Today, it’s Laurence Vacher – Executive Producer for Mikros Animation in Montreal – who shares her journey, her role, and anecdotes about the making of PAW Patrol: the Mighty Movie:

• Tell us about your journey into Mikros Animation?

I joined Mikros four years ago as a production director on the first Paw Patrol film. I spent nearly two years on the project, and we completed it right in the midst of the pandemic. It was quite strange to finish my first film at Mikros remotely.

• What was your role on PAW Patrol: the Mighty Movie?

After returning from parental leave, I came back as an executive producer. There were already production directors on the second film. However, because I was familiar with the client and the project, they naturally offered me this position to help out with the film.

• You were already present on PAW Patrol: the Movie. Can you tell us what has changed in terms of production between these two films and what were the new artistic and technical challenges?

On the Mighty Movie, we clearly raised the bar in terms of ambition. The director really wanted to elevate the visual quality, and the show now included a lot of special effects since the heroes now had superpowers. It was a significant technical shift for the team to incorporate FX as one of the largest departments in a film. Additionally, we started collaborating with the Bangalore studio. There was an adjustment period, especially with the time zone difference, but it was truly fantastic working with them.

• Describe the movie in 3 words.

Super-Powers-Movie!

• What have you learned since working on PAW 2?

I’ve learned that nothing is guaranteed. You have to constantly innovate to meet the client’s and audience’s expectations. Technologies evolve, and demands change. Adaptation is the key!

• Tell us a production memory!

Six months before delivery, we were simplifying the FX, and the topic of Skye’s cape resurfaced. We thought we might be able to cut it. Since the cape was a mix of FX and compositing, it really changed the planning dynamic. There were hours of discussions and back-and-forths between the clients and the toy department to decide if Skye would indeed have a cape on the toy. Ultimately, it was during a client call with Andréa Miloro that we agreed on a solution to reintegrate it, because indeed, the toy department thought it would be much cooler to have a cape. 😀

Thanks Laurence! To discover more stories from our teams, visit this link!