A brief interview with lead stop motion animator Darren Walsh:

DF: Can you tell us the basics – when and where it was shot?
DW: We shot at Camberwell studios in South London. Quite a big space in spite of it just being a puppet shoot but we needed to replicate the lighting in Enoch’s room. The result: A large dark room with one lonely animator, a camera man and a couple of sinister looking dolls for seven weeks. Not what I would call a healthy lifestyle. We all became good friends though.

DF: How many shots did you do? Were they all used?
DW: I can’t remember how many shots but we used everything that we shot. In fact we added a lot more shots than intended as the shoot progressed.

DF: Was every shot done on green or did you have set pieces – table – wall etc?
DW: We reset all of Enoch’s workshop table and had green beyond that and the lighting was perfectly reproduced to match each respective live action shot. The result is seamless.

DF: Were there moving shots that required motion control?
DW: No – mercifully it was all locked off.

DF: Did you use more than one stage?
DW: No. It was a very low key affair.

DF: Did you have to duplicate puppets?
DW: No. The puppets were gorgeous and incredibly detailed and would have been difficult to reproduce. This was a blessing because it added to the organic nature of the shoot. As we fed shots into the edit Tim Burton would react to what he was seeing and suggest new ideas and moments. None of us really knew what the outcome of the battle was going to be until the shoot was actually finished. Andy’s puppet team were frequently required to modify the rigs and characters to facilitate changes in the scene. and It was a wonderful way to work and very exciting.

DF: Who was the main animator – How many animators?
DW: Just me.

DF: Any fun stories from the shoot – or special technical challenges?
DW: I can’t pretend it wasn’t daunting to be offered the job. I know Tim Burton has deep roots in stop motion and is nothing short of a mast… so no pressure there then. When Andy Gent got me in to discuss it we looked at Enoch’s creations and scratched our heads over how the hell they would move. A crab with a huge doll head lashed to it’s back and a baby doll with a chicken leg and a giant crab claw for a hand. Andy, who coincidentally has a certain expertise in battle reenactment, asked me to step outside (as it were) and walk through a few scenarios; Him the doll and me the crab. Russell McLean (producer) filmed it and we cut together something that would cut the live scene with Enoch and his friends. It’s the strangest thing I’ve ever filmed. I recommend you get a look at the video if ever you get the chance. Grown men fighting in a car park, in the style of their favorite monsters. Honestly.

Blog by Amun Levy