The Lighthouse Keeper

This is the story of the making of our independent low budget stop motion animation movie „The Lighthouse Keeper“ which we build, shot and produced over the last couple of years in our spare time and at weekends and holidays and whenever we had the time and the money (and other resources) to go on with it. The movie was produced in VistaVision both on analog 35mm 8-perf. motion picture film and digitally in large format with the use of as much classic in-camera effects as possible, for example rear- and front projection, multi layer exposure, real rain and fog effects - but also with the help of typical greenscreen, wire removal etc. In the following posts we would like to show you some of our „secrets“ behind the scenes and how they were made. The film is currently on its festival distribution journey around the world: @itfs_festival_stuttgart /show/german-animation-1-memories-what-remains-3/film-13550 @ssff.official /2026/en/program/the-lighthouse-keeper/ @parisanimationcontest /indexen.html @veneziashorts /vs-online/ Perhaps maybe we will meet us somewhere there…. Enjoy! The Lighthouse Keeper are: Screenplay & Director @andy_kaiser_animation Producer: @andy_kaiser_animation @derschultz22 Director of Photography: @derschultz22 Editor: @andy_kaiser_animation @derschultz22 Animation & Puppets: @andy_kaiser_animation Special Rigging: Andre Neemann Costume Design: @red.anneme Production Design: @andy_kaiser_animation @bjoernullrich @sana_schoenle @derschultz22 VFX: @victor.vanwetten Sound Design: @namistrack Foley Artist: Luis Schöffend Grading: Sky Müller @_skyks__ @shootnpostberlin Dolby Atmos Studio: @shootnpostberlin Sound Mixing: @dominik_leube Music: Arturo Pantaleon #stopmotionanimation #shotonfilm @orwofilm @kodak_shootfilm #mitchellcamera @sonycine @nikoneurope #germancinematographers #vistavision @germancinematographers

Thank you very much @realefilmfestival for choosing „The Lighthouse Keeper“ as Winner in the category Best Film in April 2026 The Lighthouse Keeper made by: Director: @andy_kaiser_animation Animation: @andy_kaiser_animation DP: @derschultz22 Costume Design: @red.anneme Music: Arturo Pantaleon Music Producer: Gernot Reetz Sets & Models: @susannajerger @sana_schoenle Puppet Design: @andy_kaiser_animation Special Rigging: Andre Neemann Production Design: @andy_kaiser_animation @bjoernullrich Editor: @andy_kaiser_animation @derschultz22 Props: @andy_kaiser_animation @bjoernullrich @derschultz22 VFX: @victor.vanwetten Sound Design: @namistrack Foley Artist: Luis Schöffend Foley Engineer: Marius Kirsten Sound Mixer: @dominik_leube Grading: Sky Müller @_skyks__ @shootnpostberlin BKM: Marian Tobsing FFA: Franziska Frenzel Stills Photography: @derschultz22 Producer: @andy_kaiser_animation @derschultz22 Support: Paul Reinhold, Anne Reinhold, Lars & Claudia Union Kino Genthin @heike.quack Herr Dvorak @shootnpostberlin #stopmotionanimation #madewithdragonframe #vistavision #mitchellcamera @dolbyatmos @shootnpostberlin @nikoneurope #shotonfilm @kodak_shootfilm @sonycine @germancinematographers

