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Subtitles for Aleksandr Petrov: The Making of "Mermaid" + "The Old Man and the Sea" (2000)

English
August 13 2011 09:56:18
Created by Niffiwan
Aleksandr Petrov. Kak delalis Rusalka i Starik i morye.2000.en.1.both_parts.1313229378.srt ⭳
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1 00:00:02,900 --> 00:00:09,800 I often have to answer audience questions after screenings of my films 2 00:00:12,001 --> 00:00:17,201 about how this kind of film is made, how much time it takes, 3 00:00:18,202 --> 00:00:23,902 what techniques are used, what I should be feeling, and so on, 4 00:00:24,203 --> 00:00:45,303 I'm forced to list the differences between painted cinema and puppet or traditional (cel-animated), or CGI films, 5 00:00:45,304 --> 00:00:48,204 which are very popular nowadays, 6 00:00:48,205 --> 00:01:04,105 In order to answer these questions, we've decided to make an instructive film describing how animation is drawn with paint. 7 00:01:05,006 --> 00:01:10,606 Any animated (or live-action) film begins with the storyboarding. 8 00:01:11,007 --> 00:01:14,907 A storyboard is like a sort of screenplay in pictures. 9 00:01:15,008 --> 00:01:22,008 And a screenplay is like the diagram or plan of the future film. 10 00:01:23,209 --> 00:01:27,809 This is really a very important element of the picture. 11 00:01:29,010 --> 00:01:41,800 Though for me, it's not a rigid rule which can't be touched but only adhered to. 12 00:01:41,801 --> 00:01:45,201 Storyboarding, for me, is what might be called a living organism, and... 13 00:01:46,702 --> 00:01:55,702 practically throughout the whole film, there will be various changes, rearrangements of scenes, ideas... 14 00:01:57,003 --> 00:02:03,903 Every time that I begin with a new idea, I start with the storyboarding 15 00:02:03,904 --> 00:02:13,204 I spend a long time finding new angles, new points of view on this idea, 16 00:02:13,805 --> 00:02:21,905 Sometimes I get some new ideas; other times I return to the original variant, 17 00:02:21,906 --> 00:02:29,106 but you come back more sure of yourself; enriched by your doubts and efforts, 18 00:02:29,607 --> 00:02:35,307 and only after following this path to the end, do I move on to the next stage. 19 00:02:36,908 --> 00:02:41,000 The next stage is very important: it's the setting of the scene/shot. 20 00:02:42,601 --> 00:02:48,501 In contrast to traditional animation, where the characters, scenery and backgrounds 21 00:02:48,602 --> 00:02:53,502 are done by different artists, at different times, different places, and with different materials, 22 00:02:53,803 --> 00:02:58,903 and only at a later time are all brought together to be filmed, 23 00:02:59,504 --> 00:03:04,204 here these stages are all done simultaneously; 24 00:03:04,205 --> 00:03:09,505 the scenery is set up, a character is drawn inside that same scenery, 25 00:03:09,506 --> 00:03:13,506 and this is already the initial, starting frame. 26 00:03:13,807 --> 00:03:24,107 The paints that my method uses are regular oil paints which can be bought at any store, 27 00:03:24,108 --> 00:03:33,108 the only thing is that I pick out "transparent" paints; those are the paints which can transmit light through their layer. 28 00:03:33,909 --> 00:03:36,009 They are also called "glaze" paints. 29 00:03:38,610 --> 00:03:48,710 Why? Because body-colour paints, or parget, don't let light through; they only reflect it, 30 00:03:49,211 --> 00:04:02,211 and this doesn't suit my method because I work with lamps that shine up from below, through the image. 31 00:04:03,212 --> 00:04:05,412 that's why the paints must be transparent. 32 00:04:05,813 --> 00:04:10,000 Usually there are few colours: 3, 4, maximum 6. 