Dexters Lab and Samurai Jack creator turns to direction with Hotel Transylvania.

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Well, its definitely a difficult thing.

And that takes time.

Before we started, they had a design for Dracula that I really didnt like.

I felt like he wasnt a star, and I wanted Dracula to be the star of this movie.

I wanted him to be a Daffy Duck or a Bugs Bunny.

So I said, right up front, that I wanted to redesign Dracula before anything.

This movie is a lot of firsts for you.

Its your first feature film, your first film using CG animation, and your first film in 3D.

So lets take them one by one.

What were some of the differences and challenges there for you?

And I know computers, but I dont know how to do some of the stuff we were doing.

But they were so amazing at Sony Imageworks they never said no.

That was really my mantra throughout the movie.

I wanted it to feel hand-drawn and organic and unique.

So, for us, Dracula looks different in every sequence.

Sometimes Dracula even changes from animator and animator, kinda like the old Bugs Bunny cartoons used to be.

And I thought that would give it a much more organic feel.

For me, CG tends to feel watered down and it becomes cold because its so perfect.

So I wanted to get some of those imperfections in there that are created when you do hand-drawn.

I would always draw over their animation and do these crazy poses.

But then they did, they figured out a way.

And a lot of the animators really started to understand what it is I was trying to do.

Tex Avery stuff and Warner Bros stuff.

The computer is designed to mimic reality, and I hate reality.

Theres still a big debate raging about the creative merits of 3D.

What was your experience with it?

Have you been convinced?

First of all, were making two movies at the same time.

it’s possible for you to really feel them in the space, three-dimensionally.

But with other things, you lose a little bit.

So, its definitely hard to make two movies.

If we were only making a 3D movie, I would do a lot of things differently.

And the whole thing for me with the movie experience is to be lost in the movie.

But the market drives those things, theyre beyond my control.

How is creating something destined for the big-screen different from creating something for TV?

Its crazy… To sit with an audience and watch the movie is so amazing to me.

When we were doingDexters Laboratory,especially, this was before the Internet really got going… You then get a number the next day, a rating.

And then youre like what does that mean?

Do people like it?

But then, to sit in a movie theatre, with an audience, is incredible.

Its like Im on stage doing stand-up without actually having to do that.

That was really so amazing.

It was incredible, to watch something like that on the big screen.

Where do you look for exciting animation nowadays?

I dont look at animation.

Im too jaded and too critical!

Unless theres something really new.

I look to anime, actually.

Theres some stuff coming out of Japan thats obviously much more pushed.

They can do everything from dramas to comedy to adult to kids.

Their animation isnt limited like how we are in America.

But I look to illustrators and artists for inspiration.

I feel like animations stagnant.

Its not like theres anything specific that I could mention, I get inspired by peoples expression.

By artistic expression thats unique and very personal to them.

Im always very concerned about being homogenised, that nobody can tell who directed what movie.

Ideally, for me, I want to something different each time.

And it doesnt have to make hundreds of millions of dollars, because it doesnt cost that much.

Lets make it for whatever number, and if it makes a little bit more, thats still profit.

So its just getting the studio to believe in the business model!

Genndy Tartakovsky, thank you very much.

Hotel Transylvaniais out on the 12th October in the UK.

You canread our review here.