BACKGROUND DESIGNS FOR “THE PEASANTS”

“The Peasants” is an animated feature film created using traditional oil painting techniques. My role in the production was as a matte painter. While my designs were not used as final frames in the film, they served as reference materials for the oil-painting animators. As a result, my work did not require the same level of detail as the final painted frames but instead provided essential guidance for composition, atmosphere, and color.

For reference, I typically received live-action footage and/or environmental renders from Unreal Engine. My task was to create background concepts inspired by 19th-century paintings, sometimes drawing from a single artwork and other times combining elements from multiple sources. Beyond composition, I played a key role in establishing the mood and color palettes for various scenes, ensuring they accurately reflected the season, time of day, and overall narrative tone of the film.

Director: DK Welchman, Hugh Welchman.

Cast: Kamila Urzedowska, Robert Gulaczyk, Miroslaw Baka, Sonia Mietielica, Ewa Kasprzyk, Andrzej Konopka, Cezary Lukaszewicz, Dorota Stalinska, Sonia Bohosiewicz, Malgorzata Kozuchowska, Mateusz Rusin, Maciej Musial, Helena Korczycka, Anna Grzeszczak, Matt Malecki, Lech Dyblik, Cyprian Grabowski, Andrzej Mastalerz.

IMDb storyline description: “The Peasants tells the story of Jagna, a young woman determined to forge her own path within the confines of a late 19th century Polish village - a hotbed of gossip and on-going feuds, held together, rich and poor, by pride in their land, adherence to colorful traditions and deep-rooted patriarchy. When Jagna finds herself caught between the conflicting desires of the village's richest farmer, his eldest son, and other leading men of the community, her resistance puts her on a tragic collision course with the community around her.”

IMDb link: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10651230/

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1in2FMBKmo