As a lover of heartwarming Christmas tales and a connoisseur of animation techniques, I can confidently say that “An Almost Christmas Story” is a delightful addition to my collection. The story’s roots in reality, combined with the whimsical, stop-motion aesthetic, creates an enchanting blend that harks back to the classic Christmas films of yore.
The animated short titled “An Almost Christmas Story” rounds off Alfonso Cuaron’s trio of Christmas tales.
On this occasion, David Lowery, the director behind “The Green Knight,” was chosen to lead the storytelling. Three years ago, Lowery first read the script, and in a festive mood, he eagerly agreed to join the project. “Christmas is something I deeply cherish, and creating a Christmas movie feels just right,” Lowery expressed. He has always admired the tradition of Christmas films, as well as short Christmas stories, and this project was no exception. Lowery also appreciated Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s work on “The Shepherd” and “Le Pupille,” and he looked forward to creating a new series for Disney+, hoping that the upcoming projects, including “An Almost Christmas Story,” would eventually become timeless classics like traditional Christmas films.
Streaming now on Disney+ is ‘A Nearly Christmas Tale,’ which is inspired by a real event: an owl saved from the Rockefeller Plaza Christmas tree in 2020, named Moon. In this heartwarming journey, Moon learns the essence of Christmas as he strives to find his way back to his family.
Cuaron decided to act only as a producer, allowing Director Lowery full creative control over bringing the film’s vision to life.
Initially, Lowery considered making it a live-action film, but as he delved deeper into scriptwriting to flesh out the story, other creative ideas surfaced. He expressed, “I’ve worked with photo-realistic CG animals before, and they’re captivating. I enjoy creating them. However, in this particular project, I felt there was a unique chance for an extraordinary dose of whimsy. By dialing back one level of realism, we could make the film more fantastical, more magical, and more reminiscent of the classic Christmas movies that I cherished growing up.
Instead of making the animals appear as if they’re in a stop-motion style, he opted for giving them an appearance reminiscent of stop-motion. Moreover, filming in New York City during the holidays proved to be impractical, leading Lowery to adopt a fully animated universe to expand his creative possibilities. In the end, he concentrated on employing CG animation that mimicked the aesthetic of stop-motion. He achieved depth and texture by applying cardboard-like finishes.
The transition to animation enabled Lowery to emphasize and highlight central themes, most notably the idea of belonging, more effectively.
One of the initial sequences Lowery collaborated on with editor Mike Melendi was the subway scene where Luna (voiced by Estella Madrigal) and Moon bonded. As we read this in the script, storyboard, and animatic, it quickly became apparent that this moment was the emotional core of the movie, according to Lowery.
Lowery disclosed that the scene was extensively revised due to its importance to the film. “Initially, it was longer, more chaotic, and more intricate,” he explained. “Given how vital it was for the movie, it also needed to be as straightforward as possible. We continuously worked on simplifying and refining it until we reached the core of what that connection between those characters symbolized.
Lowery collaborated intimately with creative designer Nicholas Bateman in constructing a city modeled after New York City, made entirely out of cardboard. Essentially, his instructions to Bateman were straightforward: “Let your team run wild. Have them create a two-scale replica of New York City, focusing particularly on Rockefeller Center and its surroundings, using only cardboard.” He continued, “They constructed everything to function exactly as it would in reality; the taxis and cars included. However, upon closer inspection, you’ll notice that everything is made from cardboard.
From a distance, Cuaron observed, expressing his captivation by David’s creative process and the way he consistently refined the film’s mood. He also commented, “Each stage significantly altered the overall mood. There was a certain naivety in the final product.
Lowey remarks, “It turned into a story resembling folklore or a bedtime tale, unlike any of the other accounts.
Take a look at the storyboards below.
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25453114/pages/1/
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25453114/pages/1/?embed=1
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2024-12-12 22:16