By Rodney Appleyard
At some point during the filming of the second Star Wars trilogy, animation director Rob Coleman, approached George Lucas and said: “I don’t know if I can do this. The whole world is waiting for this movie and to add to the whole stress of it, I don’t think I can deliver what you want.”
Lucas’ reply was simple. “Why are you worrying about what everybody else thinks? There’s only one person you have to make happy and that’s me. And I’m very happy.”
Up until that point, Coleman had been suffering from insomnia, but after this conversation, he slept like a baby.
This is just one example of the enlightening stories that were told at the latest session of the Australian Section of the Visual Effects Society.
Rob Coleman, who is also working on George Miller’s Happy Feet 2, Eric Leighton, the lead animator on Coraline, and Andrew Hellen, co-founder of Fuel, were the main speakers at the event.
They talked in detail about the relationship between director and animation director, and how difficult it can sometimes be for the director to relinquish control during production.
Coleman says that all directors have to be treated differently and the animation director needs to adapt their style to the person running the show.
“I’ve worked with several directors and you can end up with a mixed bag of personalities. Some people are very comfortable and excited about working through the animation process and others are nervous about losing control.
“It’s like any creative endeavour. You establish trust and build a bridge towards them. To a certain extent, you have to coach them so that they are able to understand what you will be delivering and what the process will be like.
“You can also sum it up for them quite quickly: It’s like live action, but in slow motion. Whereas you can work with an actor for over an hour, have 15 takes and end up with what you want, with the animation process, it may take several weeks to make those same 15 takes.”
Some directors adapt better than others.
“They may not understand technically what’s going on; why it takes so long; or why you need so many people, but it’s part of my job to help them through that.”
Ultimately, Coleman is happy that his job is to serve and understand the director’s vision.
“I have the ability to be a good listener and to ask the right questions. In fact, I always have thousands of questions for the director over the movie’s life time and it starts with listening.”
He tends to spend the first week or two listening to the director, which allows him to be taken into the director’s world.
“I learn about what he/she is expecting; what the director is hoping for and what the worries are. This is exactly what I did when I came to Australia to work with George Miller. I learnt, and am still learning, from him. I know George Lucas now but it took me three movies as his animation director on Star Wars to get there.
“Who I was on the Phantom Menace, in regards to dealing with Lucas, was a very different person to who I was on Revenge of the Sith. I was terrified on the first movie, for several reasons. I was so pleased to get the job, but it was a case of being careful of what you wish for.”
However, it worked out well for him in the end. But he advises animators to be aware that some directors get freaked out by the technology. “Others, like Lucas, are amazing and understand all of that stuff."
According to Coleman, the one thing these directors have in common is a photographic memory and the ability to keep on top of the story, the characters and the flow of the movie at all times.
"The best directors truly have this amazing ability to watch a sequence, close their eyes, visualise and say something like: ‘Ok, I think the character is coming in too quickly, this person needs to move over to the other side and in the second shot, we just need to bring the camera down and move it around.’
“It’s something that I couldn’t do and it’s what I love about my job – I get the chance to learn and be in the same room as these people who have skills way beyond me in regards to that aspect of filmmaking.
“I hopefully bring my ability to lead a group of animators to produce cohesive performances that honour the director’s vision. I understand my position within that process, and yes it’s middle management, but it’s also very creative. I love being able to listen and interpret what somebody is saying and then guide a group of people with other skills to bring the vision to life.”
When it comes to managing animators, Leighton looks for something a bit extra than just technical ability in the animators on his team.
“It’s a massive plus having some kind of classical animation training, like the Disney animators have, but that doesn’t have to include the ability to draw. It could be something other than just having a good technical background. It could be down to them having previous experience as a performer at children parties, or perhaps they have been mimers, acrobats, dancers, gymnasts or have some other kind of skill that crosses over.”
He is interested in people from different tactile realms because the nature of their work is based heavily on understanding movement.
Hellen adds that it is important to allow animators the space necessary to express themselves.
“When you are working with good animators, it’s important to encourage them and figure out ways to help bring out the best in their ability. You have to be careful not to stifle their talent."
To find out more about Rob Coleman’s career, read the next issue of IF FX inside the September issue of INSIDEFILM. This issue will also include the first column by the Australian Section of the VES.
The photo at the top of this article is of Rob Coleman with Geoff Campbell, the ILM modeling supervisor for Star Wars: Attack of the Clones. The rest of the images are of his work.