33 00:04:10,701 --> 00:04:16,801 but thanks to the mixing of these colours, 34 00:04:16,802 --> 00:04:28,202 and to the fact that you can have more or less dense layers, changing the density of the colour itself, 35 00:04:28,703 --> 00:04:33,203 you can obtain basically any painting effects. 36 00:04:33,204 --> 00:04:37,804 For creating the image, different instruments are used: 37 00:04:38,305 --> 00:04:43,205 see, I have brushes here, various rubber pieces, sticks, cloths... 38 00:04:44,806 --> 00:04:48,506 many different methods, but the most important one remains the hand. 39 00:04:49,307 --> 00:04:52,707 The hand, the palm, and practically all of the fingers. 40 00:04:52,708 --> 00:05:03,008 And this is the most important instrument for moulding the painting and the form. 41 00:05:03,509 --> 00:05:08,809 All of these brushes and so on are just for cosmetics. 42 00:05:10,210 --> 00:05:15,110 Creating the first frame takes several hours, sometimes the whole day. 43 00:05:16,411 --> 00:05:23,211 It depends on the task, and on my readiness to stop. 44 00:05:23,212 --> 00:05:27,912 my readiness to say "right, stop: it's done". 45 00:05:30,113 --> 00:05:32,413 And then filming begins. 46 00:05:32,414 --> 00:05:35,314 The filming and the painting happen practically simultaneously. 47 00:05:36,015 --> 00:05:41,215 And in order to create the intended movement, 48 00:05:41,216 --> 00:05:48,516 I must destroy the painted phase of the moving character or object, 49 00:05:48,517 --> 00:05:55,517 and with a small movement, restore this image nearby. 50 00:05:55,518 --> 00:06:03,118 In the place where the character was before, where there is now a hole, 51 00:06:03,619 --> 00:06:11,619 you must restore the background and scene that was behind that character. 52 00:06:12,420 --> 00:06:20,920 And all the animation rests on the fact that you're creating and destroying the same image 53 00:06:20,921 --> 00:06:30,421 and constantly labouring on the scene, trying to restore its colour and texture. 54 00:06:30,422 --> 00:06:34,922 This is the most annoying job in this whole painted process, 55 00:06:35,723 --> 00:06:41,423 but there's no escaping from it, because without it we wouldn't get any movement. 56 00:06:42,424 --> 00:06:48,000 But these difficulties are also, probably, advantages... 57 00:06:49,001 --> 00:06:51,201 of this painted method, because... 58 00:06:53,202 --> 00:06:59,602 thanks to this medium, to this painted texture, 59 00:06:59,603 --> 00:07:05,303 this combination of the scene and character, 60 00:07:05,804 --> 00:07:17,504 you get that beauty and unrepeatability which is impossible to reach with any other method. 61 00:07:18,705 --> 00:07:24,505 It seems to me that neither celluloid nor, let's say, cutout animation... 62 00:07:25,106 --> 00:07:30,006 (well, in extraordinary cases it can happen) 63 00:07:30,007 --> 00:07:43,207 but it doesn't allow that organic sense that arises in painted animation. 64 00:07:43,408 --> 00:07:50,308 The painted texture is good for creating fast, sudden movements, 65 00:07:50,309 --> 00:07:53,809 for fast-moving panoramas, 66 00:07:54,510 --> 00:08:01,910 this is much easier for me because I don't have to do any small details. 67 00:08:02,011 --> 00:08:04,411 I don't have to paint eyes or buttons; 68 00:08:04,412 --> 00:08:15,812 it's enough to create expressive strokes, creating with this method dynamic movement. 69 00:08:16,503 --> 00:08:23,200 and this expressiveness, I think, beautifies the movement, 70 00:08:23,501 --> 00:08:30,201 and I sometimes stop and admire the stopframes when I edit the film, 71 00:08:32,402 --> 00:08:45,302 because the image that is created in this quick, almost stream-of-consciousness way, 72 00:08:45,303 --> 00:08:58,803 possesses a unique strength inside, and this scenic expressiveness has a value of its own, even in a static frame. 