Brad Bird Interview (Talks about R rated animated films, Motion capture)

[Grgeon]

Brad Bird is totally awesome! Great read, thanks Roberto.

-GC

[BigPixolin]

That was a great Blu-ray ad.

[Qslugs]

Yeah I kinda agree with the other person. I feel like someone should have paid me to read that.

[Breinmeester]

"Unfortunately, the only R rated animated films that have been made, have been made with a teenager's view of what adult means."


Hahaha! It's funny, because it's true!

[dtang]

Skipped right to the last 3 questions, great answers. Whenever anyone says "Animators are not technicians. They are artists." That person will get total respect out from me. :buttrock:

Highlight of the interview for me:

- Mocap and Animators (notice, it's not mocap "vs" animators)
- Film originality
- The true meaning of an "adult" animated film
- Mockery on "respectable" "real film"

The questions are so so (asking an Artist with PR questions? What kind of question is "Does the advent of Blu-Ray change the way you make movies?" :curious:), but Brad's answer is just brilliant.

[Unled]

"Unfortunately, the only R rated animated films that have been made, have been made with a teenager's view of what adult means."


Hahaha! It's funny, because it's true!

You think he was talking about Ralph Bakshi's work?

[robcat2075]

You think he was talking about Ralph Bakshi's work?

And maybe Heavy Metal. (but I liked Heavy Metal)

But I bet he's also thinking about all the boobs and blood anime from the last 20 years.

[soulburn3d]

You think he was talking about Ralph Bakshi's work?

There's been plenty of modern adult oriented animated films in the past 10 years that fit that bill, no need to go all the way back to Bakshi. Hell, just take a look a lot of the "adult" oriented art in the gallery here at cgtalk :)

- Neil

[avinashlobo]

Perhaps Hollywood will do a 3D redux of Graveyard of the Fireflies. How many millions do you suppose that'll make on opening weekend? :scream:

[Wes_Brown]

There's been plenty of modern adult oriented animated films in the past 10 years that fit that bill, no need to go all the way back to Bakshi. Hell, just take a look a lot of the "adult" oriented art in the gallery here at cgtalk :)

- Neil

I couldn't agree more. CG art has some VERY juvenile themes that run through it. Other mediums do too, but since ours is so commercial anyway, it is just more saturated with it right now. There is solid, thought-provoking work out there for sure but it sometimes gets lost in the "naked chick with spherical boobs and a tentacle wrapped around her thighs" fare. ;)

[flipnap]

What are you looking forward to the most, know that we have a world where we can play films on a format like Blu Ray?



dang, with an article of this caliber, you would think someone would do a quick grammar check.. jeesh

[CelticArtist]

Interesting read, though I was slightly offended when he stated that Ratatoille was the only original film this summer. I worked on Surf's Up, and there were no predecessors to that movie, no tv show, no toys, it wasn't a "Third", it was a totally original cg film. And it was not the only one, He is being overly general and skewed towards Pixar with that statement. I loved Ratatoille, I've seen it twice in theaters (i never do that) and will buy it tomorrow, and I think Bird is a genius, but I am disappointed with that one comment.

[Kai01W]

"Animators are not technicians. They are artists."

Well, according to what he said about Gollum they are just rotoscopers :) scnr
I'm a little tired of this topic.

Nice commercial/interview.

-k

[Breinmeester]

Interesting read, though I was slightly offended when he stated that Ratatoille was the only original film this summer. I worked on Surf's Up, and there were no predecessors to that movie...
The form of Surf's Up is quite original, but the story is thin and not as fresh. I mean, 'Karate Kid' had a lot more flesh to it. I saw it and forgot about it minutes after it was done. I went to see Ratatouille for four times.

[xxbinxx]

Oh my My Neighbours :D

[CelticArtist]

The form of Surf's Up is quite original, but the story is thin and not as fresh. I mean, 'Karate Kid' had a lot more flesh to it. I saw it and forgot about it minutes after it was done. I went to see Ratatouille for four times.

you've a right to your opinion, to each their own, however, it doesn't change my point.

[AJ]

I worked on Surf's Up, and there were no predecessors to that movie, no tv show, no toys, it wasn't a "Third", it was a totally original cg film.
During the trailer for Surf's Up my girlfriend turned to me and said "Another film about penguins!?".

Admittedly I was too busy drooling at the water to pay her any attention, but she has a point. A story about surfing penguins may be original, but a lot of people simply saw the fourth CG film to have penguins in it.

