Five years ago, Patrick Jean dreamed up the end of the world in the most unique way: with Donkey Kong and Pac-Man. When Patrick Jean wrote and directed his short film “Pixels”, he always hoped his two and half minute video work would end up on the silver screen, but he never thought it would actually happen.To his surprise, it did-- and now you can get an inside look on the software used to create the film, along with his inspiration and tips.
**Q: How did you come up with the idea for your ‘Pixels’ short? **
A: Technique was at the core of my idea, to adapt 2D designs to 3Ddesigns – pixel art, but in 3D. When I was in Belgium, around 2002, I coded something to use as a 3D scanner. It was basically a Voxel plugin for Maya. I took pictures from each side of an object to create a 3D version of it. Later, I adapted that for “Pixels.” So it really started from something visual, and I wrote a story based on that. It’s unusual, but that’s how I like to do things.
Q: Which Autodesk software did you use on the ‘Pixels’ short?
A: All of the 3D work was done with Maya. I developed a plugin to accomplish the effect I wanted, called Gridler Pixels 3D. The great thing with Maya is you are able to do exactly what you want – “Pixels” is a good example. It’s possible to extend the possibilities of the software, which was important to my creative process.
Q: How long did ‘Pixels’ take to make?
A: It was a really quick shoot; it took maybe about three days. I originally wanted to shoot in Paris, but the producer I worked with had the awesome idea to do it in New York because it would be more impressive and spectacular, and he was right. He flew me to New York with a director of photography, and we shot the film with a Canon 5D, which at the time was the best camera. I had previously made storyboards so I knew what I wanted. Post took about six months, and I had some help from the VFX company I was working with, but I did a lot of it on my own.
Q: Tell us more about your inspiration for the project?
A: The inspiration came from movies like “Roger Rabbit,” where visually, two worlds collide. It was the same idea of having the computer world and the real world come together. I also drew inspiration from “Ghostbusters,” you know the scene where all the ghosts are flying out of the buildings and taking over New York? “Pixels” was sort of homage to that theme. Visually, I took color cues from eighties films…like “Robocop.”
Q: What did you hope to achieve in releasing the short?
A: I had some time, and I was trying to have fun. Nobody had even seen what I was doing until maybe a week before it came out – except for the guys who were helping with it. I didn’t know if it was any good, so I was surprised when I put in online and got an amazing reaction from people worldwide.
Q: Why do you think it was so well received?
A: It’s probably because of the nostalgia factor. At the time, it was also kind of trendy to have 8-bit stuff. I made it at the right moment.
Q: How soon after the short’s debut did talk of a feature begin?
A: It was maybe two days after. We had a feature in mind when making the short, but didn’t really believe it would be possible. We flew to Los Angeles and met with a lot of studios; it all happened so fast and was really exciting. We signed with Sony Pictures, and knew it was a good choice. We wanted a production company that would actually make it. So many projects get passed over or are sat on for years and years, but this wasn’t one of those.
**Q: Have you remained close to the project since? **
A: Yes, I’ve stayed close. It was actually planned as something smaller at first; there was script which wasn’t going to cost much, but then the studio got more and more excited about it. The stakes grew, and the budget exploded. They asked me for a list of directors I wanted to work with, and Chris Columbus was on it. He read the script and loved it. I was there on set and watched the movie become what it is today. It’s really been an awesome experience.
Q: Do you recommend up and coming writers and directors create a short in order to get noticed?
A: Yeah, definitely. Production companies really want to see what they’re investing in beforehand. It’s tough to make it if you don’t have visual support of your idea, and I’m not just talking concept art and pieces of paper. Seeing how things look and how they will work together, especially on an out-of-the-box idea like “Pixels,” is very important. It’s not uncommon for shorts to get noticed and expanded to features today but at the time I created “Pixels,” it had only happened maybe three or four times before.
Q: Tell us more about projects you’re currently working on?
A: I’m working on my first feature as a director in France. It’s called “Omnibilis” and it’s a live action film; there’s no animation. It’s a concept I’ve been working on for years, and the script is now finished. We’re hoping to shoot next year.
images courtesy of Google
