Lumenas Animation Studios has set Tab Murphy to write and Colin Brady to helm “The Legend of Santa Claus,” its first installment in a planned three-film series exploring the early days and mythology of the Christmas hero. Project marks a first foray into feature animation for the independent, Salt Lake City-based company, which has developed a mix of digital, stop-motion and live-action technologies for visual effects and commercial work.
“Santa Claus” takes a different approach than the classic Rankin-Bass stop-motion TV special “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town,” bringing greedy elves, vain snowfairies and other fantastical creatures into the 18th century tale of young Nicholas. First film is targeted for a November 2010 release, with second and third installments focusing on later chapters in Nicholas’ adventures to follow in 2012 and 2014.

Lumenas, in conjunction with Danny Drysdale and 8 Little Crickets, is pleased to announce their participation on the hugely popular music video, “Human,” sung by the Las Vegas-based alternative rock band The Killers. Shot in the Southern Utah desert against stunning red sandstone formations, the band performs their hit song nestled between an assort of studio production lights and a large metal “K” fabricated in the model shop at Lumenas. The band’s performance is interjected with a montage of composite shots of wild life including lions, tigers, and a soaring eagle. A team of digital artists and model makers worked around the clock to deliver the surreal and eclectic look which has become the trademark of Killers Music videos. The music video debuted in October and quickly rose to the top of the charts and was the most downloaded video on iTUNES for that month.