Decades after Sid James and Co. made it a right CARRY ON, film-maker Daniel Robert Hope focuses on a messy camping trip in his new comedy animation The Clearing.
Film And TV Now spoke with the film-maker about the short.
FILM AND TV NOW: You use a whole host of animation techniques in this film – motion control, 3D capture, puppetry and others. How challenging is it to find a balance of technique when telling a story?
DANIEL ROBERT HOPE: Problem-solving is big part of the film-making process. In an ideal world I’d capture the entire shot in camera every time, but stop-motion has its limits.
I start with storyboarding the shot exactly as I want it, and then work backwards from there to find the right technique. I think it’s important to be free and try not to think of the practicalities of how to shoot something during the creative process.
FTVN: The film at its’ heart is a man with an ego. Tell us about the concept and design for the characters here.
DRH: I wanted to create an anti-hero. Bill is a twisted and despicable individual, yet somehow I cannot get enough of him. His silly design helps to take the edge off the awful things that come out of his mouth, as well as helping to convey his more likeable pathetic side.
FTVN: Tell us about your voice cast.
DRH: Julian Barratt and Julia Davis are two of my heroes and I’ve been following their work for as long as I can remember.
I had them in mind to play Bill and Deb while I was writing The Clearing, and was blown away when they agreed to come on board. They were so generous with their time and input and their incredible chemistry made the whole thing an absolutely hilarious experience.
FTVN: Tell us about your production team.
DRH: The team was mostly students from the National Film and Television School with volunteers coming on board to help out during the busier times.
FTVN: Tell us about the writing process and how it differs for animation over live action.
DRH: I wrote The Clearing over a couple of months but I’d had the idea for some years beforehand.
Stop motion needs meticulous planning and t’s a lengthy process, so it’s important to have the script nailed down as much as possible before going into production to avoid wasting time by animating shots that ultimately don’t make the edit.
FTVN: How long did it take to make?
DRH: The shoot was nine months, with two or three months at the end for post.
FTVN: Tell us more about the animation design of the film.
DRH: The Clearing tells the story of two selfish and largely inept parents. The design of the characters and the world they occupy helps to bring comedy and silliness to this otherwise mundane and pretty harsh story.
FTVN: Did you storyboard the film?
DRH: I storyboarded the film extensively and cut the frames into a really loose animatic to get an idea of timings. I knew I wanted The Clearing to be about the performance of the central characters rather than a mood piece or something very physical, so the animatic was super rough and served more of a guide than a bible.
FTVN: Who and what are your key cinematic influences?
DRH: I love the Coen Brothers for their characters, storytelling and dark humour. No Country for Old Men was a masterpiece. In terms of writing, I really look up to Chris Morris and Armando Iainucci, and of course Julia Davis.
FTVN: Would you like to utilise the same animation style in a feature version, like Aardman did with Chicken Run for example?
DRH: Absolutely! Stop motion is like magic. It’s never gets old seeing inanimate objects begin to walk and talk and working with such talented people is absolutely awe-inspriing.
FTVN: The Clearing came from the prestigious National Film And Television School of film-makers. Was animation always your original goal when you studied?
DRH: I’ve always been involved in animation in one way or another. I went to the NFTS to develop my voice as a writer and director, but continuing to work in animation was always the goal.
FTVN: Who would you like to work with in the future?
DRH: That’s tough. There’s a long list of hilarious British comics I’d love to rope into working with me, it would be impossible to know where to start! I will just continue to write and hope that I can get the right people excited enough to want to be part of my future work.
FTVN: How influential is New Yorker Studios on you as a point of contact?
DRH: The New Yorker have been brilliant, and instrumental to getting The Clearing out to a wider audience.
FTVN: How has the festival circuit helped your film?
DRH: The Clearing has had a super festival run. It premiered at Ottawa International Animation Festival and had a raucous reception at it’s UK premiere at the BFI London Film Festival. It’s so nice to see how different audiences react to the film to know what works well and what doesn’t work so well.
FTVN: Finally, what are you most proud of about this short?
DRH: I’m proud of the incredible team who gave up their time, came together and pulled out all the stops to make The Clearing happen.
