INTERVIEW OF THE CAST AND CREW OF A BUG'S LIFE A film interview by Steve Rhodes Copyright 1998 Steve Rhodes
"Hey, I'm getting paid for something I used to get in trouble for [in school]." - Joe Ranft, voice of Heimlich and story supervisor of A BUG'S LIFE
"You know, we're parents ourselves. I hate when I have to go to a kids' movie and have to turn my brain off. Or that I have to watch it when the video comes out and have to watch it again and again. But I love to make a movie that my kids can go to, that my parents can go to, and everybody can get something out of. I think that's the hardest movie to make, and I don't think there's many of them. And I think that's what we try to shoot for." - Andrew Stanton, co-director and co-writer of A BUG'S LIFE
Several weeks ago I reviewed (see www.InternetReviews.com) the marvelous new picture by Pixar Animation Studios. Called A BUG'S LIFE, it is their first feature-length film after their enormous, initial hit, TOY STORY. The film, which is easily the best kids' movie of the year and a breath-taking film for all ages, surpasses Dreamworks' ANTZ in just about every category imaginable.
This past weekend my son, who loved the movie as much as I did, joined me as part of the press contingent at the early premier of the movie on Pixar's home turf, the Silicon Valley. At the premier we were able to interview many members of the cast and crew, including, the two directors, the technical director, the producer, the lead voice of Flik and one of the key supporting voices, that of Heimlich, the caterpillar.
The people from the film were warm and gracious to us, and even to my son Jeffrey, age 9, who was there as, well, let's say a member of the "junior press." He had at least one question for each of them. [Plus he got some great autographs complete with sketches.]
The interview highlights are organized by interviewee in the order that the interviews occurred. Each person provided his little tidbits, and it is as hard to find a favorite among them as it is in the ensemble movie. To a person, they were the types that you'd love to have over for dinner for a long chat. There wasn't even a hint of an inflated ego in any of those we spoke with. Nicer human beings you'd be hard pressed to find.
[The interviews were done in groups; when I wasn't the one asking the questions, I have so indicated.]
The movie opens nationwide in the United States on Wednesday, November 25. You don't want to miss it. It is appropriate for all ages from 3 to 93.
DARLA ANDERSON, CO-PRODUCER
Q: [Another reporter:] Can you contrast A BUG'S LIFE with TOY STORY?
A: "Toy Story was a buddy movie. A BUG'S LIFE was an ensemble cast. Everything was organic on A BUG'S LIFE, whereas everything on TOY STORY was all plastic and toys. We probably had at zenith about 210 people working just on A BUG'S LIFE, and on TOY STORY we only had 120 in the company."
Q: Were there any bugs you rejected? Any bugs that just seemed too weird.
A: "I don't think so. We even have maggots in the film."
Q: Did you envision the outtakes from the very beginning?
A: "John Lasseter had wanted to do outtakes way back on TOY STORY, but we didn't have time so he's been thinking about that for quite a while. And on this film we just went for it. We had this giant locomotion of a production train going, and we just threw that on at the end. And they got done in about 2 weeks."
Q: [Another reporter:] What were your favorite characters?
A: "My two favorites, beside the fact that I'm in love with Dave Foley so I have to love Flik. Hopper is just so cool. The shaders, his eyes, his movement, he's just a very, very cool character. And Heimlich is the most lovable."
Q: [Jeffrey:] What are your favorite parts?
"My favorite part of the whole movie is what we call Dot's rescue. When Dot's getting rescued and the big orange bird is going after it. That's my favorite part cause I just think that big orange bird is so cool."
Q: How about marketing of this versus ANTZ? I've told some people to see the film, and they say they've already seen it. I say, no that's ANTZ, A BUG'S LIFE isn't out yet.
A: "I haven't even seen ANTZ. Just what little I've seen on the commercials, I think our film looks very different. … We try to avoid comparison. Hopefully they'll just want to see it on it's own merits. And hopefully word of mouth will be very strong."
WILLIAM REEVES, TECHNICAL DIRECTOR
Q: [Other reporter:] What are you most proud of technically on the film?
A: "It's hard to say. We really worked hard on our lighting and shading, getting organic feel. The basic premise of the film had this very organic feel to it from the characters through the sets and everything so we worked really hard trying to bring that out." …
"We were challenged by the crowds … a lot of the scenes had a lot of ants in it because that's what you see when you see ants." …
"A lot of times it's just the ambiance, the feeling that is there. All the way through the film the vegetation is moving in the wind, blowing in the wind."
Q: [Other reporter:] Who choose blue as the color of the ants?
A: "It comes out of the art department I guess. You're trying to create contrast. … We didn't want green characters because they would just blend right in. … In general we wanted our characters to stand out."
Q: In ANTZ the eyes are so glassy, whereas in A BUG'S LIFE they are so much more realistic, detailed and interesting. Did you work a lot on the eyes?
A: "Eyes are a critical thing for us and for animation. … When you think actors and you think about characters, you look at their eyes, just like we look at our eyes when we're interacting with each other. … It's the place where we connect with each other. … We worked a lot on getting the highlights on the eyes right."
DAVE FOLEY, VOICE OF FLIK, THE LEAD ANT
When first introduced as the voice of Flik, his response was: "I'm sorry about that."
Q: [Other reporter:] Why did you take on this job? What about it appealed to you?
A: "I went to the audition just because I wanted to meet the guys who made TOY STORY. … I never for a second thought that they'd hire me because I find my voice irritating. Why would you want to tether your movie to that kind of a sound. But they hired me and I was delighted."
