Gísli Darri Halldórsson focuses on a group of people and their desire to cope with daily struggles in one way or another in YES PEOPLE. The short film has just been nominated for an Oscar in the Best Animated Short Category in the 2021 Academy Awards.
Film And TV Now spoke with the film-maker about the short and the process behind it.
FILM AND TV NOW: The short reminds one of the early moments of Pixar’s UP, where we don’t get dialogue, but suggestion of action. Was this always the intention from the start?
GĪSLI DARRI HALLDÓRSSON: Yes, in fact I was inspired to make a type of silent film.
Way back in 2012 I had a conversation with my Irish friends about the Icelandic word “já” and its multi-tonal-meanings. This became the seed that led me to think about a semi-silent film where we could add this primal language of intonations to character action.
FTVN: There is a very contrasting style of animation used in this film. Who were the key influences on this film?
GDH: In terms of animation I can’t deny the influences of Aardman and Laika studios. The animation is on 2s (every other frame) which makes it look less smooth but on the other hand the animation has a bit more bite and feels more engaging in my opinion. Because this was a period piece I also wanted to reduce the CGI quality which is more of the 2000s era.
FTVN: How long did it take to shoot?
GDH: I started writing and designing in 2013 and up until 2018 it had very much been a stop and start affair. I had to find tiny pockets of time in between freelance jobs to work on it.
Luckily I got CAOZ onboard to help me apply for a production grant at the Icelandic Film Fund. We managed to get about a quarter of the desired budget and worked with that.
FTVN: Did you storyboard the short?
GDH: Yes I did but the lack of dialogue in this film actually made me stagger between writing and storyboarding. I found this process very rewarding and I rarely felt stuck. I think I will do this again.
FTVN: In terms of the actual building of the animation process, what were the key challenges that you faced during production?
GDH: My main challenge for this film was making the characters look like they are thinking and also to capture that wordless energy between the people.
On a technical level it was quite challenging to match the characters and the backgrounds because the backgrounds were actual photographs from the 70s. And for every shot we had to be careful to match the lens and lighting of the original photograph.
FTVN: Were the characters moulded on anybody in particular?
GDH: Yes they are modelled on various people I’ve known and observed but sometimes they were a combination of several people.
FTVN: Tell us about your production team.
GDH: It was a small team of 3 animators, 6 voice actors, 3 compositors, a sound designer, a rigger and a generalist who modelled, lit and rendered the film.
Most of them are people I had already worked with before and I felt confident working with them again – to have a shorthand with somebody really helps to get straight to the heart of the matter.
FTVN: How did you raise finance for the short?
GDH: Most of the film is self-financed but before main production started we (me and Arnar Gunnarsson at CAOZ) applied successfully for a grant from the Icelandic Film Center. This funding was extremely helpful to finish the film without any interruption.
FTVN: Your short has just been nominated in the Best Animated Short Category at this year’s Academy Awards. How did you react when you got the news and how much of an impact will this nomination have on your career and development as a film-maker
GDH: I watched the announcement live and I just remember shouting something and then sitting frozen for a looooong time in front of the computer.
It was a deeply joyful moment despite my odd reaction. The impact so far is very positive to me as a film-maker – the film is getting seen all over the world now and I sense a lot of interest in my next projects.
FTVN: Will you be considering a feature length version of this short in the future?
GDH: I definitely have a lot of characters with a lot potential and backstory – so never say never.
FTVN: What issues and themes would you like to explore in future films?
GDH: Oh I guess they are several. I’m at a place where I have a few projects I want to pursue but they are all quite different – ranging from a children’s story to slightly darker and more adult territories.
FTVN: How has the current global situation affected your development and evolution as a film-maker?
GDH: It mostly prevented me from seeing my film with an audience and also seeing other films in the cinema. However, I feel more certain that the world needs the cinema.
FTVN: Finally, what are you most proud of about this short?
GDH: I get a lot of people telling me the film is a rediscovery with every re-watch – That makes me really chuffed. I’m also proud that I persisted and finished the film.
