Questions for Brad Bird (The Iron Giant, The Incredibles)
10-11-04, 06:07 PM
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Questions and Answers from Brad Bird
I'll be interviewing Brad Bird later this week and I was wondering if any of you had any burning questions you would like to know the answers to. I can't ensure that I'll have time to ask them all, but I'll try.
Last edited by vasb; 10-26-04 at 11:48 AM.
10-11-04, 09:24 PM
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Mr. Bird:
Do you feel that there can be a renaissance in 2-D animation, if only animators with vision and storytelling skills pick up the art and work with it again in the way it should be? It seems to me that the industry has really dropped the ball in this art-form; without naming names, they seem to overlook the fundamentals and either praise or blame technique for everything in the results.
Do you feel that there can be a renaissance in 2-D animation, if only animators with vision and storytelling skills pick up the art and work with it again in the way it should be? It seems to me that the industry has really dropped the ball in this art-form; without naming names, they seem to overlook the fundamentals and either praise or blame technique for everything in the results.
10-12-04, 12:10 PM
#8
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Mr. Bird,
after this movie becomes the highest grossing film of 2004, what are the chances of THE IRON GIANT- the best non-Disney animated film ever made- being re-released and actually being supported after it got fucked in the asshole by Warner Brothers the first go-round?
- Rivero
after this movie becomes the highest grossing film of 2004, what are the chances of THE IRON GIANT- the best non-Disney animated film ever made- being re-released and actually being supported after it got fucked in the asshole by Warner Brothers the first go-round?
- Rivero
10-12-04, 12:58 PM
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Why do people think that Iron Giant didn't get promoted? I remember tons of commercials, promo campaigns during WB's afternoon runs & various other things. It got promoted just like any other movie but most people didn't care about the Iron Giant.
10-12-04, 03:04 PM
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It wasn't promoted nearly well enough. Most animated features are advertised to hell and back. The only promotion I saw was the crummy "making of" starring Vin Diesel that I think came on the WB one night. Hell, Fox News has more viewers than the WB. Plus it was one of 4 major releases that weekend, including The Sixth Sense and The Thomas Crown Affair (Mystery Men also came out but it was a dud as well). Iron Giant got clobbered that weekend and WB didn't try to resurrect it. They wrote it off as a loss (as it was making less than half of it's budget). They toys weren't promoted either. I NEVER saw Iron Giant toys on the shelves and the ones I later bought were bought off Ebay. However, not to go against the previous posters remarks completely, there wasn't a perceived market for an animated film taking place in the 1950's based on a not-so-famous literary work.
My Question for Mr. Bird: Did Warner Brothers EVER have plans to promote it as a big animated blockbuster or was there a since of apathy from the beginning from the execs?
My Question for Mr. Bird: Did Warner Brothers EVER have plans to promote it as a big animated blockbuster or was there a since of apathy from the beginning from the execs?
Last edited by freudguy; 10-12-04 at 03:07 PM.
10-12-04, 03:24 PM
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While I will concede that Iron Giant with a bit more of a marketing push might've made more money, it's not solely WB's fault. Quite frankly, very few films that are 1) 2D animated and 2) do not bear the Disney logo have ever been able to find large success in the United States. Quite frankly, Iron Giant was a tough sell and I really doubt, even with a great marketing push, that the film was ever going to be a massive blockbuster. It's a great film, but that doesn't always mean BO success, especially in the fickle animation field.
10-12-04, 03:45 PM
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Originally posted by freudguy
It wasn't promoted nearly well enough. Most animated features are advertised to hell and back. The only promotion I saw was the crummy "making of" starring Vin Diesel that I think came on the WB one night. Hell, Fox News has more viewers than the WB. Plus it was one of 4 major releases that weekend, including The Sixth Sense and The Thomas Crown Affair (Mystery Men also came out but it was a dud as well). Iron Giant got clobbered that weekend and WB didn't try to resurrect it.
It wasn't promoted nearly well enough. Most animated features are advertised to hell and back. The only promotion I saw was the crummy "making of" starring Vin Diesel that I think came on the WB one night. Hell, Fox News has more viewers than the WB. Plus it was one of 4 major releases that weekend, including The Sixth Sense and The Thomas Crown Affair (Mystery Men also came out but it was a dud as well). Iron Giant got clobbered that weekend and WB didn't try to resurrect it.
10-26-04, 12:06 PM
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ANSWERS
Jason Bovberg
I'd heard rumors of a Brad Bird project called something like "Ray Gunn." I'd like to hear about the status of that.
He described many projects he is working/thinking of. Some are animation, some are live action, some are a mix between the two.
Michael Corvin
I want to know if there are rumblings around Pixar about re-negotiating with Disney now that Eisner is retiring.
Not that he or John Walker (the film's producer) have heard of.
JustInsane
Is the rumor true that he might be starting up a 2d division inside Pixar?
