An Action / Adventure / Xmas Movie Twist
At Resonant Blue, some projects come to us as natural extensions of trusted collaborations. Anna and the Bell is one such story. While working with Henning Windelband on The Finstersteins, he brought us a second idea — a magical Christmas adventure unlike anything we'd seen. We were immediately captivated. Here was a film with a truly European twist on the holiday movie: imaginative, childlike and playful, yet with moments of darkness and grandeur that gave it real weight.
We cared because it felt authentic and original, the kind of story that could delight children and parents alike while still standing out in a crowded genre. For us, Anna and the Bell became a chance to help shape a timeless, adventurous children's film with international reach — and to once again put our hybrid storytelling approach to work alongside Henning and his creative partners.
Challenge
Making a family Christmas movie is always challenging, and Anna and the Bell faced more than most. The original script was written in German, so our first step was to translate it faithfully into English and then refine it for international audiences. We quickly realised the story demanded a strong visual identity — the magical bell, the Christmas dimension, and the parallel world of adventure could never be fully conveyed by words on the page alone.
At the same time, financing higher-budget family films has never been tougher. The Christmas genre is crowded with established classics, and to stand out you need more than a compelling script. You need momentum. You need to show partners — producers, directors, sales agents, distributors, and financiers — that the project has scale, originality, and a path to market. For Anna and the Bell, the challenge was to take an already wonderful idea and give it the tools to compete internationally, despite heavy VFX requirements and an increasingly risk-averse market.
Our Approach
We started by polishing the script, bringing in trusted writer friends with Disney and family-film experience to finesse the storytelling for a global audience. At the same time, we built a fresh pitch book to clearly communicate the vision and tone of the project.
But we quickly realised that words alone wouldn't be enough. To help attach the right director, additional producers, and to spark conversations with sales agents and distributors, we needed a visual hook. That's how the teaser was born.
Working closely with Henning, we crafted a teaser that captures both the light and the shadows of the story: the magic, the danger, and the heart of Christmas adventure. It has already become an essential tool in our conversations with partners — showing that this isn't just another holiday film, but something distinctive, cinematic, and full of imagination.
Results
The teaser has given the project real traction. We're now:
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Using it to attract a director.
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Exploring attachment of a more experienced producer to strengthen the package.
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Opening conversations with sales agents, distribution, and finance partners.
In today's market, momentum matters. With Anna and the Bell, we've moved from a promising script to a project with genuine visibility and excitement around it.
Why This Matters
For us at Resonant Blue, Anna and the Bell highlights why we lean into hybrid creative tools: pitch books, teasers, and AI-supported workflows that make ambitious visions achievable.
In an era where high-budget fantasy films are tough to get moving, we've shown that the right combination of collaboration, storytelling, and strategic visualisation can bring a project to life — and keep it alive through the long road to market.
