Q: “Up” became the first animated film to open the Cannes Film Festival. Do you believe animated features are becoming accepted as a more serious artistic platform?

Pete Docter: We were very honored to be the first animated film to open the prestigious Cannes Film Festival. Walking around there, I kept picturing Hitchcock, Coppola, Truffaut; these big time directors … and US?!?! It seemed like some sort of mistake! But we do look at our work as filmmaking, just like any other film. And it’s nice to see the world looking at it that way as well.

Q: How did Michael Giacchino (composer) come to the project? How was working with him?

Pete Docter: Michael had worked with Brad on "The Incredibles" and "Ratatouille" and of course did a great job on those. He’s a true collaborator. We started out talking through the film conceptually, discussing the things we were looking for — like paying homage to the films of the 40’s and 50’s, the Disney films and Frank Capra and films like that. We wanted to evoke that kind of a feel.  And then we went through sequences shot by shot sometimes and talked about the construction of the scenes and what I was hoping to achieve musically. Not necessarily like arrangements or anything like that, but more like, "Okay, it should start really low here, sneak in, and then build to this point … and then jump out at us!"  We’d talk more emotionally like that and then I’d leave it to Michael to write the music. He would play us these demos and we’d listen via teleconference, and anytime we’d have thoughts or suggestions, he would do changes, sometimes right on the spot. He was very open to whatever the film needed. He’s a filmmaker. Really thinks about the storytelling and how music communicates to people. He’s got range that a lot of film composers either don’t have or don’t utilize.  His "Ratatouille" score doesn’t sound like the "Up" score, which doesn’t sound like "The Incredibles" or "Star Trek." Amazing.

More after the jump…

Q: Can you explain the process of how Carl’s montage at the beginning evolved?

Pete Docter: That was probably the scene I’m most proud of in the film. It came into play early as we developed the story of this guy floating away in his house, and we asked ourselves, "Why is he doing that?" We figured there was some sort of loss or unfulfilled dream that he was trying to make right, and so we came up with the back-story of Carl and his wife.  We initially constructed it as a compressed series of small short scenes, with dialogue and sound effects. Little snippets of life.  Bob [Peterson] wrote it. When Ronnie del Carmen started to storyboard it, we felt like it would be nice to reduce it, simplify it, and take the dialogue out. My parents shot a lot of Super 8 movies of our family growing up. Watching them now, there’s something really emotional about not having any sound. That allows, I think, the audience to participate more actively and kind of imagine, "What are they talking about there?"  Or "what happened right before this moment? " And that feeling was all part of what went into that scene… these really little beautiful real-life moments showing the highs and lows of life. Carl’s true adventure — their relationship together.

Q: There must have been a ton of research that went into the look of the mountain tops; were any similar tests conducted into using helium balloons to lift an entire house?

Pete Docter: The first thing our technical team did when they started working on the balloons was to figure out how many balloons it would take to lift a house in real life. Here’s his math: * Carl’s house is 1600 sq ft * Somewhere I found some figures saying that the average 1600sqft house weights about 345,000 lbs, of which 160,000lbs is from the foundation, and about 30,000lbs is from the garage. * Since Carl lifts off and leaves the foundation behind, that leaves about 155,000lbs ( == 77.5 US tons == 70,306 kg) that the Canopy needs to lift. Accelerating toward the ground at 9.8 m/s^2, that’s 688,998 N of force from gravity that the Canopy has to overcome. * With the density of Helium at .1786 kg/m^3 and representing a balloon as a sphere with a radius of 2.78ft (85 cm, ~5.56 ft diameter — we’re talking weather balloons here…) — each balloon can generate 4.5N of buoyant force… * So to generate at least 688,998N of force to overcome gravity, you’d need: 153,053 helium-filled, 5.56ft diameter balloons. * If you’re trying this with big party balloons, say 1 ft diameter, then you’d need a whole lot more: 26,550,146….26.5 million balloons. * None of this takes into account the weight of the balloons themselves or the strings to tie them to the house.

Q: You’ve said in the past that you identify strongly with Buzz Lightyear, are there any other characters you identify with?

Pete Docter: Well, I Identify strongly with Carl. I often grouse about how things are changing, and "why did they take that item off the menu?!?" I’m going to make a good old man. Weirdly, Kevin the bird is another character I really like. Not that I feel a kinship, but she was a fun character to play around with, because she’s so unpredictable.

Q: I saw the video of the trip to gain artistic inspiration for UP … what are some examples of other inspirations for animated elements in your work that came from more mundane/conventional sources?

Pete Docter: Doing research is one of the best parts of working on these films. One day we brought in an ostrich. It was cool to see an ostrich running around on the front lawn here. And of course the film was a great excuse to bring in our dogs. We also went to a few Old Folks homes. We formed a band — we played Tin Pan Alley type tunes and went in to a local retirement home to play for them. As we were up there, all of us were secretly taking mental notes and doing sketches behind our ukuleles. It was great — we got good research, and they said we were the best act to play there in months!

Q: Was the choice of presenting the film in 3D a conscious decision from the beginning? How does it affect the production process?

