The chance to work on another Wes Anderson film plus live in London again was a instant. “Yes” ! And once I read the script I was excited to get animating. The same talented folks that worked on Fantastic Mr. Fox were coming back for another go-round. I didn’t realize that Wes calls back the same crew when he can. I knew he used the same cast of actors that usually appeared in his films. Actors like Owen Wilson, Bill Murray, Willem Defoe, Jason Schwartzman and the list goes on. They all jump to sign up to another Wes Anderson film. That’s why I was surprised to find out that Wes also tries to hire the same crew. It makes sense to work with the same actors and crew, people that understand how a Wes Anderson film works.
This is a tedious vid of the process. It's a short vid but multiply that by 10 hours and you will have a day representing a stop motion animator.
The desk of every Stop Motion Animator is a unique blend of craftsman, surgeon, and sex worker.
WORK SHOES. The old Red Wing Iron Rangers. These were my Stop-Mo shoes for Isle of Dogs. I wore these everyday of the production. Amazing comfort and durability.
This was in my Hotel Room when I arrived in London.
As I crossed the Thames, on my way to the Studio, there was a fluffy stuffed animal laying at the base of the bridge. A different sort of dog island.
Sometimes a puppet has every box ticked. This puppet of Atari was one of those puppets. The costume, the armature, the face replacement, even the size was perfect. This puppet fit comfortably in my hand and was magic to animate. I loved working with it.
Atari’s flight suit was silky smooth to the touch.
Wes Anderson is the master of the smallest of detail.
The rigs that hold up the puppet and allow the animator to move it around are sometimes in the most sensitive of locations.