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Est. Reading Time: 5 Minutes

MARK (M) Tell us a little about yourself - when did you become interested in film and filmmaking?

RUN (R) I’m an Animator/Illustrator based in Sydney, Australia. My interest in film begun at university when I discovered European art-house cinema through SBS (Special Broadcasting Service) World Movies program. It was a great escape for me to experience different cultures and stories from around the world. Because art-house films don’t usually have a lot of dialogue, I slowly noticed the subtle film language they use to help tell the story, and that’s when I really started to become interested in filmmaking.

On Visual Style

M Your images have wonderful depth and dimension so I would love to learn more about your animation style. How do you think 3D animation helps you create suspense and tension on screen?

R Thank you. I’m really interested in world-building, creating a different experience through production design, character design or even pacing that deviates from the mainstream aesthetic. 3D animation is a great and economic way to help me get there. One of my favourite directors is Michael Haneke, the way he does suspense is to just not reveal it at all which creates a lot of imagination in our head and makes everything more scary when you think about the film after its finished. 3D animation in a way can add uncanniness into the mix if it is done right.

M I love the physicality of the characters, particularly their posture and stature. Please tell us about your approach to character design - how did it evolve and grow over time? And importantly, what does the physicality of the characters say about their inner feelings and relationship with each other?

R I work in the advertising industry, this type of character design is actually quite popular and is very different than what you usually see from Disney or different parts of the mainstream animation world. So I naturally wanted to go with this kind of character design, a friend of mine call it ‘stylized realism’ which I suppose describes it. The physicality of the characters implies the power dynamics between them which I wanted to be really obvious from the beginning.

On Editing

M I like the way your film’s edited and pieced together - I think the hard cuts and transitions effectively heighten the film’s mystery and tension. Please provide a little insight into your editing approach and style for this film.

R I tried to leave a lot of things out, one reason is that it saves a lot of time in animation like going from steak cutting scene to the trunk opening scene the next day, but the main reason to leave it is to make the audience guess what is happening between those scenes.

M And have any films and filmmakers particularly influenced and inspired your editing style? If so, what and who?

R If I have to cite influences for the editing style, it would probably be Takeshi Kitano and Michael Haneke. I like the simplicity of their editing, which cuts out a lot of action and lets our imagination fill the void.

On Sound Design

M Your sound design and mix also plays a crucial role in elevating the mystery and tension on screen, how did you use sound to facilitate the mood and tone of your film?

R I used a lot of ambient sound throughout the film as well as a lot of obscure sound design. I wanted to create a sense of alternate realism by creating a surreal soundscape with all these weird yet beautiful sound elements mixed together.

‘My interest in film begun when I discovered European art-house cinema through SBS World Movies program. It was a great escape for me to experience different cultures and stories from around the world’

— Run Wu

On Process & Discovery

M In making and finishing the film, what did you discover and learn that you might adopt or further explore in future projects?

R I learned tons from making this short film. I definitely want to continue exploring the tone of this short and experiment with it further in future projects. I was actually playing safe with the overall visual design for this one because I didn’t want to deviate too far from the norm and risk making the character less relatable to the audience. But I want to try to make something more edgy/avant-garde next time.

On Inspiration

M What are some of the films and who are some of the filmmakers that inspire you, and why?

R Theirs actually quite a lot of films that I look back and draw inspiration from. Godard’s Alphaville (1965) blew my mind when I first saw it, pure avant-garde cinematic poetry that really inspired me to try exploring new film language. Honey (2010) by Semih Kaplanoğlu and Suzaku (1997) by Naomi Kawase really showed me that film doesn't have to be purely driven by story, but also can be done in a way that still tug a string in your heart with subtle mood and atmosphere building. Masters like Akira Kurosawa, Kenji Mizoguchi, Federico Fellini and Kim Ki-duk have also profoundly impacted the way I see film.

On The Future

M What are you planning to make next?

R I’m currently still conceiving ideas for my next short film, it will probably be more obscure in terms of story and some kind of essay film I think.

Mark’s Final Thoughts

• I enjoyed Run sharing a little more detail and insight into the physicality of the main characters. I think Run's choice to largely express the couple's power dynamics through their physicality demonstrates his strong instincts as a storyteller and more generally, observer of human behaviour.

• And I like the fact that he leaves a lot of room for interpretation about the story and underlying themes of the film. It can be viewed in different ways, I think the film alludes to the idea of not only divorce, but perhaps an unhappy marriage leads to a certain type of death.

• So with Run’s preference for narrative suspense and moody imagery, I really can’t wait to see his future projects.

  Tags Animation Bourgeon Death Drama

  
  
  

  
  
  
  

The founder of Hommage, Mark Shaba published this interview on 22.03.2022. Mark is a filmmaker from Victoria, Australia. He respectfully acknowledges the past and present traditional owners of the land on which he creates, promotes and screens art, the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin nation who are the custodians.