The VonMinden family isn’t your typical Mississippi household.
For starters, the second floor of their Rankin County home houses a movie production studio.
Nathan and Meleice VonMinden and three of their six children, Jackson, Avery, and Charis, spent the last four years in that home studio making a stop-motion animation Christmas feature film.
“Steal the Naughty List” is the result of this unique family collaboration; a 90-minute movie available to viewers now on iTunes/Apple TV, Amazon, Google, and Fandango.
If we knew how hard it was going to be when we started, I’m sure we never would have started.
The story concerns a group of arctic characters who decide to steal Santa’s infamous “Naughty List.” Along the way, the crew learns about forgiveness, mental health, and what it means to change for the better.
How did the VonMindens pull this labor of love off?
The family used their artistic talents, time, and exacting patience, craftsmanship, and attention to detail to realize their creation.
“If we knew how hard it was going to be when we started, I’m sure we never would have started,” Nathan VonMinden said recently during an interview in his home studio.
‘Animate ’til you die’
The name of the VonMinden’s home studio and production company is literal — Upstairs Studio Animation.
The VonMindens bought their home just before the pandemic with plans to turn the second floor into a stop-animation film studio.
The walls along the stairs to the second floor and the walls of the studio are painted with inspirational messages for the family and the production staff that worked with the family on the film.
Some of those messages include, “Just Keep Swimming.” “When motivation fails rely on discipline.” “If you want something you’ve never had, then you must be willing to do something you’ve never done.” Another message read, “Animate ‘til you die.”
The family hired 12 animators and artists to assist with the production.
“Sometimes I would hear from them, ‘how much longer?’ I would point to the wall,” Nathan VonMinden said while pointing to the “animate ‘til you die” message.
The work started with hand drawn sketches, temp audio, and temp music.
The sketches were sent off to a puppet designer. The designer sent back more than 300 3D characters that were used throughout the film.
The family used a 3D printer to print out what was designed and then the family put each puppet and set piece together, including painting each piece of the finished silicone. (The hardest and most tedious work in the film, the family admitted.)
Each shot could take three or four days to animate.
Nathan VonMinden — director of video production at Pinelake Church — was the writer and director of the film. His college aerospace engineering background came in handy in designing the mechanical systems to animate the puppets and sets.
Jackson VonMinden, 19, worked as the animation director. He made sure the animation style looked cohesive. His sister Avery, 17, was in charge of set design, while Charis VonMinden, 15, was an associate producer who did a little bit of everything.
Meleice VonMinden juggled homeschooling her six children with keeping the film work moving as a producer.
“If I was working on the script or storyboarding and my attention wandered because something else was going on, Meleice always was able to keep me focused on the task at hand,” Nathan VonMinden said.
The film work played its own role in the children’s homeschooling.
“It was all part of the homeschooling journey. They learned lessons on problem solving and collaboration,” Meleice VonMinden said.
The film was made by taking photos of each shot and scene with the puppets and then putting those photos in a computer program that formed the photos into a film.
“Honestly, we couldn’t have even made the film seven years ago because of technology. Back then, 3D printing was too expensive, and the quality wasn’t good enough,” Nathan VonMinden said.
A holiday message
Nathan VonMinden said he wanted to make a holiday stop-motion animated film for years.
His favorite film of all time? Wes Anderson’s 2009 stop-motion animation classic, “Fantastic Mr. Fox.”
“I’ll never forget seeing that in the theater. That’s it! That was perfect,” Nathan VonMinden said.
He also said he was partly inspired by the Hollywood classic, “Elf” with Will Ferrell.
“I wanted it to be cute and charming like ‘Elf.’ But also funny.”
The characters in “Steal the Naughty List” are bad guys with personality disorders.
“It’s a story of redemption, second chances, and the belief that we can all change for the better,” he said.
The family said they loved the idea of making a Christmas film that was based on the real character behind a commercialized Santa Claus — St. Nicholas.
“The film offers not just an entertaining escape but a heartwarming reminder of the values that make the Christmas season so special,” Nathan VonMinden said.
For more information about the film and the family, visit stealthenaughtylist.com
Photos by Chad Calcote
