Wes Anderson is a filmmaker whose particular style is recognizable in his movies, live action or stop motion.
Today we´ll approach his first stop motion venture: Fantastic Mr Fox.
This project genesis started in 2004 under Revolution Studios. After it 2007 bankrupt, the movie went to 20th Century Fox in London that year. Released in 2009, running time of an hour and 28 minutes, a budget of $40 million, and a box office of $46,471,023 Fantastic Mr. Fox has become not only a financial success but a cult classic.A staff of 140 worked everyday, paying special attention to the smallest details, developing 126 different sets and over 4,000 gypsy styled-inspired props.
One of the challenges in production was the different scenes, some of them jumping from wide shots to close ups.
For this purpose, production made 6 different puppet sizes: For the full shots, they used puppets no bigger than 2 inches, and 12 inches articulated puppets for the close-ups. For their leading character, “It took seven months alone to get the first model” (Cutting Edge – Fantastic Mr Fox (2009). In total 535 puppets were made, including changing costumes. In fact Wes Anderson´s clothes were the inspiration for the wardrobe and Wes Anderson´s tailor contributed to the wardrobe department.
The hand-made quality of the film gave it such a warm feeling, that just for the materials alone is such a fun film to watch: for smoke, production used cotton, to keep that hand-made feel.
Wes Anderson decided to maintain that hand-made feel in all the movie. When it came to voice recording, if it was an outdoor scene, the dialogue would be recorded…well…outside.
Anderson´s obsessive prone to detail planning an executing are well known now, thats why his movies are so loved. And Fantastic Mr Fox certainly proves that, 11 years later, now a cult classic.