73 00:08:59,103 --> 00:09:00,203 ...even in a static frame. 74 00:09:02,004 --> 00:09:09,004 It's a different matter when you have to do, for example, portraits, or slow movements; 75 00:09:09,005 --> 00:09:15,405 there you must be very meticulous; you must lengthily, monotonously reproduce all the details, 76 00:09:15,806 --> 00:09:20,006 must try to hold the character, and his personality; 77 00:09:20,607 --> 00:09:24,707 this takes up a lot of time and is fairly hard. 78 00:09:25,608 --> 00:09:29,508 In order to keep my character recognizable, 79 00:09:30,109 --> 00:09:37,509 I learned to apply the following method: 80 00:09:37,610 --> 00:09:47,610 I invite some people I know, make lots of sketches, drawings, scenic etudes, snap photos and videos, 81 00:09:49,511 --> 00:10:01,311 and this material later really helps me for keeping the character and his persona consistent. 82 00:10:02,312 --> 00:10:11,712 In reality, a character is quickly forgotten if you don't have before your eyes drawings and photos of him in different positions 83 00:10:12,613 --> 00:10:18,313 Very quickly: within a few frames, you can lose the character of your protagonist. 84 00:10:18,314 --> 00:10:30,503 In order to avoid this, I make, beforehand, masses of drawings from different POVs of those people who I choose to be the prototypes of my characters. 85 00:10:31,904 --> 00:10:36,004 This is what helps me to keep the character. 86 00:10:37,005 --> 00:10:45,805 And this also helps... these living people (as a rule, I choose people whom I know well and love), 87 00:10:46,106 --> 00:10:56,506 these people, with their personalities, help me to make the personalities of my painted characters believable. 88 00:10:57,007 --> 00:11:03,007 This is the case for practically all of my films. At present, I'm working on the film "Mermaid". 89 00:11:03,708 --> 00:11:07,408 This scene has taken up about 2-3 days of work, 90 00:11:07,809 --> 00:11:10,609 though the scene itself lasts only a few seconds in the film. 91 00:11:50,210 --> 00:11:55,010 Creating painted animation is partially an unconscious act, 92 00:11:55,611 --> 00:12:00,011 though you plan out the scene and the character's actions 93 00:12:00,912 --> 00:12:03,512 Sometimes, completely unforeseen things happen. 94 00:12:04,013 --> 00:12:08,803 Sometimes, during the process of creating the stage, new solutions come, 95 00:12:08,904 --> 00:12:14,104 the stage itself provokes the changing of the initial solution. 96 00:12:14,305 --> 00:12:21,505 If this falls into the story's context, and makes things more interesting, I submit to such temptations. 97 00:12:30,506 --> 00:12:31,906 This is the film "The Old Man and the Sea". 98 00:12:32,307 --> 00:12:36,407 This is our prototype of old man Santiago; 99 00:12:36,608 --> 00:12:38,208 my father Nikolay Sergeyevich. 100 00:12:38,409 --> 00:12:45,309 Before the film, on my request, he played out several scenes, 101 00:12:45,510 --> 00:12:55,010 And... my son, Dima, filmed him; they invented certain movements for our future animation. 102 00:12:55,811 --> 00:13:00,111 This helped us out. 103 00:13:00,712 --> 00:13:08,612 We didn't use these movements directly, but as an example of the plasticity, 104 00:13:09,113 --> 00:13:10,713 this was very useful. 105 00:14:06,014 --> 00:14:13,114 For the bar scene, where our young protagonist duels with a mighty black man, 106 00:14:13,415 --> 00:14:19,115 we invited one creole; this was in Montreal. 107 00:14:20,016 --> 00:14:22,716 we played out this duel with him, 108 00:14:23,317 --> 00:14:28,417 and some angles, some frames really helped us. 109 00:14:30,418 --> 00:14:33,718 The second major character of this film was the sea. 110 00:14:34,119 --> 00:14:36,803 This was the first time in my life that I was forced to paint the sea, 111 00:14:36,804 --> 00:14:41,604 And this was a difficult struggle for me, because I didn't know at all how it moved. 