Today, I was fortunate enough to attend the press conference for Frankenweenie ahead of its premiere tonight at Odeon Leicester Square, marking the start of the 56th BFI London Film Festival (LFF). In attendance were director Tim Burton, alongside the film's cast Martin Short, Catherine O'Hara and Martin Landau. Completing the line-up were producers Allison Abbate and Don Hahn. Winona Ryder, expected to attend, was forced to pull out due to scheduling conflicts. Here's the highlights of what was said:
Tim Burton described being back in London as 'amazing' considering he started making Frankenweenie here when there was no Olympic park. Now it's been and gone, it highlights how long it has taken to make it.
Looking at the original drawings, as well as Hahn proposing the idea, made him want to re-do his 1984 Frankenweenie short. He describes the film as a 'memory piece,' continuing by saying that 'black and white stop-motion is an exciting progress,' aided by working with a cast he loves.
When the present cast members are asked about their first impressions of the director, Tim exclaims 'Don't ask Martin Short!' Short, who worked with him on Mars Attacks!, comments that he recalls being thrilled to meet such an 'unbelievably collaborative filmmaker.' He states that Burton creates an ideal situation for an actor. Hahn worked on Fox and the Hound alongside Burton during his early days at Disney. He explained that Tim was miscast with the family studio in the 80s, for they didn't know what to do with him. He admits that Disney celebrating him now with the release of Frankenweenie is quite odd, but likes how things have come full circle. Landau, who starred in Ed Wood, highlights seeing Beetlejuice as a particularly memorable experience. On his Oscar-winning turn in Ed Wood, he says he had a joyous time with Johnny (Depp) and Tim, who 'created a playground for the actors.' He adds that he would drop anything for the director, jokingly adding 'even my pants,' to laughs from the press.
Looking at the original drawings, as well as Hahn proposing the idea, made him want to re-do his 1984 Frankenweenie short. He describes the film as a 'memory piece,' continuing by saying that 'black and white stop-motion is an exciting progress,' aided by working with a cast he loves.
When the present cast members are asked about their first impressions of the director, Tim exclaims 'Don't ask Martin Short!' Short, who worked with him on Mars Attacks!, comments that he recalls being thrilled to meet such an 'unbelievably collaborative filmmaker.' He states that Burton creates an ideal situation for an actor. Hahn worked on Fox and the Hound alongside Burton during his early days at Disney. He explained that Tim was miscast with the family studio in the 80s, for they didn't know what to do with him. He admits that Disney celebrating him now with the release of Frankenweenie is quite odd, but likes how things have come full circle. Landau, who starred in Ed Wood, highlights seeing Beetlejuice as a particularly memorable experience. On his Oscar-winning turn in Ed Wood, he says he had a joyous time with Johnny (Depp) and Tim, who 'created a playground for the actors.' He adds that he would drop anything for the director, jokingly adding 'even my pants,' to laughs from the press.
A member of the press ask Burton about his experience of being fired from Disney, to which he comments it wasn't your average firing; 'it was more Disney-friendly; like, "let Goofy show you the door!" ' He recollects it being a strange period but notches it down to being a low point for animation. When asked if he is surprised his outlook has become part of mainstream cinema, he simply replies 'I'm not so sure that's true.'
He talks about working with Short and Catherine O'Hara again (of whom he worked with on Beetlejuice), stating they play several characters in Frankenweenie because he loves them - not because he can't afford other actors! Short discusses himself and O'Hara actually acting out the part of the parents as opposed to simply voicing them, commenting that that was a very specific idea from Tim. O'Hara adds that she was 'so happy with those scenes.' Short adds that Burton's instruction is to 'go with your instinct and divide it by 7.'
When asked about the merging of stop-motion with the black and white, Burton mentions that 3D is a 'crucial element' for more emotion is created. He is adamant that the medium helps support the work the artists did, for the hand-made puppets have a reality added to them through three-dimension. Alison Abbate pinpoints the press to BFI Southbank's Art of Frankenweenie exhibition taking place from the 17th-21st October, whereby several of the sets and puppets from the film will be available to witness for yourself. Burton finds it important to point out that 'all forms of animation can flourish.'
Someone from the press then asks Burton about the horror references in Frankenweenie, of which he admits there are a lot of them - but insists the film is not dependent on these. He points out that he wanted to create a feel for that genre even if you don't really know much about it, meaning people who are unaware of horror can still enjoy their film-going experience. Landau feels that Tim was attracted to Ed Wood because of his love for horror icons Bela Lugosi and Vincent Price.
Someone from the press controversially asks if they were aware that Hitchcock has been 'getting a bad rap with misinterpretations' of late, to which Landau cheekily exclaims 'he certainly made no advances to me!' He claims that Hitchcock was a practical joker and nothing more, and he got on well with him; he adds that he never saw any of the advances he was said to have made on actresses the filmmaker worked with.
Burton admits that he does not find Frankenweenie dark in the slightest, and when asked if he would make an out-and-out horror feature, he queries, 'Saw VII in stop-motion?' to laughs from the audience. He's asked if he has a 'fascination with bringing dead characters back to life,' but Burton dismisses this by saying he finds that creepy and that it is 'more about creation and making things.' He feels that this is what filmmaking is - 'it's not about box office or reviews.' He brings the conference to its end by saying that - to him - film is a 'more pure version of why I live.'
And with that, Burton and co head off to prep for their LFF Opening Night Gala screening of Frankenweenie. Out in cinemas October 17th.
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