[CelticArtist]

During the trailer for Surf's Up my girlfriend turned to me and said "Another film about penguins!?".

Admittedly I was too busy drooling at the water to pay her any attention, but she has a point. A story about surfing penguins may be original, but a lot of people simply saw the fourth CG film to have penguins in it.

And Bug's Life was Another movie about bugs, Surf's Up wasn't built on Happy Feet and Madagascar, Hell, I was already at Sony, working on Surf's Up when March of the Penguins came out, we got a special screening of it, but the idea was already fully cemented before that film even hit theaters. Happy Feet was a great movie, but again, had absolutely nothing in common with Surf's Up except that it was penguins. This argument is OLD on these boards, but i'll bring up the typical comeback - when's the last time you got tired of a movie with humans in it because you'd seen one before, were Matrix and The Notebook even remotely similiar simply for the fact that they had humans in them?

I am not disputing your point entirely however, in the public perception, Surf's Up was 'another' Penguin movie, however, everyone in the field should be smart enough to realize the reality of scheduling a film. and again...it doesn't invalidate my point about original movies.

[amannin]

dang, with an article of this caliber, you would think someone would do a quick grammar check.. jeesh

seriously, and more than once >_<

though, i thought this artcle was going to focus on "adult films" rather than Blu-Ray & Ratatouille -- still some good info though...

[Breinmeester]

...it doesn't invalidate my point about original movies.
You are right in the literal sense, but I think Brad was also addressing the originality of the story.
On the other hand, for an animated movie Surf's Up probably was the most original after Ratatouille this year. So you have a good point.

[dtang]

This just proves we artists are passionate and proud of what we do, whether you're a modeler in Surf's Up or a director in Ratatouille. Sometimes others may not agree, sometimes it's not so great in other's eyes, but that doesn't matter. You gotta have passion and love for what we do, else it's just another job.

And sometimes, in a crappy interview, you have to come up with something interesting and inspiring things to say, you neglect some of the other work other people worked on to just prove a point. Which in this case, is that Originality in film industry is dying. And I think Brad meant just story wise in big VFX blockbuster movies, not romance, or comedy, etc.

What I'm saying is, they're both great movies with great artists worked on it, I personally liked Ratatouille more, but who cares! If the interviewee asked Brad specifically what he think about Surf's Up, I'm sure Brad will say something more meaningful about it. Not sure what he'll say, but at least his insight and views about the film with valid points, not just "it's a good/bad CG movie".

[Papa Lazarou]

During the trailer for Surf's Up my girlfriend turned to me and said "Another film about penguins!?".

Admittedly I was too busy drooling at the water to pay her any attention, but she has a point. A story about surfing penguins may be original, but a lot of people simply saw the fourth CG film to have penguins in it.

Ratatouille was another CG film with rats it.

[CelticArtist]

This just proves we artists are passionate and proud of what we do, whether you're a modeler in Surf's Up or a director in Ratatouille. Sometimes others may not agree, sometimes it's not so great in other's eyes, but that doesn't matter. You gotta have passion and love for what we do, else it's just another job.

And sometimes, in a crappy interview, you have to come up with something interesting and inspiring things to say, you neglect some of the other work other people worked on to just prove a point. Which in this case, is that Originality in film industry is dying. And I think Brad meant just story wise in big VFX blockbuster movies, not romance, or comedy, etc.

What I'm saying is, they're both great movies with great artists worked on it, I personally liked Ratatouille more, but who cares! If the interviewee asked Brad specifically what he think about Surf's Up, I'm sure Brad will say something more meaningful about it. Not sure what he'll say, but at least his insight and views about the film with valid points, not just "it's a good/bad CG movie".

Well said, I am certainly not trying to come across as whiney, simply proud of the work we did at Sony. I have full respect for Brad Bird and Pixar, and as I said before, I loved Ratatoille.

[toontje]

Interesting read, though I was slightly offended when he stated that Ratatoille was the only original film this summer. I worked on Surf's Up, and there were no predecessors to that movie, no tv show, no toys, it wasn't a "Third", it was a totally original cg film. And it was not the only one, He is being overly general and skewed towards Pixar with that statement. I loved Ratatoille, I've seen it twice in theaters (i never do that) and will buy it tomorrow, and I think Bird is a genius, but I am disappointed with that one comment.

In fact, I enoyed Surf's Up the most. Very original and not pretentiuos. And yes, Brad is god damn genius.

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