One of the most interesting aspects of Youth In Revolt, which is out on DVD and Blu-ray today (July 12th), are the short animated sequences that pop up during the film. These include the opening and closing credits, a stop-motion road trip and even a live-action/hand-drawn animation scene featuring flying people have sex! These were all the work of animation director Pete Sluszka and his team, who worked closely with Michael Cera and helmer Miguel Arteta to create these unique moments.
So how did Pete get involved with the movie and how did the mixing of live action and animation work? We spoke to him ahead of Youth In Revolts films home entertainment release to find out. (Plus, you can find out more about Petes work HERE).
How did you get involved with Youth In Revolt? Were you brought on fairly early in the moviemaking process?
My first contact was with the director Miguel Arteta who sent me a first draft of the script, months before shooting started, so there was a fair amount of pre-production and collaboration prior to the shoot.
Did they already know all the sequences they wanted you to work on, or did your role expand?
They had a sense and actually more animated sequences were first proposed. As the script developed, the animated interludes became more concise and focused.
You must have had to work very closely with Michael Cera and the director, Miguel Arterta. How did the relationship work?
That was a rewarding experience, especially in the early phases of development. Generally speaking they would let me know what sequences they wanted animated and I would propose a technique. While most of the animation was shot in New York, I also visited set several times and got to work with them directly on sequences like the photo cut-out road trip where we needed to shoot stills of every action and the sex drawings which required careful coordination with the live action.
Does it take a lot of trust on the part of a director to allow an animator to come in and do certain sequences? They must be used to having a lot of control, but those sections are more in your hands.
That does seem like it would be hard but Miguel was incredible to work for. Very, generous, very trusting, and extremely gracious.
Was it difficult to make sure the live action and animated sequences didnt jar with one another, or was it more a case of trying to get them to deliberately stand out?
A little of each. The opening credits struck a nice balance I think. The transition to animation flowed naturally from matching camera moves but at the same time the switch is pleasantly jarring. Its not often that I would use those two words together.
How long did the stop motion sequences take to make?
Because the project was stretched over a long period of time its a little difficult to keep track. Several months of focused production seems about right.
Did the actors get approval on their claymation and animated doubles, or did they have to wait until it was finished to find out what theyd look like?
No approvals from the actors and thankfully no one had that provision in their contract, although they may wish they had upon seeing the final.
You use several different styles of animation in the film. Do you like to experiment with different forms, or do you have a preference?
Experimenting is very enjoyable and keeps the process fresh.
In the ranks of strange things youve been asked to do during your career, how high up does having to animate flying people having sex come?
I wish I could say that was just another instance of art imitating life, my life particularly. One of the constant perks of this career is that Im always asked to depict scenarios that are extraordinary and either impossible or inconvenient in live action. Sex scenes are notoriously difficult for actors, imagine filming that on a fly rig.
Your stop motion work very much has the visible hand of a creator in it. Is that something thats important to you?
Definitely, its not something that one is overtly aware of though. Working with a talented crew plays an important role in that too.
With the road trip sequence, is that all stop motion, or is it layered together in a computer?
Primarily stop motion. We photographed the actors, including the dog, acting out each frame and then printed and cut out thousands of stills and re-photographed them in set with motion control.
Where did the idea for that come from, as its almost like the red line that takes you from location to location in Indiana Jones films, but more fun?
Since we had done one road trip sequence with puppets in the credits, I wanted to use another approach; one that was more abstract in some ways with the giant map but that also focused on the expressiveness we could achieve by photographing talented actors. It was really interesting watching Michael Cera and Adhir Kaylan act in slow motion as we snapped our photos.
Do you feel theres been a resurgence of interest in stop motion work in recent years? Why do you think that it?
I think it never goes away but like most things trends in popularity. There is an innate appeal that makes it a survivor.
The piece you did where Zack Galifianakis dies and goes to heaven as a stop motion character didnt end up in the finished film. Were you sad they lost that, as its a fun sequence?
Yeah, definitely disappointed about that but I suppose on a feature so much footage gets cut. At least you can see part of it on the DVD.
Was there any particular reason that scene didnt get in?
Honestly Im not sure. I know that a lot of tough editorial decisions had to be made to get a final, concise cut that wrapped up in 90 minutes.
Are you glad its amongst the DVD special features?
Yeah, even the DVD version is missing a couple of shots and doesnt have the final post work, but at least it gets to be seen. It was one of my favourite segments and challenging to shoot. Zack Galifianakis truly suffered for his art that day.
How did you get into animation? Is it something youve always had a passion for?
I always liked the multi-media aspect of animation and that you can develop a craft with such potential for exploration.
Thank you, Pete.
Youth in Revolt is released on Blu-ray and DVD on 12 July from Momentum Pictures.