Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1013519
FILMMAKING www.postmagazine.com 14 POST AUGUST 2018 you have to post this first and then you move on to these rudimentary animation and then ultimately you end up with the final product. But it's a constant process because you're going back to the booth, re-recording the actor, changing lines to something funnier or just works better. On the other hand, it's exciting because you can shape the movie. You can cut the movie and see what works. You can make it more precise versus on a film, you have the performances, you cut it and then pretty much you're done. And you feel like, 'Oh, I wish we could have tried this.' So, it gives you basically half your movie and then you make the other half of the movie in post, when you're cutting it, which I think ultimately it gives you a chance to get a better movie made. I came to the realization that I need to work with more animated characters from now on (laughs)." What were the big editing challenges? You worked with editor Matt Chese before? "Yes, that's correct. We worked very closely. We have similar sensibilities, at the same time we have the constant dialogue how to make the movie better. But I'm very hands on with him and we are in the editing room together. It's back and forth. As we're shooting, he's already cutting and seeing footage. I give him input, and he goes off and cuts some more. "As for challenges, to be honest, there really weren't any. It went incredibly smooth and in great cooperation with the studio. We were all making the same movie and that's really key — especially in post. If you're not making the same movie, you're suddenly confronted with challenges. One thing you learn after making movies for a while, when you meet with producers and meet with the studio, you present your vi- sion as clear as you can, to make sure you all are making the same movie." What was your relationship like with DP Matthias Koenigswieser? "He's Austrian and Swiss, so we speak the same mother language, so we have a close collaboration. When I worked with him the first time, a very young DP, he hadn't done any features before that, just commercials and documentaries, but he had a very instinctual connection with the camera. He operates the camera himself and I like when DPs operate themselves, especially when it comes to some of the handheld moves, he connects very well with the actors or the subjects very much. I'm at a point where I know what I'm doing, where I wanted a young DP who comes with a fresh eye; a fresh perspec- tive and not become overly technical." How important is sound design and music? "Hugely important. Especially a film like this, music is very important. Sound as well. Sound design invokes emotions like music does. But the key in sound design was to make it not too cartoony. Because we know these sounds from Pooh as a cartoon, you don't want to duplicate that sound. We wanted the characters to feel much more real than the cartoon version but still have a little bit of that — Tigger has a spring in his tail. How is that going to sound? Ultimately the music is the emotional part to it, but music also works for comedic reasons, which is also very important." Did the film turn out the way you envisioned going in? "Yes, I really, truly made the movie I wanted to make. I'm super happy with it and couldn't be more pleased." There were roughly 1,400 VFX shots in the film.