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Quint chats with Brad Bird about Pixar, INCREDIBLES and even Sam Jackson!!!
Ahoy, squirts! Quint here with the first of my one-on-one interviews I conducted at the San Diego Comic-Con this past weekend. I'm kicking it off with the interview I did with Brad Bird that was fit in between his signing and his flight outta San Diego. I had about 10 minutes, but we talked about some pretty interesting stuff relating to Pixar and 2-D animation Vs. 3-D animation.
We did this interview at his table in the Autograph Arena, which isn't a quiet place. That made for some fun at the beginning of the interview, which you'll see below. But enough of this. Let's get down to the interview! See you on the other side, squirts!
QUINT: You ready to kick this thing off?
BRAD BIRD: Sure!
QUINT: The internet was buzzing when it was announced that you had teamed up with Pixar to make a film. IRON GIANT is huge among the net geeks and Pixar, of course, is much worshipped...
BRAD BIRD: Right.
QUINT: How was it working...
BRAD BIRD: Does this record with all that sound?
QUINT: It'll be a monster to transcribe, but it should be getting everything.
BRAD BIRD: Well, here... Where is the mic? Here?
Bird picks up my tape recorder, which was laying on the autograph table between us, and holds it up to his mouth for a second before handing it to me to work it like a TV news reporter.
BRAD BIRD: So, what was your question?
QUINT: You mentioned on the panel that when you first got to Pixar that they kind of bubble-wrapped you to get you used to the 3-D animation world.
BRAD BIRD: Well, there was some time to get used to the systems because it's different than 2-D. I wouldn't say... A lot of people think computer is easier and it's actually harder because there's more things that you can control and more things that can go wrong, but I think they always wanted me to make the movie that I wanted to make. That was of unbelievable importance to me. They really protected the film and created a great atmosphere.
QUINT: Pixar is known for paying very careful attention to story above all else... it seems to be first priority with them.
BRAD BIRD: Absolutely. Story is king. There's a lot of people know who are really trying to push this really stupid agenda that CG equals success and 2-D equals failure. That's gonna last as long as it takes for somebody to put a good 2-D story out. You know, I'm looking forward to the SPONGEBOB movie! (laughs) If SPONGEBOB is the success that I think it will be, they'll probably say, "Well, that's based on a TV series!"
The funny thing is the people at Pixar are considered the experts of CG and yet no one at Pixar thinks 2-D is dead. Everyone at Pixar thinks 2-D is great, everyone loves the clay work of Nick Park (WALLACE AND GROMIT), people loved LILO & STITCH and SPIRITED AWAY. No one there thinks 2-D is dead.
QUINT: You started off in 2-D with your SIMPSONS work, then did IRON GIANT, which was 2-D with 3-D elements. Now you're on to a fully 3-D movie. You mentioned on your panel that you'd like to direct live action. Is that what you're interested in doing next?
BRAD BIRD: I have been and was kind of on the edges of it. I was one of the credited writers on BATTERIES NOT INCLUDED, although there's very little of my stuff in there.
QUINT: I have fond memories of that movie.
BRAD BIRD: Well, there's not a lot of me in there. I wrote one of the live action AMAZING STORIES. I storyboarded a lot in that, too. I'm actually in it, too, as Scientist #3 or something. It's something that I want to do, but one of the fun things about working with 3-D was moving the camera around and have a lens selection that would basically mimic actual lenses and play with light and stuff.
QUINT: One of my favorite parts in the trailers for THE INCREDIBLES was Sam Jackson's character. How was it working with him?
BRAD BIRD: I loved working with Sam! He plays with you a lot, you know! He knows he can turn on intimidation at the drop of a hat, so he plays with you a little bit. He's not for the feint of heart, but he's absolutely a blast to work with and so funny! He's just a brilliant actor. He'd do things on the first take perfectly and you can improvise with him. He was just a blast. He's one of my favorite actors. And the animators were really inspired by him. They all wanted to do Sam Jackson scenes.