Q: [Other reporter:] You didn't change your voice?
A: "It's my voice, just a little more enthusiastic than I'm used to sounding, a little more energetic."
JOE RANFT, VOICE OF HEIMLICH, THE CATERPILLAR
He was also the story supervisor on the film, and that's the job he's had for the past 18 years. He got picked to do the voice for this major part as a bonus. He also had a small part in TOY STORY, the part of Lenny the binoculars. His one-liner as Lenny was, "Guys, look; it's Woody and Buzz coming up fast."
Q: How did you get the ensemble feeling of the cast?
A: "We had a big cast of characters and there's a circus troop. The circus sort of made it."
Q: Did you record the characters together or did you record them independently?
A: "You record them independently."
Q: [Other reporter:] Did you ever have the Heimlich maneuver in?
A: "We cut that part out. It was actually in for a little while."
Q: [Other reporter:] Where did you get the idea of an Oktoberfest-loving German guy?
A: " A Danish guy in the story dept. … He suggested a German guy. … Some German reporter said, 'Did you design him after [Chancellor] Helmut Kohl?' He thought we were caricaturing Helmut Kohl."
Q: [Jeffrey:] What is your favorite part of the movie?
A: "I like it when Flik launches the bird to scare the grasshoppers."
ANDREW STANTON, CO-DIRECTOR AND CO-WRITER
The character of Dot is named after Andrew's little girl. He named it when she was born. Now 3, she recently saw a plush doll of Dot and liked the doll but didn't realize it was based on her.
Q: [Other reporter:] What was your favorite bug when you were a kid?
A: "I remember my favorite bug was the little roly-poly bug, you know, the pill bug. You could roll 'em up and bat 'em around. I have memories of bugs. Having fun with them and torturing them."
Q: [Jeffrey:] What was your favorite part of the movie?
A: "Gosh, that's a hard question. I like all of it so much. [Jeffrey; "Me too!"] "I don't know. I like how scary and intense the grasshopper entrance is, but I like how fun the circus is, how exciting when the bird comes out of the tree. … I love it all. I don't think I have a favorite scene."
Q: How about the outtakes? How did you come up with the idea?
A: "We actually had the outtakes as an idea for TOY STORY, but we came up with it so late and we just didn't have time enough to put it in so we said, 'Next movie, next movie, we're doin' it.'"
Q: In contrast to ANTZ, A BUG'S LIFE is so much brighter, and has such a wider audience appeal. When you saw ANTZ [interrupts with answer:]
A: "Never seen it, honestly couldn't tell you the differences. But I can tell you that we were about 2 years into this movie when we found out about it. We made a very conscious effort to just put blinders on and make the movie we would make untainted by any other influence. What you see on the screen is a just a big reflection of us -- it's what we like to see. If it's for more of a family group, then that's sort of what we like to do. I like to think that we have a, sort of, edgy adult sensibilities. We're filmmakers ourselves and like to be stimulated ourselves when we're watching a movie, so hopefully it works for everybody."
Q; Were there any insects that didn't make it? Or that you couldn't quite get to work?
A: "You know the insect that did not make it now that I think about it was a bee. I mean there is a bee in the background but not as a main character. When we thought about it, it seemed kind of gratuitous to shoot more of it in so we left it out. But I think all of our other favorite bugs made it in."
Q: The whole movie has a very bright look to it, a very happy look, there's not that, dark somber sort of thing. Was that intentional?
A; "Well, I mean I think we were intent at times with the grasshoppers, but we tried to be very strategic about it. I mean, they're the bad guys, and they're the consequence of the movie. But we wanted to sort of tap into that child-like memory. Just like in TOY STORY, we wanted to tap into that child-like imagination you had that your toys were alive when the door to your bedroom was closed. We wanted to tap into that child-like memory of how fun it must be to be that little bug in that microscopic world outside in your yard. I think that comes out in things like the color of the lighting and the mood and stuff like that."
Q: Kevin Spacey is one of my favorite actors.
A: "Oh, that's great, he's one of mine too."
Q: When did you sign him up?
A: "Well, you know, he was nominated for the USUAL SUSPECTS about the same time we were nominated for the screenplay for TOY STORY, so we met him in a lot of the celebrations for the Oscars. … John Lasseter said 'would you be willing to be an animated voice?' And Kevin said, 'anytime.'"
Q [Jeffrey:] How did you get the idea for the stick bug?
A: "I don't think a Stick bug is something that many people grew up with but all of us found out about it somewhere, and we all thought it was really cool."
JOHN LASSETER, DIRECTOR
He said that he makes movies not for the first viewing but for the 100th viewing of the videotape, so that you'll still like it as much then as you did the first time. He said that the key to a movie is not the techniques but the story.
Q: [Other reporter:] Do you work hard?
A: "When we work, we work hard, and when we play, we play hard. Honestly, Andrew and I laugh hard every single day. What's funny is that we jokingly say to each other that if we worked on a road crew, just doing asphalt or pot holes or whatever, we could go home to our wives and say, 'Honey, it's been a hard day,' and they'd take care of the kids. But, instead, they know we have a great time, and they say, 'it's your turn with the kids.'"
Q: [Other reporter:] What inspires you?
A: … "Reality in computer animation -- for years, people have been doing a lot of research for things that look absolutely real. And there's a whole segment of film production with special effects where that's important. But for us we love to do this creative fantasy world that the audience knows doesn't exist."
Email: Steve.Rhodes@InternetReviews.com Web: www.InternetReviews.com
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