

Adventure NewsNick Trivundza2023-2, tales
BackSpace and BackSpace Returns at Universal Film Festival!
BackSpace and BackSpace Returns at Universal Film Festival!

We’re thrilled to announce that both BackSpace and BackSpace Returns will be playing at the Universal Film Festival this week as a double feature! 

Every year the Universal Film Festival takes place in a different country and a different city. Last year’s festival was held in Germany, where Tales from Black Manor took home the award for Best Horror Film! 

This year’s festival will take place in Kansas City, Missouri. The event kicks off on September 28 with a Red Carpet and the Awards the following evening on September 29.

For more information on the Universal Film Festival make sure to check out their official site here:

Adventure NewsNick TrivundzaBackSpace, BackSpace Returns, 2023-2
Brand New Article on Bold Journey!
Brand New Article on Bold Journey!

Super cool and inspiring magazine and website, Bold Journey, just interviewed us about what keeps us creatively inspired! 

Here’s an excerpt from the article:

“At the start of every year, we make a list of the impossible things we want for the year. These are things we really want to do but don’t know how to do them. They can be for our company, a direction we want to take our lives, or a personal impossible thing we’d like to do. That list goes at the top of our to-do list and we stare at it every day.”

”We let these impossible things percolate inside our heads and think of ways to accomplish them. Over the next 12 months, most of those things that seemed impossible at the start of the year, ended up not being so impossible after all. We slowly chip away at them. And a funny thing happens. Usually 9 times out of 10 we accomplish all those things we thought were impossible.”

You can read the full article on Bold Journey:

Adventure NewsNick Trivundza2023-2
Tales from Black Manor, Series 2!
Tales from Black Manor, Series 2!

We’re excited to announce Tales From Black Manor, Series 2!

The first series introduced us to the world of Black Manor. A family whose lives intertwine with Death himself.

The first series is an anthology of 3 Films, “Legend Has It,” “The Book of Death,” and “How to Live Forever.” Series 2 will also feature several films, exploring new characters and even new time periods of Black Manor. 

The first entry in Series 2, “Alice & The Watch,” will be released just in time for Halloween and kick off the spookiest season of the year. The second entry, “Mister Winter,” will be arriving in November, with the third film of Series 2, “The Land of Death and Dreams,” arriving in December.

We’re over the moon to invite everyone back to the world of Black Manor. 

October 2023: “Alice & The Watch”

November 2023: “Mister Winter”

December: “The Land of Death and Dreams”

Adventure NewsNick TrivundzaTales from Black Manor, 2023