AnimfxNZ: John Stevenson
Kung Fu Panda co-Director John Stevenson answers The Big Idea community questions about creating emotional connections, re-writes and storyboarding, and coming up with new ideas.
“The only way I know to stay on the path and not lose your way is to have a simple theme that you believe in passionately."
“If you can hold onto the simple idea that made you want to tell the story in the first place through all the panics of production, eventually you will find your way home.”
Stevenson says there will always be a new technique around the corner, but human beings stay the same.
“We want to know why we are here, how we should lead our lives, how to be good human beings. If we tell stories well and honestly about these things they will always be relevant.”
Read more questions and answers in the comment box below.
Stevenson is one of the keynote speakers at AnimfxNZ in Wellington - a conference for the animation, visual effects, games and digital film industries. He is also holding a workshop for children called Traditional Art First, Software Second.
John Stevenson
With more than three decades of experience in filmed entertainment, Stevenson is a filmmaker who brings a full and varied skill set to every project, all of which bear the stamp of his keen eye and unending creativity.
Stevenson co-directed Kung Fu Panda (2008) and has a few projects in development including, The Minotaur Takes a Cigarette Break, based on Steven Sherrill's 2000 novel about the mythological creature, which, having survived Theseus' attack in the labyrinth, walks among us today. Stevenson is also teaming up with Warner Bros and producer Joel Silver to direct Masters of the Universe.
Prior to the release of Kung Fu Panda, Stevenson held the post of Head of Story at PDI/DreamWorks serving as story artist for Shrek, Shrek 2 and Madagascar. He also created storyboards for the animated features Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron and Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas. A core member of PDI/DreamWorks' creative review committee, Stevenson had input on a variety of projects and also taught classes on the story process to artists at PDI and the San Francisco-based Wild Brain Productions.
The mid-to-late '90s saw Stevenson working between multiple feature and television animation projects. He provided the lead voice for the pilot of the series Mr. Baby, designed characters for DreamWorks Television's Toonsylvania and worked as a storyboard artist and character designer for PDI/DreamWorks's Antz, Pixar's Toy Story 2, and Nickelodeon's Fathead. He acted as an independent creative consultant to CBS, NBC, Walt Disney Productions, Colossal Pictures and Protozoa Pictures and worked with Henry Selick as Head of Story/Creative Development for Twitching Image, Inc., puppeteering the animatronic rhinoceros in Disney's James and the Giant Peach (also drawing storyboards) and directed an episode of Film Roman/CBS's The Twisted Tales of Felix the Cat.
As Staff Designer/Director for Colossal Pictures (1991-1995), Stevenson worked in multiple capacities on the animated series Back to the Future and Moxy-Pirate TV Show, created advertising spots for Cheerios, Little Caesars and Parker Bros. and developed show formats and concepts for Nickelodeon/CBS. He served as art director, character designer and storyboard artist on England's Central Television series The Dreamstone.
Stevenson's previous freelance career as an artist, illustrator, character designer and art director exposed him to myriad projects in nearly every medium, working on theme parks, museums, album covers, commercials and various feature films and television shows. Stevenson's entree into entertainment began with character/product design, storyboarding, show concepts and background puppetry on the seminal The Muppet Show for Jim Henson Productions.
Further information:
AnimfxNZ 09 – November 5-7, Wellington
Now in its fourth year, AnimfxNZ 2009 brings together a mix of international speakers, including animation feature directors, vfx supervisors, digital artists and game developers. Presenters will share and interact with attendees during three days of; master classes, a full-day conference and workshops.
See the full programme details.
Comments
29 October 2009 - 13:39 PM
Thank you for your questions for Kung Fu Panda co-director John Stevenson about ‘Creating Digital Connections’. His answers are below.
The winner of the AnimfxNZ keynote conference day ticket was Rollo Wenlock.
Hey John,
I've found that truly "connecting" with any digital art form still requires a compelling and thought-provoking "human-based" emotionality to be rememberable.
How often have you been involved with re-writes / re-storyboardings because it has been felt that the tone of the entire work has lost its way and will not be effective?
Greydon Little 02102380369
good aye Mr. Stevenson
with such an amazing career, how do you still come up with creative new ideas to still captivate an audience and make it feel relevant in the ever changing media of today? and how do you make decisions knowing that the work you do will work?
Ray Chan
Hi John,
You've worked on various animation projects. Many stories were inspired by non-western culture and enjoyed by people of all ages.
Do you think that the success of these projects has anything to do with the digital connections you've built over the years?
Cheers,
Nat
do you think that for digital connections to be effective they usually have to have some form of old fashioned (in person, on the phone) connection at some point? Rollo
As a storyboard artist, did you feel more connected when working with computer animation, or when working with the muppets?
And do you find that the "performance" of a digital character includes the same number of suprising moments/discoveries as the "performance" of a puppet. Or do you generally know what it's going to look and feel like at a much earlier stage of the creation process?
Hey John,
We have a generation of children who are growing up so digital savvy now, how do you think that may change the approach to film-making in the future?
Thanks, Felicity
q1) Until you get it right you are always re writing and re storyboarding. That's the job. It doesn't matter what medium you are working in-live action, traditional or computer generated animation-it is all about storytelling. You know when it is working, and you sure as hell know when it isn't. The only way I know to stay on the path and not lose your way is to have a simple theme that you believe in passionately. If you can hold onto the simple idea that made you want to tell the story in the first place through the all the panics of production, eventually you will find your way home.
q2) I dont believe the medium matters. There will always be a new technique around the corner, but human beings stay the same. We want to know why we are here, how we should lead our lives, how to be good human beings. If we tell stories well and honestly about these things they will always be relevant.
q3) Whatever success any of the things I have worked on over the years have had has very little to do with technical technique and everything to do emotion. It is the emotional connections that are important.
q4) Everything has to connect back to a flesh and blood human being. Of course, it can be a symbolic human in the shape of a panda, robot, ogre or any one of an infinite variety of choices. But it is always and only about people.
q5) When I am storyboarding I am only thinking about the story and character. It doesn't matter to me whether it is for a puppet character, or a handrawn or CGI one, it just has to be truthful.
In my experience you can always be surprised by something, whether in the sponteneity of a puppet performance or a unique choice by an animator. You may have a good strong idea of where you think you need to go, but you should always be open to those surprising gifts of creativity.
q6) I hope our digital savvy children will benefit from the democratisation of technology, and that they will be able to express themselves in ways I cannot begin to imagine. I believe they will have access to many new ways to communicate their ideas and feelings and can't wait to see what new stories they will tell.