Pete Docter: We start the process for "Up" in 2D, with the focus just on the story and the characters. It was about three years in that John Lasseter came to us and said, "Hey, there are some really cool new developments that have happened with 3D," and of course Pixar had a long history of interest in 3D, John being one of the prime cheerleaders.  He shot pictures of his own wedding in 3D, as well as "Knick-Knack," which is in 3D as well. So we did a ton of research, watching other 3D films, and made a list of things we liked and things we didn’t. I wanted to use 3D in a more subtle way than the usual, "WOAH! THERE’S A BIG BANANA CREAM PIE COMING OUT TOWARDS THE AUDIENCE!" thing you often see in 3D. We used 3D as another tool to communicate the emotion of the scene, like you would use color, lighting, or cinematography. In the end, we didn’t let it affect the way we approached the story at all. I didn’t want to compromise the 2D version — which is the way it will be seen most often (considering DVD and Blu-ray).

Q: As far as the animation style of “Up” goes, instead of going for “as close to realism as possible” kind of visuals, it has an almost caricature style, especially with the facial features highlighting big points, rather than looking like a human head. What influenced the style of “Up,” and why did you decide to go this route?

Pete Docter: The story called for Carl to float his house into the air buoyed by balloons. For that to be believable, we felt it would be necessary to caricature the world – and, therefore, the characters, as well. I think if we made it look photo-real, you wouldn’t believe it as readily. Besides, if you want something to look real, go get a camera and step outside. It’s a heck of a lot cheaper. We work in animation! We can do things that can’t be done in any other medium! So the idea of simplifying and caricature is always exciting to me.

Q: Do you remember the first time you drew something and thought, "Wow, this is something I want to do for a living." Do you remember what you drew?

Pete Docter: You know how there’s always those kids in your elementary class that are really good at drawing? They sit there and "wow" everyone by drawing horses and tanks and battles and stuff? That was NOT me. I was lousy at drawing. But as soon as I figured out I could make something look like it was moving — and thinking — I was hooked. My parents are musicians, as are my sisters, so I was dragged to a lot of concerts growing up. I would always steal everyone’s programs and draw all over them, thinking up jokes like, "What would happen if all the strings on his violin broke?" or "What if someone fell in the tuba?" Comic gold, I’m telling you!

Q: How did Tom McCarthy get involved in the writing of “Up”?

Pete Docter: We had referenced Tom’s film "The Station Agent" as we worked out the structure of “Up.” It’s very similar — a guy who isn’t really living, he’s just walking through life, trying to stay removed and alone. Then he reluctantly gets drawn into this surrogate family. It’s a great film, really well written and directed. We got Tom to come here to Pixar to screen it and talk about it, so we’d meet him. Bob and I were working together at the time, but then Bob was drafted on to “Ratatouille” for a while and I was left all alone. I cried a lot and talked to myself at first. I needed someone to spark off creatively, and so I asked Tom if he could recommend any writers he knew that might want to work on the film. He fell for it and said, "How about me?" Ha ha! Sucker. He was on for three months, and it was in his draft that we added the character of Russell, which of course we kept once Bob came back on.

Q: What are the challenges involved with writing for animated movies that one might not face with live action, and how do you overcome those challenges?

Pete Docter: We approach our writing exactly as one would approach a live-action screenplay; the focus is on character and keeping the audience engaged. Our whole process is remarkably similar to live-action; we have cinematographers, lighters, costume designers, etc. We use different tools to get there, but the creative process is the same.

Images: ©Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

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It tells the story of an overweight, illiterate teen (Gabourey Sidibe) in Harlem who’s pregnant with her second child. But when she’s invited to enroll in an alternative school, things might start turning around for her. Check out the photos below, and also the red carpet premiere at Cannes last spring.

Mariah Carey (I could make some snarky comment here, but I won’t)

Lenny Kravitz

Mary J. Blige

Sapphire

Sherri Shepherd

Zoe Kravitz

Angelic Zambrana

Gabourey Sidibe

Gayle King

Grace Hightower and Robert De Niro

Image: INF

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It’s a comedy set in a world (clearly fictional!) where no one has ever lied. That is, until a writer seizes the opportunity to lie for personal gain. The movie stars Ricky Gervais (who also wrote, directed and produced), Jason Bateman, Jennifer Garner, Jonah Hill, Tina Fey, and Rob Lowe. It’s rated PG-13 for language including some sexual material and a drug reference.

Check out the stars on the red carpet. They look like they’re having a lot of fun, don’t they? And Jennifer Garner is gorgeous, as always (and check out those shoes!).

Image: INF

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If any Film Gecko readers are AT the festival and want to send me photos, I’d love to post them. For now, here’s a few from INF:

Megan Fox

Mena Suvari

Vivica A. Fox

 Amanda Seyfried

Hugh Hefner and friends

Jennifer Connelly and Paul Bettany

Kim Cattrall

Matt Damon

Olivia Wilde

Penelope Cruz

Rachelle LaFevre

Richard Kind

Image: INF

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But George Clooney says he’s all done with the publicity – although the story in The Hollywood Reporter’s Showbiz411.com blog doesn’t make it clear whether he’s just giving up Oscar promotion or movie promotion altogether. Is Clooney a big enough star that he doesn’t have to promote his movies? People will just flock to see them? I’d probably be in that category.

