'Ode aan het Spookslot' will be a short film about the old Efteling attraction 'Het Spookslot'.
Here the viewer will take a haunting/musical journey through the old ruins of the ancient castle, whilst being guided by the score Danse Macabre by Camille Saint-Saëns.
Staying true to the original story of 'Het Spookslot', with added easter eggs and other references.
The whole experience is estimated to be a very fitting 13 min. and 13 sec. long, and is planned to release on Okt. 31, 2026
Visual changes
For this project I aim to stay as close as possible to the source material.
But have also chosen to reimagine and add some subtle changes. This in the end will help with creating a recognisable but also new experience.
The first scene
As the bigger part of the film is going to be animated, the first scene will be a life action shot. In this scene the audience will be introduced to the mysterious tale of 'het Spookslot' via a magical book.
The book will be filled with drawings to go along with the telling of the story.
Once the story has been told, the transformation from life action to animation happens through a magical glowing orb.
Made from old pillow stuffings and a smooth red cloth, with an in-built LED lighting setup. To add a glowing effect to the glass ball.
Alongside the various props I have also been collected a plethora of set pieces and elements.
Searching in second hand shops for the perfect selection.
The filming itself will be done in June 2026.
The haunted violin
One of, if not the most iconic part of the old attraction, as it is the lead instrument of the musical score 'Danse Macabre'.
I have chosen to create a small prop version which I can puppeteer and move to the need of the video.
Storyboard/Animatic
Because I do not want to spoil too much, I have decided to not include the full Storyboard and Animatic.
I plan to release the Animatic alongside the final animation.
Here is a sneak peak of the storyboard/animatic.
The audio
To capture the essence of the 'Spookslot', the selection of sounds and music is very important.
Therefore I have used and edited, the music and sound effects from the old attraction.
The audio was edited using Adobe Audition.

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