Back to back is already preparing its third season. With 52 episodes and released in 28 countries around the globe, in this interview Andrey tells us more about this beautiful project and how Moho plays a key role in the production.

Please tell us about yourself

My name is Andrey Tkachev, and I am the Art Director of the Back to Back project at Mechtalёt studio.
I created my first animation works using the cut-out technique in Moho back in 2011. For seven years, I closely followed the updates of the program and continued to study its features. I was invited to Mechtalёt specifically as a Moho specialist, and in 2018, when the studio began its development, I took on the role of Lead Animator, overseeing animation quality and training other animators on the tool.
With the start of the second season of the series, I became the Art Director of the project. Today, the series is considered finished, comprising 52 episodes, but the studio is preparing to launch production of the third season, which we all eagerly anticipate!

Mechtalёt is a unique phenomenon in Russia's animation field because, being founded in the Far East, it set several goals for itself: to develop animation, education, culture and also to create animation products with export potential. The studio's first series, Back to Back, is shown in 28 countries around the world. The first contract was signed with China, and it is also available on all local streaming services and YouTube.

Where do you get inspiration?

I love the animation from the United States: Cartoon Network cartoons, grotesque, and the CalArts aesthetic. For example, the series Back to Back was inspired by Adventure Time and The Amazing World of Gumball. I enjoy when characters act silly and behave expressively, with bright and funny emotions. However, the artists at Mechtalёt are also inspired by Asian aesthetics and anime, which is why some of the character designs have a kawaii style. Being something in between European and Asian cultures has become a leading concept for Mechtalёt for many years.

What computer do you use and how does Moho work on it?

In my work, I use a Mac M1 Max and am impressed with Moho's performance on this equipment.

 

What do you like best about Moho?

As mentioned earlier, I have been following Moho’s development for quite some time, 13 years to be exact, and throughout this period, the program has been my main tool for creating animation in both studio and personal projects.
What I value most is the speed: Moho allows for high-level animation to be created in relatively short periods.
I highlight four fundamentally important innovations in the program:

1. Smart Bones
2. Bezier Curve
3. Updated Graphic Engine
4. Curver Layer (I see special potential in this tool for the program's future development!)

Moho helps address diverse tasks, be compatible with different animation styles, and most importantly, create animation very quickly without sacrificing quality!

How did Moho help in the creation of the “Back to Back" series?

Back to Back is an animated series about living backpacks that, like children, live in a world they imagine every second. They are devoted to their owner-friends and always ready to help them, resolve situations, but always in their own, “backpack” way. The series teaches children to be loyal friends, shows that there is a way out of any predicament, and also emphasizes courage, risk-taking, and responsibility for decision-making.

During the production of Back to Back, we experimented with different animation approaches. Initially, we rejected the use of bones and animated single-layer characters frame by frame. This lowered the entry threshold for staff who had never worked with cut-out before.
The first episodes of the series were created using this approach, but later we returned to full bone rigs, fully optimized models with rotations, and flexible strap-like arms. The bone-based approach combined with vector polishing proved to be the most optimal for animation creation in the Back to Back project.

Mechtalёt collaborates with other studios that also create animation. Fortunately, we "speak the same language", as we all use Moho in our work, which allows us to create animation most efficiently.

If you want to know more about the amazing work Mechtalёt is creating, you can visit their web mechtalet.com/animation and follow Andrey's Instragram account instagram.com/a.acho.art