The remake of a film about the electron source of the upcoming European XFEL involved not just a prettier animation but also a rewrite of the script and the shooting of new video footage.

Every free-electron-laser needs an electron source, and the one for the XFEL is being developed and fine-tuned at the photo injector test facility in Zeuthen (PITZ), the DESY site near Berlin. Tricklabor was asked to produce a new film about the facility to replace an outdated previous version. During the first project meeting it already became clear that this would not be a shot-for-shot remake.

New script

Instead we developed a new script which would present the information in a different order and add a few more aspects as well. The new film now opens with applications for the x-ray lasers and explains the need for a high-quality electron source. Only then the focus is moved to PITZ and the inner workings of the electron source. In the final part the purpose of this particular electron source is presented: generate electrons for the future European XFEL.

New animation

enlargeThe central part of the film is the animated explanation of the electron production. It was due for a major visual overhaul, and few minor factual errors from the previous animation had to be corrected in the process, too. For the sake of clarity the original side-view was kept instead of the proposed 3/4-perspective .

New images and videos

The revised script required a lot more images and video material to be shown alongside the animation. Moving images to illustrate the applications of x-ray lasers were few and far in between which is why the film had to open with a still image sequence. Some of the new video material was provided by DESY (from their 50th-anniversary-video), but we also got our hands dirty and shot the actual test facility ourselves.

New sound

The narration for the film had to be completely rewritten as well. For the English version DESY followed Tricklabor’s suggestion a woman should read the text. Finally, a new background music was chosen to complete the new film.