Alderson: I DIDN'T ALWAYS WANT TO BE A STOP-MOTION ANIMATOR.
I THOUGHT I WAS GONNA BE A LIVE-ACTION FILMMAKER.
YOU JUST GET BITTEN BY SOME KIND OF BUG.
AND ONCE YOU'VE DECIDED THAT THAT'S WHAT YOU WANT TO DO,
YOU JUST KIND OF HEAD OFF IN THAT DIRECTION.
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A STOP-MOTION ANIMATOR, ESPECIALLY IN REGARDS TO FILM,
IS KIND OF LIKE A TRANSLATOR.
OUR JOB IS TO EMBODY THE CHARACTERS WITH LIFE
TO TELL THE STORY THAT WE'VE BEEN BROUGHT HERE TO DO.
I'M CURRENTLY WORKING ON "KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS."
I'VE BEEN SHOOTING FOR 14 MONTHS NOW,
AND WE'VE GOT ABOUT ANOTHER FOUR OR FIVE MONTHS LEFT.
THESE ARE THE BIG BOARDS.
THESE HAVE GOT THE SCHEDULE FOR THE FILM
FROM WHERE WE ARE TODAY RIGHT UP UNTIL THE END.
SO, WE'LL COME THROUGH AND WE'LL TALK WITH JARED
ABOUT WHAT OUR PATH IS FOR THE FOLLOWING WEEK.
Bumgarner: SO, WE'VE GOT 6 DAYS IN THERE FOR 250 FRAMES.
SO THAT'S 43 FRAMES A DAY FOR LITTLE HANZO?
Alderson: YEAH. YEP.
-Bumgarner: IS THAT OKAY? -Alderson: THAT FEELS GOOD. YEP.
Bumgarner: THE THING THAT'S EASY TO FORGET
IS THAT IT'S NOT JUST DAN --
IT'S DAN PLUS 30 OTHER ANIMATORS OUT THERE.
SO THIS IS REALLY -- THIS IS LIKE A GIANT PUZZLE.
IF ONE PIECE MOVES, IT TRICKLES DOWN.
Alderson: IT'S LIKE THE WHOLE ORCHESTRATION OF THE FILM
-IS HERE... -Bumgarner: YEAH.
Alderson: ...AND JARED'S CONDUCTING.
SO, THE START OF THE PROCESS KIND OF --
IT BEGINS WITH AN EDIT SESSION FOR ME,
IN WHICH I'LL SIT DOWN WITH THE EDITOR AND THE DIRECTOR,
AND WE'LL GO THROUGH THE SPECIFICS
OF THE SHOT THAT I'LL BE WORKING ON.
Knight: SO HE COMES FROM THE SHROUD OF THE FOREST
INTO THE SUNLIGHT HERE IN THE CEMETERY.
AND SO I THINK YOU JUST WANT HIM TO HAVE THIS NICE NATURAL GAIT,
MAYBE, YOU KNOW, 14, 16 FRAMES A STEP.
AND THEN AS HE LIFTS HIS HEAD UP
AND HE SEES THE CROWD AND WHAT THEY'RE DOING,
I THINK YOU WANT JUST A LITTLE BIT OF A FALTERING
IN THE WAY HE'S WALKING.
Alderson: WE TRY AND KEEP ANIMATORS WORKING ON A SEQUENCE
SO THAT WE KIND OF OWN THE FLOW OF IT,
SO WE KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE CHARACTERS,
WHERE IT SITS IN THE STORY,
AND HOW IT ALL KIND OF RELATES TO THE BIGGER PICTURE.
PART OF THE PROCESS AFTER WE'VE BEEN GIVEN THE DIRECTION IS --
AS AN ANIMATOR, IT'S NICE TO HAVE SOME REFERENCE.
WE'LL COME OUT AND WE'LL FILM
US PERFORMING A PIECE OF ACTING OR A PHYSICAL ACTION
JUST SO WE HAVE SOME KIND OF VISUAL REFERENCE
SO WE CAN KIND OF WORK OUT WHEN WE GO INTO A SHOT
EXACTLY HOW WE'RE GONNA APPROACH IT.
IT'S ABOUT JUST SEEING WHAT KIND OF THINGS WE CAN GATHER.
AND EVEN ON THE MOST SIMPLE SHOTS,
YOU CAN GET SOMETHING IN THERE
THAT JUST KIND OF BOLSTERS THE SHOT UP.
IT KIND OF GIVES IT A LITTLE BIT OF NUANCE
AND A BIT OF EXTRA DETAIL.
SO, ONCE I'VE KIND OF GOT THAT INFORMATION,
THEN I WILL GO TO PUPPETS
AND WILL DETERMINE IF RIGGING'S REQUIRED,
WHAT KIND OF COSTUME CHANGES, ADAPTATIONS WILL BE NEEDED.
WE NEED HIS SHAMISEN ON THE BACK.
SO WE NEED TO OPEN UP THIS BACK RIGGING POINT.
I'M GONNA NEED SOME SUPER-SUBTLE EYE MOVEMENT ON THIS ONE,
AND I'M FINDING THE TOP LID IS STICKING A LITTLE TOO MUCH.
I'M NOT GETTING THAT NICE TWIST THERE.
FOR EXAMPLE, TO HELP HIM WALK DOWN THE STAIRS,
EVERY NOW AND THEN, HE'LL NEED HELP SUPPORTING HIS WEIGHT,
SO HE'LL NEED A RIGGING JUST TO HELP HIM ALONG.
