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thing clear, and Channel Four is
slightly apprehensive about the
clarity, but I remember the film
being described by them as no
more than a set of jolly tunes to
watch while you’re eating dinner.
It’s not that!
It’s stupid that I panic
about the gestures that go
wrong and barely look at the
ones that go right.
I’ve been asked back to Sitges
to give a talk at the Fantasy
Film Festival. I’ve been several
times over the years, and it’s a
great festival. Rather ironic that I
was in Sitges just before filming,
and now I’m going straight afterwards.
I’m striking up a long distance
friendship with a lady called
Bee — a Kiwi in Atlanta. She keeps
phoning just to chat and say how
much she loves the films. Wonderful!
Now she does work for an animation
network but work hasn’t
entered the equation yet. It is
great having friends around the
world (and yet no-one at home to
go to the movies with at the weekend.
Can I get anyone to come
and hear Wyn conduct Die Fledermaus.
Nein.)
September 9th
Oh no, I’ve just rewritten
‘The Art of Coarse Acting/Animation.’
I really am being so bold
with these puppets, and have
thrown subtlety out of the window.
It’s not me being lazy, but
more that I can’t afford to spend
time on things that won’t be
noticed. I’m hoping that it is the
cumulative effect that will register.
The three chaps are now on the
spinning bed, going hell for
leather. It is a rather bizarre
sequence in a rather bizarre film,
but, even without camera moves,
there is so much drive in these last
two episodes. This is probably
some of the crudest animation I’ve
ever done, but it seems right for
this. I would like, one day, to show
exactly the sophistication of animation
and complex choreography
of which I know I’m capable.
12 seconds a day does not lend
itself to much finesse — I’m dreading
seeing some scenes on the big
screen, if we ever get it onto the
big screen. Finances are complicated
there.
Our work experience chap
this week, Darren, was reading
the printed script and totally relishing
Gilbert’s words. He said that
without even knowing the tune
you can hear music in the words.
Whether you like his words or not,
that man Gilbert was quite a
genius.
We really could not have
made this film without the
students, as we would have
otherwise literally not had a
crew.
For this scene where each
of the men look as though they
are walking out on each other, I’d
had hats made, and a coat for
D’Oyly Carte. I thought putting a
hat on would easily signify someone
leaving. However, when I
came to the shots, they just looked
silly. For hats to fit their rather large
heads, things were getting out of
proportion. Plus, we are now so
used to seeing them bare-headed.
Likewise, I’ve discarded Carte’s
coat because it suddenly looked
odd. So, sorry to the girls who
made them. There haven’t been
many things I’ve not used. Everyone’s
work is certainly up on that
screen as bold as brass. I would
like to hope that the budget is all
up there too.
September 10th
A whirlwind of a day really
— a lot of visitors and a lot of
work. The chaps are still spinning
on their bed. All a bit frantic, but it
certainly livens up an already lively
episode. In the afternoon Wyn
and a lady from the orchestra
called in. Wyn had not been since
our first week, and was mighty
impressed with what he saw. He
said that the characters are very
clear, as are the motivations. He
also said that it seemed so fresh
and spontaneous. That pleases
me, as this spontaneity comes
from a lot of hard work, none of
which is spontaneous. So much
animation looks over designed
and planned, with everything precisely
composed and plotted. I try
to give an edge to my films, with
heads cropped in the framing, or
a hand going out of shop, or
shadows happening from outside
the frame. Wyn said he felt it had
been filmed with several cameras.
To Joy, the ambidextrous percussionist,
the whole thing was a concept
she could not get her head
‘round. It seemed so far removed
from the day in the recording studio
in May. She couldn’t believe
how I could work it all out. Mind
you, how musicians work is another
world to me. Yes, I can read
music, though I can’t look at a
page and hear a whole orchestra
as Wyn can. As I read Joy’s parts in
the music score, it is a world of
ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE December 1998 37