Celeste is a 30-minute award-winning TV Special that has captivated audiences worldwide with its sweet and positive outlook on life (watch the trailer).
The film was produced by SPIRIT Animation Studios, a production company with 19 years of experience in the global animation market, including series and feature films. The company has a solid international reputation and has worked with major clients such as Walt Disney Company (USA), Wildbrain Spark (UK), WIZARD Animation (Russia), Riot (China), Loo Loo Kids (Romênia), Nike (China), among others.
In Celeste, we follow a little girl’s journey who views life with joy and optimism. Initially confined to a tower, Celeste cleverly changes the perspective of the Dragon, her guardian, revealing the shared lack of freedom between them. The Dragon understands her and decides to accompany Celeste on an exciting journey across the kingdom, inspiring various creatures along the way as they strive to return to Celeste’s home in time for her mother’s birthday celebration, honoring her mother’s belief that “no one should be alone on their birthday.”
Among its achievements are the prestigious Petrobrás Animation Award and the Epic MegaGrants from Unreal Engine, as well as being one of the top 10 most-watched content at the MipJunior event in Cannes, France. The animation also won the International Animation Festival in New York and Thailand and received Honorable Mentions, was invited as Guest of Honor, and was selected for various international festivals, including events in Croatia, New Mexico, Italy, France, and Australia, solidifying its global recognition.
According to Macedo, founder of SPIRIT Animation, as well as producer, screenwriter, and director of Celeste, the film’s success lies in its inspiring message that resonates with both children and adults. He highlights:
In a lighthearted and fun way, we address fundamental aspects of happiness, as well as themes like diversity, acceptance, self-love, and appreciation of life’s simple things. I love how Celeste always manages to flip the way each character sees their situation. It’s like the concept of the glass being half full or half empty, shown through the optimistic perspective of a young girl.
Yuji Higashiyama, Co-director of Celeste and partner and Head of Animation at SPIRIT Animation, shared:
We received many positive messages from parents and children who connected with the characters in our story, confirming Celeste’s universal teachings resonance with both children and adults.
SPIRIT officially began production on Celeste in 2021, turning the story into a 29-minute script. Approximately 100 professionals have participated in creating the film over two years. However, the original idea for Celeste arose years earlier and was initially conceived as a 2D animated series, where it stood among the TOP 10 most viewed content at MIPjunior.
The production of Celeste relied on Unreal Engine for lighting and rendering. To have greater control over the final result, composition, and light transitions were done in real-time within the engine itself, which made the process more flexible and efficient.
Cleber Coutinho, who serves as Co-Director, partner, and Head of Production at SPIRIT Animation, emphasizes the benefits that using Unreal Engine brought to the studio. He points out that in all the sequences produced, the use of the Lumen renderer was especially advantageous. This is due to its real-time lighting capabilities, providing faster feedback during the production process. Cleber adds that Unreal Engine is already integrated into a variety of future projects at SPIRIT Animation, including one TV Show and a Direct-to-TV feature, both in production.