QUINT: Is he in the movie a lot or is he a smaller character?
BRAD BIRD: Um, he's a supporting character, you know. But he figures in at a few key moments there.
QUINT: Time's running out, but since you have a chance to talk directly to the readership of Ain't It Cool News... sell them on the movie. Tell them what's in it for the geek... besides giant robots!
BRAD BIRD: Well, the movie, I think... The IRON GIANT was kind of a quieter, smaller piece. While there's emotions in this (THE INCREDIBLES), I would say this is to IRON GIANT what RAIDERS was to E.T. This is more of a popcorn rollercoaster ride. It has a lot of humor in it, a lot of action in it. It's the kind of movie I would want to see. But we had a blast making it. Everybody at Pixar worked their asses off to make it as good as we possibly could before the clock ran out. I just think people will have a blast watching it. Large amounts of popcorn should be consumed.
There it is, squirts. Many, many thanks to Lisa Stone as well as the kind folks at Disney who helped set this interview up. They like you guys. No one else got to talk with Bird at Comic-Con, especially in a one-on-one situation. It was a short interview, but a fun read, I think. Hope you squirts like it. I've got many more on the docket. Look for some one-on-ones with a hobbit, a gondorian soldier, a sky captain and more to hit in the next few days! 'Til then this is Quint bidding you all a fond farewell and adieu.
-Quint
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yeah..sure..hmm...really...oh, by the way..FIRST!!!
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Jul 29, 2004 5:59:27 AM CDT
what's the deal with the funky hieroglyphics on bird's shirt?
by acne scarface
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they are the outlines of the heads for the incredibles family! pretty cool, ay?
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Quint, why didn't you ask when are we going to get the Family Dog on dvd? That is my favorite cartoon ever!
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Brad Bird is the MAN. My Family Dog plush pooch is sitting in my bedroom window right next to my Snoopy & Opus "stuffed animals". My Iron Giant stands watch over my Star Trek TOS tapes from Columbia House. You da MAN, Bradley!
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The complete first season of Amazing Stories ios coming to DVD in October, I think. so we'll eventually have Bird's great Family Dog ep to own (although it was from the show's second and final season). Oh, and anyone who's NOT excited about a Bird/Pixar film is out of their minds. "WHERE IS MY SUPER-SUIT, WOMAN?!?"
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unless warner delays it again...
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Jul 29, 2004 12:14:46 PM CDT
You have to give it to Brad Bird, the guy knows how to tell a st
by g_mo_d
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NAPOLEON DYNAMITE! How fucked up is that?
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where'd you get a Family Dog plush toy?!? I MUST have one!!
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...but "only" to November, probably so they can slap a "From The Director Of The Incredibles!" sticker on the shrink-wrap. Bastards...
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Without much fanfare he has quietly produced some of the best work in animation in the last 25 years. His Simpson's stuff is fan-fucking-tastic, and the Iron Giant? Well that is nothing less than a gem. He and Lassetor have yet to make a bad movie. PIXAR has earned every bit of it success.
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Brad Bird is right about Disney's current mentality. They think that 3D equles success, and that 2D equles failure. That Lizzie McGuire equles success, and that Mickey Mouse equles failure. That Winnie The Pooh equles success, and that Scrooge McDuck equles failure. Do any of you see a bias patter to Eisner's thinking?
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and it's good to hear Brad Bird's stance on the 2D/3D hooplah, namely that a good story and great execution are the real meat of the films, not whichever medium was used to create it. In all honesty, I'm looking forward to seeing the rendering of all the super-powers. Because if Bird and Pixar manage to "set the bar", then the live-action films we've been seeing (or *will* see), will have their work cut out to execute some pretty convincing effects for the likes of Fantastic Four or Xmen3.
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Jul 29, 2004 10:28:34 PM CDT
and where do I get one of those shirts, dammit!!!!!!
by the killer-goat
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