tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-738814364413384768.post2894600650447431524..comments2024-03-13T23:42:25.845-07:00Comments on Animondays: Anatomy of a DirectorDavid B. Levyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12611160893518781463noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-738814364413384768.post-77486654683252579442008-02-13T16:44:00.000-08:002008-02-13T16:44:00.000-08:00Hi Mike,It is a delicate balancing act, trying to ...Hi Mike,<BR/>It is a delicate balancing act, trying to be "there" for the animators and also giving them the room and freedom they need. <BR/><BR/>I like to create a reasonable schedule and give the animator only the key check points that they need to hit in terms of storytelling/acting/scene blocking... <BR/><BR/>Too much freedom is no good. For instance, one director I've heard of, gives direction like, "have fun with it." That's way too vague and will rarely result in a good piece of animation. I don't suggest that today's director working in digital animation give the animator every blink or nuance to put in, but there needs to be enough of a skeleton provided that the animator could then hang the meat on.<BR/><BR/>I think in Rick's case, the puppeteers were very happy because they didn't have to bog down and do 10 takes on every set up. Imagine having to hold your arm up with a sweaty/heavy puppet and angle your head so it's out of the shot while giving it your all for 10 consecutive takes. Rick's efficiency kept things moving, and I think he got nice spontaneous performances from the puppeteers as a result.David B. Levyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12611160893518781463noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-738814364413384768.post-6293991901795939312008-02-13T12:27:00.000-08:002008-02-13T12:27:00.000-08:00Hi, Dave. Thanks for a really useful, insightful p...Hi, Dave. Thanks for a really useful, insightful post. Do you have any thoughts about how a director strikes the balance between how Rick worked, and being too involved with work done by actors, animators, etc.? I imagine that in the same way he needed space from the executive producers, the puppeteers needed a healthy space to create and do their job. Thanks.Mike Rauchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14449145161329062477noreply@blogger.com