Going back to whenArthur Christmaswas first released, we had a very brief chat about script pacing.
Because I understand you looked at the likes of scripts to Paul Greengrass movies when putting the film together?
To be honest, the scripts werent about pacing.
There were two things that I took from Paul Greengrass films.
And then how he turns that into a crafted version of the same thing in theBournefilms.
Planning for something that looks like an energetic, haphazard series of cuts is really difficult.
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The accident of editing is something that really interests me.
A whole series of things that interact.
In animation, you have to pre-plan that.
So how do you then make it feel alive and instantaneous and in the moment?
Paul Greengrass, on theBournefilms andGreen Zone, went back and did significant reshoots too, if memory serves.
And you cant do that in animation.
Instead, I did some pre-viz so I did some rough animation, to block the action.
Its like having a real camera on your animated characters.
When we came to real animation, we used those camera moves as layout.
You jump, or you repeat frames.
You have to then persuade them to do something that feels inexact, but actually works in the cut.
So its a quest for deliberate accidents, then?
Its also trying to capture the energy of how editing in live action works.
You do either jump frames or repeat frames.
Thats what gives it the energy.
Also, just the human interaction of camera and human.
The thing with animation is that its perfect, whereas no cameraman knows whats going to happen.
You cant plan those in storyboard and layout, you need reference to work with.
Amusingly, it becomes an even more long winded planning process to make it look spontaneous!
You mentioned Gore Verbinski.
He did, and he had cameramen filming it.
Its still difficult to match in layout.
I didnt do motion control acting, but I did do motion control camerawork to try and get that.
Is there a collection of video of you doing the same forArthur Christmas?
There is a certain amount!
I did act it out for the animators, but I didnt record myself doing it!
To be honest, when we did do it, itd be useful.
All these characters that youve loved and lived with, and there they are being the citys decorations!
It was my first Christmas off in about five years as well.
Its incredible for a first time director in particular to have that.
You walked down Oxford Street in London last year, and it was full ofArthur Christmas.
Do you know, that was the best thing of the entire experience.
It was such a lovely and delightful thing.
Your film goes into cinemas, and you know that it does.
But thats a very theoretical thing.
So you dont really sense the idea that people are seeing the work that youve done.
But, of course, walking down Oxford Street, there it is.
All these characters that are terribly personal are suddenly out there in the world.
Your film also has the finest computer generated jumpers Ive ever seen.
That was a huge piece of R&D.
It was very difficult when we were designing the character of Arthur.
I kept saying that weve had too many skinny underdogs.
Pete did his best, bless him.
He did a whole round of drawings of Arthur as a big bloke, or overweight.
We kept looking at it and going yes, its different, but it doesnt feel like him.
They were brilliant jumpers.
I actually used a live action costume designer, and we bought a series of jumpers.
Its very difficult, technically, to make the thick fabric of a jumper work.
To make knitwear hang.
It nearly killed them trying to do that.
But do you have any thoughts of why neither of them carried to America in the same way?
I do have a lot of thoughts about that.
Its an interesting learning curve, and there are many elements to it.
In the US, Aardman is just not a known brand.
They havent produced films at a rate that has got them in the American consciousness.
And when youre taking children to films with an adult, youll take a certain amount of risk.
Then you dont want it, in any way, to freak them out and upset them.
And, in the case ofArthur Christmas,to ruin their idea of what Santa is.
And therefore, its a question of the film itself telling the audience what it is.
Arthur Christmasin particular came out againstThe MuppetsandHappy Feet Too, and theyre already brands that people are comfortable with.
If wed have been the only ones in the market, theyd have gone and seen us.
I also think that Sony as a distributor didnt have a huge long track record in marketing animation.
DreamWorks knows how to do that, and Pixar, and Disney.
I can say this and you probably cant, but Ill go for it anyway.
The day thatPuss In Bootsgot an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature, andArthur Christmasdidnt, was outrageous.
No, I can say that [laughs].
I did think you have to be kidding me.
I think its the same thing, though, with having a profile in the US.
A lot of people who voted didnt see it.
I know your Aardman role is broader than directing one film.
I think thats true.
Im not at Aardman anymore, but I loveThe Pirates!I originally bought the rights to Aardman.
I think its difficult if you actually look at how the market is working.
I think its affecting all stop motion films.Frankenweenieis a great example.ParaNormanis a really nicely made movie.
But they got slammed by their CG competition.
Tragically, the box office is confirming that at the moment.
And its difficult to know what you do from there and how you turn that around.
I find it hard to understand.
To be fair,FrankenweenieandParaNormanwere both slightly scary as films for small children too.
Thats just the kind of film, for me, that should be going into the family market.
Sarah Smith, thank you very much!
Arthur Christmasis on DVD and Blu-ray in the UK now.