112 00:14:42,405 --> 00:14:51,905 So to somehow win over it, we filmed some video, in order to understand the plasticity of the water's reflections, highlights and reflexes. 113 00:14:53,806 --> 00:14:59,306 The boat caused us a lot of problems, and also the fish. 114 00:15:00,207 --> 00:15:08,507 In order to understand its construction and architecture, we made a model and filmed it on video. 115 00:15:08,608 --> 00:15:15,008 If that boat had not been filmed on video, I simply wouldn't have been able to draw it. 116 00:15:15,009 --> 00:15:17,609 When I began to draw it (we made several tests), 117 00:15:18,510 --> 00:15:25,010 my boat lost its form; it became malleable, 118 00:15:26,011 --> 00:15:30,411 and its rocking did not look natural. 119 00:15:31,612 --> 00:15:38,012 and in order to solve all these problems, we made this maquette, 120 00:15:38,113 --> 00:15:40,613 rocked it back and forth before the video camera, 121 00:15:40,614 --> 00:15:48,514 captured it onto film, and then, frame-by-frame, we used the movements of this boat. 122 00:15:49,215 --> 00:15:49,515 and in order to... 123 00:15:53,016 --> 00:15:58,816 and then we put these frames onto cels, 124 00:15:58,817 --> 00:16:04,017 we cut them out, painted them, and placed them under the old man. 125 00:16:04,018 --> 00:16:11,318 and we got the effect of the old man bobbing on the water with the boat. 126 00:16:12,319 --> 00:16:18,809 If I did not have this maquette, with my impatient nature, I probably would've been defeated. 127 00:16:19,010 --> 00:16:25,510 Thank God I had a good helper: my son Dmitriy. It's the first time I had a real assistant, 128 00:16:25,511 --> 00:16:30,311 a person who understood the task 100%. I was fortunate that I had him to help. 129 00:16:34,812 --> 00:16:38,912 You see, the problem is that a boat cannot stay still in place, 130 00:16:38,913 --> 00:16:41,803 it's not on the ground or in a desert; the water rocks it up and down 131 00:16:41,804 --> 00:16:47,804 so in order to portray the old man, we have to rock the entire boat along with him. 132 00:16:47,805 --> 00:16:49,305 That was our misfortune. 133 00:16:49,706 --> 00:16:57,306 Today, I've frankly had enough of doing films about water, about boats and so on. 134 00:16:58,207 --> 00:17:01,107 because this is such a headache. 135 00:17:02,008 --> 00:17:06,008 Also, this painted film is always done blindly. 136 00:17:07,309 --> 00:17:09,209 You don't know what the result will be. 137 00:17:09,710 --> 00:17:14,610 The good thing about this project is that we had a technical base; 138 00:17:14,611 --> 00:17:22,611 we had computers, a video history, and thanks to this we could anticipate what we'd get... 139 00:17:22,612 --> 00:17:24,712 ...not long from now. 140 00:17:25,813 --> 00:17:29,513 But... in reality, yes we had computers, but they had to be checked; 141 00:17:29,814 --> 00:17:40,714 because sometimes they'd suddenly change their numbers, would lie, and show completely the wrong number of frames than what we expected. 142 00:17:41,315 --> 00:17:47,115 So my cinematographer, throughout the whole process, recorded the position of every frame, 143 00:17:47,616 --> 00:17:50,916 So he had his own computer; he did his own accounting. 144 00:17:51,017 --> 00:17:54,417 and now these notebooks are lying there in Canada like museum rarities; 145 00:17:54,418 --> 00:18:00,018 my producers are showing them to everyone they know, as a relic. 146 00:18:01,019 --> 00:18:04,819 That's a kind of Russian talent. 147 00:18:11,620 --> 00:18:15,620 And now to conclude, here's something for entertainment; a dessert. 148 00:18:17,921 --> 00:18:24,421 or an advertisement: everyone, make animated painted films!