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The Australian International Movie Convention (AIMC) wrapped up last week on the Gold Coast. The event brings together distributors and cinema folk from around the country to showcase the films that will be released over the next 12 months.
It’s an interesting format. Each distributor is allocated a slot of around 3-4 hours to promote their product. So you get roughly 2 hours of trailers, clips and speeches followed by a full length feature. I guess those who don’t like lots of ads and trailers before their movies wouldn’t be too impressed!
The list of films screening at the convention included Captain Phillips, Last Vegas, Philomena, August: Osage County, Enough Said and Dallas Buyer’s Club. For most of the content, embargoes are in place to prevent reviews and any other comments from being published. This is partly because some of the films aren’t finished and partly because the studios are looking limit publicity until closer to the date of release.
One of the key guests at this year’s convention was Peter Del Vecho – a producer on the new Disney animated feature, Frozen (to be released in Australia on Boxing Day). Peter has been in the industry for a while working on such animated flicks as Treasure Planet, Chicken Little, Winnie The Pooh and The Princess & The Frog.
I was lucky enough to spend a few minutes with Peter to chat about Frozen and get his thoughts on the animated film industry…
Matt: I’ve spoken this year with writers, directors and actors but this is the first time I’ve spoken with a producer. Can you tell us what was involved with your role as a producer on Frozen?
Peter: My job is to get the director’s vision up on the screen so I’m involved in the creative process right from the beginning and once we decide that we want to move a movie into production. I work with the director to surround them with the right teams. That covers staffing up the movie as well as scheduling it out to make sure we meet the release date. In this case, it was a two and a half year process.
Matt: This film, like so many in the animated genre these days, is in 3D. Is this a fad or is 3D something more permanent within the animated feature industry?
Peter: Disney is committed to giving audiences the option of seeing our films in either 2D or 3D. That said, there are a lot of special effects in Frozen that lend themselves to the 3D experience. There are specific moments like Elsa using her ice powers but also the broader scope of the movie with all the snow.
Matt: I was reading that the film, based on the fairy tale by Hans Christian Anderson, had been floating around for a while but couldn’t quite get off the ground. What’s taken so long to get to the point where we are today?
Peter: Everyone loves the novel The Snow Queen but it’s very symbolic in nature. It doesn’t naturally translate to the screen very well because you have to have real, believable characters in a real, believable world. The turning point for us was when we had this character with the ability to create ice and snow and then had a protagonist who happened to be her sister. By making them royal and giving them a kingdom, it raised the stakes because not only did this person have a relationship with the Snow Queen but she also had a kingdom that she felt responsible to. It was that sibling connection that helped elevate the story to the point where it was clear that we had something special to bring to the screen.
Matt: It’s got me thinking. Are there a lot of projects within Disney at the moment where you’re not sure if they’re going to get off the ground?
Peter: We have a very healthy slate of upcoming films. It’s probably the strongest we’ve had in terms of the number of films in development that look really exciting and promising. From Tangled to Wreck-It-Ralph and now Frozen, you can feel the studio growing and we feel a lot stronger going forward.
Matt: We’re here at the Australian International Movie Convention and there’s always a lot of talk about where the industry is going. More and more people like to download movies to consume in their own home. Do you see that becoming more frequent or do you still think the big screen experience is going to keep drawing people into cinemas?
Peter: I personally love the big screen but we’re aware that we have to provide content in many different platforms. As the world changes, we are going to have to adapt to that. Clearly, there’s nothing like seeing the movie on the big screen with a big group of people – particularly a comedy where laughter can become infectious.
Matt: When I grew up, I remember there being only one or two animated features being released every year. There was normally a big Disney film like Beauty & The Beast, Aladdin or The Lion King. Now, it’s a much more crowded space. Does the competition make it tougher for you guys?
Peter: There is a lot of competition but that’s healthy for the industry. The fact that a lot of animated movies are being made is a great thing but we still need to try our best to rise above them all.
Matt: I know there’s the best animated feature category at the Academy Awards that is usually dominated by Pixar and Dreamworks. A Disney film is yet to win the award so do you have high hopes for Frozen? Could this be the one?
Peter: You’re correct that Disney hasn’t won the award yet. I believe this is a project well worth a nomination and of course, I’d hope that it wins.
Matt: If I can talk quickly about the cast in Frozen – there’s Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Jonathan Groff, Josh Gad. One of the things I noticed is that they all come from a theatrical background. Is that a coincidence or is something more behind it?
Peter: I come from a theatre background myself. The type of person I think works best for animated features is an actor who is willing to improvise and really help push the boundaries of the character. My experience has been that in a lot of cases, that collaborative process is more prevalent in theatre. Plus, it was important that whoever we hired did ALL of the voice work – whether it be the dialogue or the music.
Matt: Before I finish up… do you have any plans to do anything exciting while you’re here in Australia?
Peter: I did. Yesterday, I went for a helicopter ride over the Gold Coast and there were some great views. I couldn’t believe how beautiful the coastline is and how it seems to extend on forever. You’ve got some spectacular beaches here.
Matt: And can you tell us what you’ll be working on next? I’m guessing Frozen has taken up a lot of your time over the past few years.
Peter: It has been my focus and I’ve promised my family that I’m going to take a little break and spend some time with my kids before they head off to college. There are plenty of projects in development and so after this film is released, I’ll start to focus on what the next project is.