Interview with animator James Pyle

Midlands Movies Editor Mike Sales speaks to award-winning animator and filmmaker James Pyle about his influences, the state of modern animation and the many inspirations for his short film projects.

Midlands Movies: Hi James, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?

James Pyle: Hi there. I grew up in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, moved to Derby in 2008 for university (English Lit/Film and TV Studies) and have lived in Derby ever since. Since 2013 I’ve been a maker of short films, mainly in animation, but also a number of live action ones. People enjoy them, so I’ve kept them coming!

And how did you get into animation?

I’ve been drawing ever since I was young and have always loved animated shows and movies. I’m a 90s child, and the late 80s/early 90s was a period when the industry was really booming more than it had for some time (eg. Disney with blockbusters like Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King, the launch of shows like The Simpsons, and channels like Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon) so they were plenty in supply!

I also developed a huge interest in the histories of the studios (reading biographies of Disney, etc.) and an appreciation for the craft that went into making these films – after all, they were made by drawing cartoons, and I could draw cartoons! I also later on started playing with animation software programs.

Some time after I came to Derby I had drawn storyboards for some short film directors, and decided that animation could also be a skill I could offer. I had also been going to the Five Lamps Films short film screenings at the QUAD, and eventually decided to make my first short, Storytime, and get it shown there.

Do you (or the projects you choose) specialise in any genres?

I usually tend towards sketch-style comedy in my films – I’ve always been a fan of Monty Python and things like that, and it’s very fun to come up with concepts and funny twists on things. I’ve also done a number of ‘period’ shorts meant to look like old film or some other medium – not only do you find interesting things in entertainment history that you can pastiche and parody, but it can also be fun to capture the look of the old medium.

What is the most difficult part of the animation process for you?

At this point I wouldn’t really call any part of it “difficult” as much as, when you wear all the different hats of a production, you have to do the more tedious bits as well as the things you’re strongest at. For an example in the actual animation process, doing backgrounds is less fun for me, I prefer doing the actual characters and action. (Remember, there’s no set to just go to – in a 2D animation, everything in that setting has to be drawn from scratch! And then again for every angle you see it from!) But doing it on your own, you learn what works best for you.

Do you have any heroes in the animation industry?

As mentioned earlier, I’ve had a long-running interest in the history – how cartoons developed from being merely a novelty to a medium that can tell all kinds of stories, that make us laugh and cry. So I think my heroes are the people who make new developments and use the medium in new and exciting ways. Of course we have to start with Walt Disney and his studio, for much of that development in the Hollywood sector (as a reminder, we got from Steamboat Willie to Snow White in 9 years!)

Another example is Matt Groening and everyone involved with The Simpsons, for demonstrating that animation primarily aimed at adults can also be hugely successful. From more recent years, I also have a huge appreciation for films like Loving Vincent, Flee and Where Is Anne Frank – using animation in a variety of styles, and exploring more serious subject matter.