We would like to proudly announce that our stopmotion animation short film „The Lighthouse Keeper“ is part of some wonderful film festivals around the world: @parisanimationcontest @veneziashorts @ssff.official @itfs_festival_stuttgart @festivalofanimationberlin Maybe we will meet us somewhere there…. 😁 The Lighthouse Keeper made by: Director: @andy_kaiser_animation Animation: @andy_kaiser_animation DP: @derschultz22 Costume Design: @red.anneme Music: Arturo Pantaleon Music Producer: Gernot Reetz Sets & Models: @susannajerger @sana_schoenle Puppet Design: @andy_kaiser_animation Special Rigging: Andre Neemann Production Design: @andy_kaiser_animation @bjoernullrich Editor: @andy_kaiser_animation @derschultz22 Props: @andy_kaiser_animation @bjoernullrich @derschultz22 VFX: @victor.vanwetten Sound Design: @namistrack Foley Artist: Luis Schöffend Foley Engineer: Marius Kirsten Sound Mixer: @dominik_leube Grading: Sky Müller @_skyks__ @shootnpostberlin BKM: Marian Tobsing FFA: Franziska Frenzel Stills Photography: @derschultz22 Producer: @andy_kaiser_animation @derschultz22 Support: Paul Reinhold, Anne Reinhold, Lars & Claudia Union Kino Genthin @heike.quack Herr Dvorak @shootnpostberlin #stopmotionanimation #madewithdragonframe #vistavision #mitchellcamera @dolbyatmos @shootnpostberlin @nikoneurope #shotonfilm @kodak_shootfilm @sonycine @germancinematographers

This is how we did the main title sequence with the lighthouse in a stormy sea and some lightning in the clouds above: we used our shots from the sunsets of Rügen in rear projection technique and filmed the cotton clouds through an old glass window frame which we found in the neighborhood with the use of a multiple small light units setup to give it the effect of lightning in a thunder storm. Then Andy animated an extra layer of ocean waves with the help of a small amount of salt on an extra glass surface. For our man title we glued the letters on a small glass box, filmed that in front of a blackscreen and finally combine all the several layers for the final result with the help of our T-Rex motion control…. The Lighthouse Keeper: Screenplay & Director @andy_kaiser_animation Producer: @andy_kaiser_animation @derschultz22 Director of Photography: @derschultz22 Editor: @andy_kaiser_animation @derschultz22 Animation & Puppets: @andy_kaiser_animation Special Rigging: Andre Neemann Costume Design: @red.anneme Production Design: @andy_kaiser_animation @bjoernullrich @sana_schoenle @derschultz22 VFX: @victor.vanwetten Sound Design: @namistrack Foley Artist: Luis Schöffend Grading: Sky Müller @shootnpostberlin Dolby Atmos Studio: @shootnpostberlin Sound Mixing: @dominik_leube Music: Arturo Pantaleon Filmlab: @andecfilm Filmstock: @kodak_shootfilm #stopmotionanimation #shotonfilm @kodak_shootfilm #mitchellcamera @nikoneurope #germancinematographers #vistavision @germancinematographers @andecfilm

Here we would like to share some stills from our vfx shoot of the moon disappearing behind the clouds for the thunderstorm sequence. We took a photograph of the full moon with a telephoto lens, printed it on a translucent paper, then covered nearly half of it with neutral density cinefoil for a more interesting look and finally glued that on the back of an old fish tank, which we found in the garbage. Then we filled the tank with clear water and squirted small amounts of milk in it for the storm clouds and shot it with our Fries Mitchell VistaVision 35mm 8-perf. on Kodak EXR 5293 and Vision 5213 200T. The final prints were made by the Andec filmlab, Berlin Hasenheide…. and the results were very beautiful (to show you a short clip I filmed it from the screen of an old Steenbeck, which is actually only in normal 35mm, so the framing is not quite right…) 😁 The Lighthouse Keeper: Screenplay & Director @andy_kaiser_animation Producer: @andy_kaiser_animation @derschultz22 Director of Photography: @derschultz22 Editor: @andy_kaiser_animation @derschultz22 Animation & Puppets: @andy_kaiser_animation Special Rigging: Andre Neemann Costume Design: @red.anneme Production Design: @andy_kaiser_animation @bjoernullrich @sana_schoenle @derschultz22 VFX: @victor.vanwetten Sound Design: @namistrack Foley Artist: Luis Schöffend Grading: Sky Müller @shootnpostberlin Dolby Atmos Studio: @shootnpostberlin Sound Mixing: @dominik_leube Music: Arturo Pantaleon Filmlab: @andecfilm Filmstock: @kodak_shootfilm #stopmotionanimation #shotonfilm @kodak_shootfilm #mitchellcamera @nikoneurope #germancinematographers #vistavision @germancinematographers @andecfilm

