Booked for action

I know it sounds clichéd,but my kids asked me to make a movie they could watch. The chance to work with the animators at the visual-effects studio,Animal Logic,really appealed to me; there were moments in Happy Feet that I found artistically breathtaking. I saw their initial Guardians artwork and then read the stories. I realised it was the perfect opportunity to bring my own sensibilities to a family film.

You have chosen just the first three books from the 15-book series. Have you planned any sequels?

Not at the moment.

This is your animation debut. Is it tricky to balance the expectations of fans of 300 and Watchmen,while trying out something new with Legend?

We started working on the movie three years ago,before we started shooting Watchmen. I honestly didn’t think that I had any fans,so I didn’t feel like I had anyone to disappoint. Our approach was really just to try and love the story and make some magnificent films to support that and the language that it is narrated in.

Animation is a lot slower than live-action,and here you are working with only the actors’ voices. Did that bother you,especially after your first two were live-action?

When you record just a voice,in some ways it’s a lot faster. It’s not easier,because from the actors’ points of view,they still have to do all the work that they would do with a live-action movie. But because there’s no camera or crew around and it’s just a microphone,the process is slightly different. It’s amazing how obsessive you get over individual words or how you listen to every word in a way you never would with a photographic performance.

What’s next?

Sucker Punch; we’re almost done with it. When we make a film,we start out with what feels like a sketch and then,once the actors are there,suddenly we’re building things such as Samurais and the action begins. Once that happens is when you make choices about where to put the cameras,lights and look at other aspects. That’s when it all becomes real.