Travis Knight is an unusual man.
He has two jobs at stop motion animation studio Laika.
Firstly, he runs the company.
But secondly, hes part of the animation crew, taking direction from a films directors.
That are bold, distinctive and enduring.
Were not interested in making pop culture confections.
I think thats the best form of art.
It gets us to recognise and share our humanity, give us opportunities to connect.
Thats what we want to do.
We want to create these things that people can experience together and then talk about.
Unfortunately, I dont think enough films do that.
You clearly sacrifice box office by doing that.
And also by the art form that you show a wonderful ongoing commitment to.
Because Laika seems to exists in a weird bubble, miles away from the animation community.
Im pleased with the performance of our films thus far.
Id love for more people to have seen them.
Not from a profit motive, although thatd be nice!
But because I just think those kind of films are good for families to share together.
I wish theyd get a bigger audience because I think they deserve to be seen.
I think the kinds of things were doing are worthy of doing, which is why we do them.
And yeah, sometimes you do make sacrifices.
I think what your films arent are surrogate babysitters.
Youve made the point that this is a film for a family to see together.
Its not one to send the kids in to see while you go out shopping.
Presumably thats part and parcel of what you mean?
you gotta sell to four people rather than a child.
Were not interested in making little visual babysitters.
We want the whole family to engage in these films.
As a father myself, I see what meagre offerings are out there.
Theres nothing we can connect over.
It is really important.
HasntHarry Potterkicked down a few doors there though?
Its had a lot of positive impact on what a family will sit through together.
We think about family films in that same way.
Harry Potter is absolutely a family film.
I think when most people even those in the industry think of family films, its dumbed down.
But look, that irritates me too, but I think people can be forgiven for that.
Theres a generic sameness to so much of it.
Thats never been our experience.
Stop motion struggles in so many ways.
Its not good at big action and spectacle.
But we dont accept the limitations.
We try and find ways to bash through them.
Its a testament to that crew, that loves the medium so much.
Its a weird and exciting thing to think that this medium we work with is over 100 years old.
Yet it feels like were just scratching the surface on its potential.
Now even more so: some plasticine and a mobile phone can get you started.
The same tools that were used to make Toy Story.
A 10-year old can sit there with said tools.
Or do you have an ongoing confidence in it?
And I think that technology has been an extraordinary democratising tool.
The same software and cameras we use to shoot our film, you might get right now.
The information is out there too for those excited in working in stop motion.
Its not an easy life, and its not an easy way to make a living.
So I think its going to draw a certain kind of person.
People who are drawn to this kind of work are unusual, and also very passionate.
We have a whole building full of them in Oregon.
We have a multi-cultural crew, and I think that informs the kind of movies we make.
They dont feel like a standard American animation film crew.
Do you deliberately set your company up then 950 miles away from the heart ofHollywood?
Also, Ive looked at the picture of your HQ on the internet…
… its a dump!
[Laughs]
Well, with all due respect, it doesnt look like a hive of animation!
But do you deliberate make it so far out ofLos Angeles, and the CalArts capture area?
That people have to make a pilgrimage almost to come and work for Laika?
Well, Laika is in Portland because thats where Im from.
You have to find it or grow it.
So thats what we end up having to do.
Portland is an unusual city in itself though.
Its a strange community a cross between a suburban centre and a frontier watering hole!
And I think the person who likes that kind of lifestyle tends to be a great stop motion artist.
Being removed from Hollywood?
I think its allowed us to develop our own culture thats completely independent of it.
So I think its a benefit on balance.
And being physically removed from it does help.
The loveliest description Ive read of your company is the place where Luddites meet futurists.
Is that what youre striving for?
You have different kinds of people with different kinds of thinking, forced to work with each other.
And I think anytime you have those duelling perspectives, its fertile ground for creativity, innovation and ideas.
The Boxtrolls,then.
Its based on a 500 page book that youve been working with for ten, eleven years.
But its a small slice of the book youve taken.
It is, yeah.
Was that ten years about development then?
Or was it speed of your pipeline?
That when you put one film into production other things have to get in the queue?
I just think stories have needs and demands, and you have to find a way with them.
That book, at another studio, would have delivered a different kind of movie.
When we were trying to craft the book into a 90 minute film, its tricky.
Its an exercise in ruthless economy just to distil that down to the essence.
We had versions of the script early on that were very faithful to Alans book.
And they were a lot of fun, but ultimately quite hollow.
They didnt have anything underneath.
We hadnt figured out what our personal core was in terms of the emotion of it.
It really wasnt until we started reflecting on our personal experiences and how that related to the book.
Me and the two directors, at the time we were all fathers of young kids.