After the decision to shoot the movie mainly in rear projection technique we knew we would need a larger film studio. Luckily Andy found an old empty church in Genthin with enough space to build all the sets in the sacristy, with an extra room for the Oxberry and all the cameras, lenses and the other filmtech, and where we could shoot the film in the main holy church room. So we moved all the equipment and everything else there, darkened the windows and started shooting „The Lighthouse Kerper“. The first animated scene we did after all the testing and the shooting of the background plates was scene four after the storm with lighthouse keeper Clive and seagull Marion with the use of the @dragonframe.software and our workhorse: the T-Rex motion control with the Kuper controls software. The Lighthouse Keeper: Screenplay & Director @andy_kaiser_animation Producer: @andy_kaiser_animation @derschultz22 Director of Photography: @derschultz22 Editor: @andy_kaiser_animation @derschultz22 Animation & Puppets: @andy_kaiser_animation Special Rigging: Andre Neemann Costume Design: @red.anneme Production Design: @andy_kaiser_animation @bjoernullrich @sana_schoenle @derschultz22 VFX: @victor.vanwetten Sound Design: @namistrack Foley Artist: Luis Schöffend Grading: Sky Müller @shootnpostberlin Dolby Atmos Studio: @shootnpostberlin Sound Mixing: @dominik_leube Music: Arturo Pantaleon #stopmotionanimation #shotonfilm @orwofilm @kodak_shootfilm #mitchellcamera #germancinematographers #vistavision @germancinematographers @dragonframe.software @sonycine @nikoneurope

As we wanted to shoot our movie with the use of the rear projection technology (and also for research and inspiration) we went to the island of Rügen in the beginning of the production and started to shoot a lot of footage of the ocean, waves, clouds, sunrise and sunsets, night skies etc. (in timelapse technique, long exposure and real time) which we later wanted to use as our background plates. For some very cool underwater shots we were able to use the spectacular Tauchgondel Sellin as a giant underwater housing! We decided to shoot everything on different cameras simultaneously with different exposures, f-stops, shutter angles and lenses (with our lovely Fries Mitchell VistaVision 35mm 8-perf. on Kodak Color stock and a couple of digital cameras and DSLRs with some beautiful old Nikkor lenses). The Lighthouse Keeper: Screenplay & Director @andy_kaiser_animation Producer: @andy_kaiser_animation @derschultz22 Director of Photography: @derschultz22 Editor: @andy_kaiser_animation @derschultz22 Animation & Puppets: @andy_kaiser_animation Special Rigging: Andre Neemann Costume Design: @red.anneme Production Design: @andy_kaiser_animation @bjoernullrich @sana_schoenle @derschultz22 VFX: @victor.vanwetten Sound Design: @namistrack Foley Artist: Luis Schöffend Grading: Sky Müller @shootnpostberlin Dolby Atmos Studio: @shootnpostberlin Sound Mixing: @dominik_leube Music: Arturo Pantaleon #stopmotionanimation #shotonfilm @orwofilm @kodak_shootfilm #mitchellcamera #germancinematographers #vistavision @nikoneurope @germancinematographers @ostseeedits Filmlab: @andecfilm

