Director’s Note
‘BYE BEAR’ IS A FILM ABOUT ANIMALS.
UNCONVENTIONALLY NARRATED TO SUPPORT AN UNCONVENTIONAL SUBJECT MATTER. AN ASIMOVIAN TECH NOIR WORLD CRASHING INTO A HIGHLY TEXTUAL WALL OF TANGIBLE HUMAN HERITAGE. FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE, WE SEE MACHINES THAT REMIND US OF OURSELVES, BUT THAT DON’T SEEK TO BECOME LIKE US. THEY ARE BROKEN BUT MAJESTIC. AND IN THE END, IMPERFECTLY PERFECT.

‘BYE BEAR’ IS FRIENDSHIP AND FAREWELL. TRANSFORMATION. NATURE VS TECHNOLOGY. ALL WRAPPED IN A WILD CONTEXT OF ROBOTICS AND TAXIDERMY.

CREDITS
Written and directed by Jan Bitzer Producer Christian “Chan” Zehetmeier Ilija Brunck Jan Bitzer Jona Brunck Project Lead PauL schicketanz Music and Sound Design Rob Clouth Production Design Jan Bitzer Tom Weber Csaba Letay Layout & Editing Jan Bitzer Concept Art Simon Cowell Storyboard Anja von Harsdorf Dzhuliya Kolontay Cinematography Jan Bitzer Character Design Tom Weber Ben Broschinski Alexander Dietrich Jamie O'Hara Character Modeling benjamin Broschinski Tom Weber Marco Hakenjos Paul schicketanz Set Modeling Tom Weber Jan Bitzer Thorsten Loeffler Daniel Chun Dzhuliya Kolontay Texturing Sophie Rekasowski Jan Bitzer Markus Eschrich Daniel Chun Raphael Tonn Animation Lead Marco kowalik Animation Daniel Chun Diana Gladenick Georg Schneider Jorrit Stadelmann Jan Bitzer Lighting Lead Markus Eschrich Lighting Ole Bohnacker Jan Bitzer FX Lead Fabian “Pit” Pross Fluids & Destruction Felix Barthel rooming Georg Schneider Rebecca Liebelt Hair & Cloth simulation Christoffer Wolters Paul Schicketanz Tree Simulation Ole Bohnacker Compositing Lead Falko Paeper Compositing Csaba Letay Thorsten Löffler Paul Schicketanz Sophie Rekasowski Markus Eschrich Sarah Eim Ole Bohnacker Grading thorsten Löffler PIPELINE & RnD Michael Heberlein Thorsten Löffler Paul Golter Jack Perkins Falko Paeper IT DEPARTMENT Csaba Letay Peter Hartfield UNREAL RnD Tobias Stärk Title & Credits Diana Toro Mix Neuton Berlin Thomas Wallmann Music Consulting Andi Thoma Joel Corelitz Story Consulting Polynoid Lars Wagner Simon Cowell Sarah Eim Holger Jäckle Rob Clouth Roman Kaelin Helen Choi Felix Deimann Jona Brunck Legal & Funding Jona Brunck Festival Coordination Ilija Brunck Crystal Campbell Thanks to MFG Ivan Vasiljevic Aleksanar Mišić Felix Gebhardt Benjamin Sugar Mareike Keller Deep Learning Group Andreas Pfeiffer Sergi Casero Salvador Jiménez Tim Miller for the rejection POLYNOID is Tom Weber Fabian Pross Csaba Letay Ilija Brunck Jan Bitzer Funded by MFG Baden-Württemberg.

No animals were harmed during the making of this film.
A Woodblock Animation Studio Production.
Copyright WOODBLOCK 2023.

A motel on the side of the road. The perfect meet-up place for a small, secretive society. A group brought together by a common desire they want to keep hidden. The members - five robots on their own path of evolution. We create robots in our own image. Always expecting them to obey, expecting them to strive to be like us. Deciding for themselves, these machines see their future somewhere worthier than following in our footsteps.

Director's note
‘BYE BEAR’ IS A FILM ABOUT ANIMALS.
UNCONVENTIONALLY NARRATED TO SUPPORT AN UNCONVENTIONAL SUBJECT matter. AN ASIMOVIAN TECH NOIR WORLD CRASHING INTO A HIGHLY TEXTUAL WALL OF TANGIBLE HUMAN HERITAGE. FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE, WE SEE MACHINES THAT REMIND US OF OURSELVES, BUT THAT DON’T SEEK TO BECOME LIKE US. THEY ARE BROKEN BUT MAJESTIC. AND IN THE END, IMPERFECTLY PERFECT.

‘BYE BEAR’ IS FRIENDSHIP AND FAREWELL. TRANSFORMATION. NATURE VS TECHNOLOGY. ALL WRAPPED IN A WILD CONTEXT OF ROBOTICS AND TAXIDERMY.

CREDITS
Written and directed by Jan Bitzer Producer Christian “Chan” Zehetmeier Ilija Brunck Jan Bitzer Jona Brunck Project Lead Paul schicketanz Music and Sound Design Rob Clouth Production Design Jan Bitzer Tom Weber Csaba Letay Layout & Editing Jan Bitzer Concept Art Simon Cowell Storyboard Anja von Harsdorf Dzhuliya kolontay Cinematography Jan Bitzer Character Design Tom Weber Ben Broschinski Alexander Dietrich Jamie O'Hara Character Modeling benjamin Broschinski Tom Weber Marco Hakenjos Paul schicketanz Set Modeling Tom Weber Jan Bitzer Thorsten Loeffler Daniel Chun Dzhuliya Kolontay Texturing Sophie Rekasowski Jan Bitzer Markus Eschrich Daniel Chun Raphael Tonn Animation Lead Marco kowalik Animation Daniel Chun Diana Gladenick Georg Schneider Jorrit Stadelmann Jan Bitzer Lighting Lead Markus Eschrich Lighting Ole Bohnacker Jan Bitzer FX Lead Fabian “Pit” Pross Fluids & Destruction Felix Barthel rooming Georg Schneider Rebecca Liebelt Hair & Cloth simulation Christoffer Wolters Paul Schicketanz Tree Simulation Ole Bohnacker Compositing Lead Falko Paeper Compositing Csaba Letay Thorsten Löffler Paul Schicketanz Sophie Rekasowski Markus Eschrich Sarah Eim Ole Bohnacker Grading thorsten Löffler PIPELINE & RnD Michael Heberlein Thorsten Löffler Paul Golter Jack Perkins Falko Paeper IT DEPARTMENT Csaba Letay Peter Hartfield UNREAL RnD Tobias Stärk Title & Credits Diana Toro Mix Neuton Berlin Thomas Wallmann Music Consulting Andi Thoma Joel Corelitz Story Consulting Polynoid Lars Wagner Simon Cowell Sarah Eim Holger Jäckle Rob Clouth Roman Kaelin Helen Choi Felix Deimann Jona Brunck Legal & Funding Jona Brunck Festival Coordination Ilija Brunck Crystal Campbell Thanks to MFG Ivan Vasiljevic Aleksanar Mišić Felix Gebhardt Benjamin Sugar, Mareike Keller Deep Learning Group Andreas Pfeiffer Sergi Casero Salvador Jiménez Tim Miller for the rejection POLYNOID is Tom Weber Fabian Pross Csaba Letay Ilija Brunck Jan Bitzer Funded by MFG Baden-Württemberg.

No animals were harmed during the making of this film.
A Woodblock Animation Studio Production. Copyright WOODBLOCK 2023.