Tweet

I recently got a chance to sit down with the directors of the upcoming film Flushed Away, David Bowers and Sam Fell. I had a few questions for them, and this is what they had to say.

Sam Fell: Hey Brian!

David Bowers: Hello Brian!

FSR: Hello. How are you?

Sam: Very Well Thank you…

David: Are you from FilmSchoolRejects.com?

FSR: Yes I am

David: Is that like a self-help group?

FSR: Uh, almost…

David: I am a film school reject, so I’m quite happy about that.

Sam: I never even got in.

[Laughter]

FSR: David, what has it been like for you to get out from behind storyboards and into the directors chair?

David: It’s interesting…I think the director’s chair is where I sort of hoped to end up. It was nice for me to be able to go back and do a little bit of boarding on this movie and play the jokes how I wanted to. It was very exciting.

FSR: You have a great history in film, especially with your first project being Who Framed Roger Rabbit?.

David: Uh, that was a long time ago…the amazing thing is I’m actually only 24.

[Laughter]

FSR: That was actually one of my favorite movies growing up.

David: Oh good, it was one of mine too.

FSR: Sam, since most of your experience has been with short films, what has this experience been like for you?

Sam: It has been a real treat to be honest because it has always been frustrating to have everything in a short format…especially commercials. You actually create a little world, and you create characters…but unfortunately you don’t get to explore it enough. You don’t get to show enough of it on the screen even. Like making some really amazing sets for something and it sort of ends up getting lost in a 30 second spot. Flushed Away was just a great treat…its so liberating to be able to develop a character fully.

FSR: Since you were involved in the writing process and considering how elaborate the project is, what pieces of yourself might be reflected in the film?

Sam: I hate to take credit for any particular or anything generally, because it is such an elaborate process. I think the film has a sort of quirky quite British sensibility, and a quite unique sense of humor. I think that comes from David and I working together and trying to entertain each other and make each other laugh. I started in fine art, and I did a lot of sculpture and messing around with putting all sorts of junk together. In a way, that is what we have been doing in making this whole world out of junk.

FSR: What has it been like working with actors like Hugh Jackman, Kate Winslet and Ian McKellen?

David: We were very lucky, and when we started this movie we had a wish list of the sort of people we would like to play the roles. We didn’t want to get actor X to play character X because they have been in hundreds of movies, we wanted to get the best actors for the roles to make the characters fresh. We had seen Hugh Jackman in Kate and Leopold, and he was very witty, charming and loveable…and that is what we really wanted for Roddy. Kate (Winslet) has done a lot of serious movies, but she is very funny and she is a natural comedian

Sam: She is really like one of the boys, really. When we first met her, it was quite clear that she and Rita had a lot in common.

David: And with Ian (McKellen) we wanted the toad to be theatrical, so we hoped that we could get one of the greatest British theater actors. He was a great sport, he does silly things.

FSR: With this being the third film for Dreamworks and Aardman, what do you think each studio brought to this film?

Sam: It’s the best of both worlds. We get all the quirks, invention and wit of Aardman. Dreamworks has developed this amazing studio here and has done films like Shrek, Madagascar and Over the Hedge with an incredibly talented group of people.

FSR: So since the market has become flooded with all sorts of animated talking animals on adventure films, how do you as filmmakers help Flushed Away stand out from the crowd?

David: The only thing you can do is make the best film you can. The thing with any good story is that people will find them and enjoy them. There has been some quite good ones, and there have been a few that may not have been quite as flashy…and rushed, and I think people can tell the difference.

Sam: It does stand out from the crowd because this collaboration between Aardman and Dreamworks created something brand new really. But I think it is funny because I keep hearing people saying “Oh God, another talking animal movie”, but at the same time there is a lot of talking people movies around. So why not get tired of them?

David: There’s another movie with a man in it! AHHH!

[Laughter]

FSR: Amen to that

Sam: It is really the future though…Live action effects movies are getting closer to animation, and animated movies are becoming more sophisticated. Aardman has been talking animals for like 30 years, so it’s not like we are jumping on any bandwagon or anything.

FSR: Is there anything that I haven’t asked you or that we haven’t talked about that you think is important or worth telling our readers?

David: Don’t do drugs…

[Laughter]

Sam: All we can do is recommend our film because it has been made with such love and care, and it is a truly unique experience. I personally guarantee that they will enjoy it.

David: If anybody goes to see the movie and doesn’t like it, keep your ticket stubs and send them back to Mr. J. Katzenberg.

[Laughter]

Judging from how these two guys were joking around back and forth and laughing for almost the entire interview, it makes me very excited to go out and see their finished product. David Bowers and Sam Fell were both great individuals to talk with and I had a great time interviewing them. Their history, experience and overall love for their work is sure to shine through in the upcoming film Flushed Away. I also hope that the CEO of Dreamworks Animation would not be too happy if he got thousands of ticket stubs from our readers. Be sure to read my review that will be hitting the site later this week.

Brian – out!