No it is not true. He is interested in doing other 2D films outside of Pixar, but he says that Pixar will continue to operate nearly solely in 3D films. The exception is if characters from their films are moved to television for a regular series. However, he said that with the Disney split this will likely never happen again.
Jepthah
Mr. Bird:
Do you feel that there can be a renaissance in 2-D animation, if only animators with vision and storytelling skills pick up the art and work with it again in the way it should be? It seems to me that the industry has really dropped the ball in this art-form; without naming names, they seem to overlook the fundamentals and either praise or blame technique for everything in the results.
Bird emphasized this exact point: animated films should not be judged outside of the realm of normal cinema. He said he wants his movies to be considered films - not cartoons or animated movies. Animation is merely the medium according to Bird, the films still need the elements of any good film. Technique can only do so much.
Other tidbits:
The people at Pixar actually liked working with Disney and don't hold resentment towards them. He said that Disney was a great boss and that he is sorry a deal couldn't be worked out. Also, (as most of us assumed) the Disney split will not drastically affect the day to day operations of Pixar.
Work began long ago on a special edition DVD that he hopes will live up to the high standards set by Pixar DVDs of the past.
Bird holds no resentment towards WB. He is actually happy they didn't "care" too much about The Iron Giant. He feels that more attention from the studio may have prevented him from making the film exactly how he wanted to. He stresses that a lot of the seeming disinterest in the film by WB is due to the fact that the WB animation division was on the way out and any films that were being made were not focused on by the studio.
The idea for The Incredibles was not based on Superfolks, etc. He said that wherever he goes people ask him if The Incredibles in based on this or that, and that it is amazing to him how many different connections people find. The idea came to him when he had his first child and had to balance his work and home life. He applied this idea to a superhero and the story was built from their. The name of the baby in the movie is actually based on what he and his wife used to call their own baby.
Finally, both Bird and Walker seemed like genuinely nice people. They have a passion for cinema that really comes through and they both just seem grateful for being able to bring their ideas to life. Bird is simply a movie lover - animation, live action, it doesn't matter. He is also very knowledgeable in cinema history and it was fun talking to him. (For the record Toy Story 2 is his favorite Pixar film).
I'd heard rumors of a Brad Bird project called something like "Ray Gunn." I'd like to hear about the status of that.
He described many projects he is working/thinking of. Some are animation, some are live action, some are a mix between the two.
Michael Corvin
I want to know if there are rumblings around Pixar about re-negotiating with Disney now that Eisner is retiring.
Not that he or John Walker (the film's producer) have heard of.
JustInsane
Is the rumor true that he might be starting up a 2d division inside Pixar?
No it is not true. He is interested in doing other 2D films outside of Pixar, but he says that Pixar will continue to operate nearly solely in 3D films. The exception is if characters from their films are moved to television for a regular series. However, he said that with the Disney split this will likely never happen again.
Jepthah
Mr. Bird:
Do you feel that there can be a renaissance in 2-D animation, if only animators with vision and storytelling skills pick up the art and work with it again in the way it should be? It seems to me that the industry has really dropped the ball in this art-form; without naming names, they seem to overlook the fundamentals and either praise or blame technique for everything in the results.
Bird emphasized this exact point: animated films should not be judged outside of the realm of normal cinema. He said he wants his movies to be considered films - not cartoons or animated movies. Animation is merely the medium according to Bird, the films still need the elements of any good film. Technique can only do so much.
Other tidbits:
The people at Pixar actually liked working with Disney and don't hold resentment towards them. He said that Disney was a great boss and that he is sorry a deal couldn't be worked out. Also, (as most of us assumed) the Disney split will not drastically affect the day to day operations of Pixar.
Work began long ago on a special edition DVD that he hopes will live up to the high standards set by Pixar DVDs of the past.
Bird holds no resentment towards WB. He is actually happy they didn't "care" too much about The Iron Giant. He feels that more attention from the studio may have prevented him from making the film exactly how he wanted to. He stresses that a lot of the seeming disinterest in the film by WB is due to the fact that the WB animation division was on the way out and any films that were being made were not focused on by the studio.
The idea for The Incredibles was not based on Superfolks, etc. He said that wherever he goes people ask him if The Incredibles in based on this or that, and that it is amazing to him how many different connections people find. The idea came to him when he had his first child and had to balance his work and home life. He applied this idea to a superhero and the story was built from their. The name of the baby in the movie is actually based on what he and his wife used to call their own baby.
Finally, both Bird and Walker seemed like genuinely nice people. They have a passion for cinema that really comes through and they both just seem grateful for being able to bring their ideas to life. Bird is simply a movie lover - animation, live action, it doesn't matter. He is also very knowledgeable in cinema history and it was fun talking to him. (For the record Toy Story 2 is his favorite Pixar film).
10-27-04, 12:42 AM
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Yes, it is clear that first and foremost Brad Bird is a filmmaker, and he's working in one of the most exciting media there are. I wish him the best, am inspired by his work and will eagerly go to see The Incredibles next weekend. 
Thanks vasb.
Thanks vasb.