There was a germ of it there, it just needed flowering.
Once you get to that core, then you might start layering in other ideas.
Ultimately thats what took the time: to get to that point.
But also, we dont have a massive development team.
Its a couple of guys in a room trying to figure things out.
Its not like this massive team.
It takes a long time, but its a very personal thing.
Im someone whos against sequels.
Rewrapping old presents and presenting them as new gifts.
I think that great sequels can be done.
Some stories warrant multiple films because theyre big stories and they need that canvas.
Alans book, you could make multiple films out of it.
If were doing a sequel, by virtue of what it is, its going to be a diminishment.
The second most pivotal moment of his life!
I think this for us, this encapsulation of Alans book, is our take on it.
Ill never say never, but Im more interested in coming up with new stories and new ideas.
I saw a credit attached to this film that thanked Edgar Wright.
Can I ask what that was about?
Hes just a huge inspiration.
We got to know Edgar a little while we were makingParaNorman.
Shaun Of The Deadwas a huge influence on us.
Hes just a brilliant filmmaker.
A great inspiration for us.
Are you looking towards literature, where stories have already had to stand some degree of time?
We look for great stories wherever we find them.
Its just the stuff weve announced.
There are other ideas we cant talk about until we make them.
I think what youre hearing Goblins, Wild Wood are things that already exist in the world.
We want to be more prolific.
We want to be on an annual schedule, a film a year.
No stop motion studio has ever been able to do that, for good reason.
Just physical space alone Id imagine is a huge problem there?
But with each successive film, weve been able to get the period between releases shorter and shorter.
So were already starting to shoot out next film, we started earlier in the summer.
Well probably announce that by the end of the year.
Its an extraordinary project, a beautiful story, and its unlike anything weve done.
Were closing that gap.
Within a handful of years, I think well be on an annual cycle.
Are you genre shifting again?
Its very important for us not to have a house style.
Certainly for us our films have strands of the same DNA, and the same philosophical approach.
But we want to check that that each film is its own thing.
Has its own visual aesthetic, its own feeling.
As I look ahead, Im really excited at the projects coming down the road.
Can we just touch on editing your films?
You had a 70 week physical shoot on this.
But whats involving in the post-production editing process?
Stop motion, more than any other form of filmmaking, requires extraordinary discipline.
We cant shoot any coverage at all.
What we shoot on the stage we have to be committed to putting in the film.
You may shave off a few frames here and there.
But basically what you shoot is what you cut in.
So we do shoot the film multiple times before you really make it.
Storyboards, editing, everything.
But once were producing footage on the studio floor, the reels are pretty locked.
Is there a better way to make this scene scene?
A better version, a better gag, a more poignant reading of this line?
Its always evolving, always changing.
Was there anything in the talk about you doing something with Terry Gilliam?
He mentioned is earlier in the year?
Oh that rascal Terry!
Years ago I was introduced to Terry by Neil Gaiman.
And of course we did, and Im a huuuuge fan of Terry Gilliam.
In some ways we describeBoxtrollsasOliver Twistif Terry Gilliam had made it.
I think hes an extraordinary artist, and animator.
Weve talked a little bit about it, yeah.
So I can get away with saying conversations are ongoing, then?
Yes, I think thats safe to say!
Were big fans, and I think he admires what we do as well.
And weve definitely had conversations about it.
Thats a safe way to put it.
You talked about your desire to up Laikas output.
But youre unusually hands on.
John Lasseter, for instance, juggled running Disney and Pixar with directingCars 2,but thats the exception.
You, however, run a company, yet youre a lead animator on Laikas films.
But if youre aim is for a film a year, dont you personally have to sacrifice something there?
Will you be able to have that level of impact?
Youre animating scenes on films as it stands.
Its always been important for me to not lose being directly involved in the work.
Its why I got involved in this business in the first place, and its why I love it.
I also think it speaks to the philosophy of the studio that theres no bureaucracy.
Every person in the company contributes as much as they can, wherever they can.
I happen to be able to contribute in animation.
So in addition to running the company, Im also a member of the crew.
Do you put the bins out as well?
[Laughs] Er, if its sitting there, and nobody else is doing it!
And Im already being pulled in a lot of different directions.
So well have to see.
That is the thing: we have to see to it we dont lose our principles.
Taking more on, you dont want to lose the focus.
Something has to give for me personally at some point, but I love the work.
Im blessed to be able to do what I do for a living.
But I am one man after all!
Last question, then.
Whats your favourite Jason Statham film?
I think he was great.The Transporterfilms were fun, though!
Travis Knight, thank you very much.
The Boxtrolls is released in cinemas on September 12th.