In the beginning of the making of „The Lighthouse Keeper“ we actually wanted to shoot the whole movie in black & white with the ORWO NP55 and self develope everything by our own in the bathroom - but then Robert Eggers‘ „The Lighthouse“ came out and we were absolutely thrilled by the look of his film, so we decided to do something different because we didn’t want to compete with such an extraordinary work of art. So we did more tests with the puppets and the sets and with a bunch of different cameras and setups, e.g. the Fries Mitchell Vistavision 35mm 8-perf., the Fries Mitchell 35R 35mm 4-perf. with the Orwo b&w filmstock, the Kodak 5213 Vision 3 color stock and a digital Sony Alpha 7RII (which you can see in the pictures above) and finally decided to do the film in color with the use of the rear projection technique and with the less amount of use of any digital VFX or CGI as possible…. (and no AI of course)! The Lighthouse Keeper: Screenplay & Director @andy_kaiser_animation Producer: @andy_kaiser_animation @derschultz22 Director of Photography: @derschultz22 Editor: @andy_kaiser_animation @derschultz22 Animation & Puppets: @andy_kaiser_animation Special Rigging: Andre Neemann Costume Design: @red.anneme Production Design: @andy_kaiser_animation @bjoernullrich @sana_schoenle @derschultz22 VFX: @victor.vanwetten Sound Design: @namistrack Foley Artist: Luis Schöffend Grading: Sky Müller @shootnpostberlin Dolby Atmos Studio: @shootnpostberlin Sound Mixing: @dominik_leube Music: Arturo Pantaleon #stopmotionanimation #shotonfilm @orwofilm @kodak_shootfilm #mitchellcamera #germancinematographers #vistavision @germancinematographers

The following impressions out of the Andy Kaiser Animation Studio are showing the process of creating and developing the main cast characters for „The Lighthouse Keeper“. Director & Animator Andy Kaiser was experimenting with different materials for all the different puppets to get the best results for all the specific needs for the upcoming film shoot together with costume designer Anne M. E. Redlich, who made the wonderful clothes for Clive, our lighthouse keeper (real wool jumper, a real water resistent rain coat, and longjohns with incredible tiny knots)…. The Lighthouse Keeper: Screenplay & Director @andy_kaiser_animation Producer: @andy_kaiser_animation @derschultz22 Director of Photography: @derschultz22 Editor: @andy_kaiser_animation @derschultz22 Animation & Puppets: @andy_kaiser_animation Special Rigging: Andre Neemann Costume Design: @red.anneme Production Design: @andy_kaiser_animation @bjoernullrich @sana_schoenle @derschultz22 VFX: @victor.vanwetten Sound Design: @namistrack Foley Artist: Luis Schöffend Grading: Sky Müller @shootnpostberlin Dolby Atmos Studio: @shootnpostberlin Sound Mixing: @dominik_leube Music: Arturo Pantaleon #stopmotionanimation #shotonfilm @orwofilm #mitchellcamera #germancinematographers #vistavision @germancinematographers

We startend our journey with „The Lighthouse Keeper“ in late 2019 with a couple of test days in the film studio of @andy_kaiser_animation in Berlin. We loved the idea of shooting the movie in VistaVision 35mm 8-perf. with a Fries Mitchell camera which Andy bought from Digital Domain. He then build an accessory motor capable of single frame film transport so we could shoot stop motion with the camera. For the filmlook we decided to shoot some tests with the incredible Orwo NP55 black&white filmstock, which we self developed with instant coffee, wash soda, vitamin c etc. in the bathroom. The results were absolutely faboulus…. The Lighthouse Keeper: Screenplay & Director @andy_kaiser_animation Producer: @andy_kaiser_animation @derschultz22 Director of Photography: @derschultz22 Editor: @andy_kaiser_animation @derschultz22 Animation & Puppets: @andy_kaiser_animation Costume Design: @red.anneme Production Design: @andy_kaiser_animation @bjoernullrich @sana_schoenle @derschultz22 VFX: @victor.vanwetten Sound Design: @namistrack Foley Artist: Luis Schöffend Grading: Sky Müller @shootnpostberlin Dolby Atmos Studio: @shootnpostberlin Sound Mixing: @dominik_leube Music: Arturo Pantaleon #stopmotionanimation #shotonfilm @orwofilm #mitchellcamera #germancinematographers #vistavision @germancinematographers