At any rate, Clooney WAS promoting two films at the Toronto International Film Festival — “Up in the Air” (Oct. 8, 2009) and “The Men Who Stare at Goats” (Nov. 6, 2009), a dark comedy that stirred a bunch of other actors, including Bill Murray and Woody Harrelson, to go check out.

“Up in the Air” is the one generating Oscar buzz, but Clooney says there will be no Oscar campaign. “Nope, I’m done, I have nothing to say. And I really liked not doing a campaign for ‘Michael Clayton’” (which, by the way, was nominated for seven Oscars and won Tilda Swinton a Best Supporting Actress award).

Clooney also talked about Walter Cronkite, and how his dad gave a nice speech at the newsman’s memorial service last week. Apparently, Clooney’s dad and Cronkite were longtime friends and had their last dinner together at Patsy’s. Cronkite also visited Clooney at his home in Lake Como, Italy.

“The first time he came, he asked if we dressed for dinner,” said Clooney. “He came down in a blue blazer and a white hat, so we played a joke on him and were all in robes! He was so angry, and we went in to change. When he came back, dressed casually, we were all in suits. He loved it. He had a great sense of humor.”

Image: INF

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She’s really working it, isn’t she? Whatever “it” is. Do you think she needs to tone it down? Or are you in the “go for it” camp? I mean, if we’re talking hooker, she’d definitely be a high-class one, right?

For all of Film Gecko’s coverage of the movie, click here. The slasher-cheerleader flick opens in theaters Sept. 18, 2009.

Image: splashnewsonline.com

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Moore’s latest film, “Capitalism: A Love Story,” continues the probing of beaurocracy and corporate dominance in our everyday lives. But this time, the subject goes beyond General Motors and Moore’s bumbling filmmaking efforts from Flint, Michigan (even he admits that; read that post and you’ll see what I mean).

This time, Moore takes on capitalism and explores its impact on America. He takes us into the homes of ordinary people whose lives have been turned upside down; and goes looking for answers in Washington, D.C., Manhattan, and elsewhere.

More after the jump, including a trailer…

In Moore’s words: "It’s a crime story. But it’s also a war story about class warfare. And a vampire movie, with the upper 1 percent feeding off the rest of us. And, of course, it’s also a love story. Only it’s about an abusive relationship. It’s not about an individual, like Roger Smith, or a corporation, or even an issue, like health care. This is the big enchilada. This is about the thing that dominates all our lives — the economy. I made this movie as if it was going to be the last movie I was allowed to make. It’s a comedy."

The film opens in L.A. and New York on Sept. 23, 2009; wide on Oct. 2). Check out the trailer:

© 2009 Overture Films, LLC All Rights Reserved.

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Director Steven Soderbergh’s film, a true story based on the book by Kurt Eichenwald, follows an agri-business corporation accused of price fixing. The star witness is vice president turned informant Mark Whitacre (Damon). Scott Bakula and Patton Oswalt also star in this film, scheduled for a Sept. 18, 2009 release.

Damon has found a nice niche with these sorts of intrigue / conspiracy / political movies, and I’m looking forward to seeing this one.

Image: splashnewsonline.com

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What do I love about Pixar? Where to start. The main thing is they make films that are both fun and thoughtful, and which appeal to people of all ages. That’s just what director and producer John Lasseter told reporters yesterday. "We really set out to deeply entertain an audience, not just children but adults, as well.”

John Lasseter and George Lucas

Founded in 1986 and based in Northern California, Pixar really paved the way for digital computer animation and has made ten feature films to date; four of those have won Oscars in animation, a category introduced in 2001.

More after the jump…

Lasseter was "tremendously honored" that the award was given to the team of five Pixar directors: Brad Bird ("Ratatouille" and "The Incredibles"), Pete Docter ("Up" and "Monsters Inc."), Andrew Stanton ("Finding Nemo" and "Wall-E"), Lee Unkrich ("Toy Story 3"), and Lasseter (the first two "Toy Story" movies and "Cars”).

“Filmmaking and animation is one of the most collaborative art forms there is in the world, and it is never more collaborative than it is at Pixar," Lasseter said after accepting the award from George Lucas, who helped found the studio.

And if you think Pixar films are all about guys, stay tuned! The upcoming “The Bear and the Bow” is Pixar’s first fairy tale, a mother-daughter story set in Scotland and directed by filmmaker Brenda Chapman.

"We believe very strongly in having really strong female characters," Lasseter said, then explained why it hadn’t happened yet: "I mean, you are looking at a bunch of guys up here."

Peter Docter, Nancy Lasseter, director John Lasseter and Jonas Rivera pose with “Up” characters Carl Fredricksen and Russell the Wilderness Explorer

Images: Elisabetta Villa, 2009 Getty Images via Image.net

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