-HE'S GONNA NEED BUM RIG. -Weinberg: OKAY.
Alderson: AND HE'S WALKING ON PRETTY FLAT GROUND,
SO "X," "Y," AND "Z" WINDER AND MAYBE A TRACK.
SO, JUST GETTING IT TO A PLACE WHERE I CAN START THE PROCESS.
-HIS ARM'S TOO LOOSE. -Smalley-Ramsdale: OKAY.
WE'VE BEEN WORKING TOGETHER FOR MANY YEARS,
SO YOU DO KIND OF GET USED TO THE ANIMATORS
AND HOW DIFFERENT ANIMATORS LIKE THEIR PUPPET TO BE TENSIONED.
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Weinberg: OKAY, GIVE THAT A FEEL REAL QUICK
BEFORE I PUT IT IN THERE.
Alderson: SO, ONCE THE RIGGING
AND THE COSTUME AND EVERYTHING'S KIND OF READY,
THEN I WILL TAKE THE PUPPET WITH THE RIGGER,
AND WE'LL GET HIM SETTLED INTO FRAME,
WORKING WITH CAMERA, WORKING ON POSITIONS,
MAKING SURE IT FITS WITH THE ANIMATIC
AND THE SHOT'S GONNA LOOK AS IT'S SUPPOSED TO.
Werner: HOLLY TO NIKKI.
Nikki: HEY, HOLLY.
Werner: NIKKI, WE'RE READY FOR FINALS ON YELLOW FIVE.
Alderson: ONCE WE'VE KIND OF FINALIZED THE SHOT,
THEN WE GET ALL THE TEAMS TOGETHER
TO KIND OF MAKE EVERYTHING
LOOK ABSOLUTELY THE BEST THAT IT CAN BE,
BECAUSE THE FINAL SHOT IS ESSENTIALLY A PERFORMANCE.
AND ONCE WE START DOING IT,
THEN WE'RE USUALLY IN THE ZONE UNTIL THE END OF THE SHOT.
THAT'S THE MOMENT -- JUST BEFORE YOU LAUNCH --
THAT YOU GET TO CHANGE ANYTHING AND PRETTIFY EVERYTHING.
AND THEN THE CURTAINS CLOSE [LAUGHS]
AND YOU'RE KIND OF LEFT ON YOUR OWN.
THAT'S THE TIME TO JUST KIND OF SHUT EVERYTHING OFF
AND GET ON WITH IT.
[ LAUGHS ] WHICH IS THE BEST PART.
SHOWING THERE'S, LIKE, AN INTERNAL PROCESS HAPPENING
WITHIN THIS KIND OF BIT OF PLASTIC,
THERE'S SOMETHING IN THERE THAT MAKES YOU STOP
AND THINK THERE'S A PERSON HERE, THINKING AND FEELING.
IF YOU'RE WALKING, YOU KNOW,
THE FEET HAVE TO BE IN THE RIGHT PLACE,
THE HIPS HAVE TO BE IN THE RIGHT PLACE.
THE TORSO HAS TO BE TWISTING IN THE RIGHT WAY.
OTHERWISE, IT DOESN'T LOOK RIGHT.
WE ALL KNOW WHAT SOMEBODY WHO'S WALKING LOOKS LIKE.
YOU KNOW IF IT'S WRONG.
THIS IS AN X-SHEET, OR A DOPE SHEET.
AND IT'S BASICALLY SHOWING ON THE LEFT SIDE THE FRAME NUMBER
SO WE CAN WORK OUT EXACTLY WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN IN OUR SHOT.
IF A CHARACTER'S WALKING,
WE CAN MARK EXACTLY WHEN THE STEPS ARE SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN.
BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, IT'S USED FOR DIALOGUE.
SO THE FACIAL ANIMATION WILL BE WORKED OUT BEFOREHAND,
3D-PRINTED.
AND THIS WILL TELL US EXACTLY WHERE
WE'RE SUPPOSED TO CHANGE THE FACE SHAPE.
WE TAKE THAT IMAGE, WHICH PUTS IT NEXT TO THE FIRST ONE
AS I'M SLOWLY BUILDING UP A SHOT.
IT'S HUGELY TECHNICAL IN TERMS OF FIGURING OUT
WHAT YOU'RE GONNA DO IN WORKING WITH ALL THE DEPARTMENTS.
BUT FOR ME, I THINK A GOOD ANIMATOR IS SOMEBODY
WHO JUST HITS THE EMOTION OF WHAT YOU'RE DOING PROPERLY.
THAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN TERMS OF TELLING A STORY.
Knight: ALL RIGHT, SO... WHAT DO WE GOT HERE?
Alderson: IT'S BASICALLY -- IT'S BRINGING THEM TO LIFE.
IT'S SHOWING CHARACTERS BEING ALIVE
AND SHOWING A CONNECTION OR THOUGHT PROCESS, AS WELL.
Knight: IT'S PERFECT. IT'S EXACTLY WHAT I WANTED.
Alderson: FROM WHEN I FIRST STARTED ANIMATING,
PEOPLE HAVE ALWAYS SAID THAT MY WORK
HAS AN EMOTIVE QUALITY TO IT, SO PEOPLE RESPOND TO IT.
THEY ACTUALLY FEEL LIKE THEY UNDERSTAND
WHAT THE CHARACTER'S GOING THROUGH.
AND SO BEING GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT
IS THE MOST SATISFYING THING.
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