I’m listening to track 3 of the Finding Nemo soundtrack on repeat. Something very soothing about that opening music.
I finally got to watch the Triplets of Belleville DVD special features, and I only wish there was more (full director’s commentary would be nice). When I left the theater last month, there was no question in my mind but that Sylvain Chomet in a brilliant artist and director. The death of 2d animation in Hollywood is a blessing in disguise. Small, modest-budget, completely artist-driven productions could flourish right now. New and different stories could be successful in a way that was impossible when Disney owned the screen in the 1990s.
From an AnimWatch interview with Evgeni Tomov, the Triplets of Belleville art director:
“Animation has its charm and qualities. It delivers different aesthetic and emotional experience. It is not just about telling a story the fastest and the cheapest way. The Triplets would have not been nearly as interesting and unique if it was a live action film. The hand made, drawn feel that comes from the screen, the stylization of the characters (you can not find actors with this kind of bizarre physics) resonate quite well with the equally bizarre story we are witnessing.”
Think big and keep drawing.
