Legendary Animation Directors Open Up About Their Storytelling Styles

Creating a movie is never an easy process, but it's one that can lead to some of the most incredible productions the world has ever seen. What about when you have no actors and rely on voice work and animation instead? It adds another layer of difficulty, but one that creates art that's unlike anything else.

Thankfully, several animators haven't held back on what it's like to work on such creations. In fact, some legendary animation directors have opened up about their storytelling styles, and it seems there could be even more to the productions than many of us ever realized.

Nora Twomey believes animating attracts a certain type of artist

Being the co-founder of Cartoon Saloon means that animator Nora Twomey knows a thing or two about animated movies. Apparently, Nora has been an animator since a very young age and knows that it's a style that suits a certain type of artist. For this animator, working on a movie is all about learning to listen and making room in your brain to deal with the unusual and unexpected things that might come along. Thankfully, Nora told Variety that she has seen things change a lot in the industry throughout the years, especially how many women have joined the ranks.

Peggy Holmes admits to learning a lot from other animators

Having so many skills under her belt has seen Peggy Holmes work on a host of animated movies, such as 'Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas' and 'Luck.' It's also seen Peggy learn a lot about the industry, stating different teams get to work on different stories, which helps to create a vibe going on throughout the studios. For Peggy, working on animated movies is all about learning from others and growing as a team.

Masaaki Yuasa likes to explore every kind of medium

Animation directors come in all shapes and sizes, with Masaaki Yuasa ending up as an animator because it was "the first job that I got." Masaaki told Variety that working in the field is "a place of endless possibility" but is something directors need to keep in check, as there is no way they can always get everything into each production. Apparently, one of the things that Masaaki loves most is to challenge himself, and he will often dive into VR to figure out how things look in all mediums, even if he is still telling an older story.

Henry Selick has always been drawn to stop-motion animation

What started as a voice for stop-motion animations has seen Henry Selick turn to work as an animation director in all the best ways. Although he used to work for Disney as a drawing animator, Henry told Variety that he has always been drawn to stop-motion animation, with 'Wendell & Wild' offering the perfect chance to shine. Rather than sticking to children's themes, Henry got to use the movie as a chance to speak to adult audiences as he told the story of a child who feels responsible for the passing of their parents.

Mark Gustafson knows what it means to adapt to an animated movie

It took mere moments for Mark Gustafson's animation work to go down as legendary. Teaming up with Wes Anderson for 'Fantastic Mr. Fox' and Guillermo del Toro for 'Pinocchio' only goes to show just how talented the animation director is. Gustafson admitted to Variety that you "can't be objective" about a movie from the get-go, as it takes time to learn about the characters and how things are going to work. The director also added that you often have to be practical about things, knowing that budget and scheduling issues can usually change a movie's direction along the way.

Guillermo del Toro views his storytelling style as a memory from life

In recent months, Guillermo del Toro has become one of the most talked-about animation directors thanks to his recent 'Pinocchio' that blew the world away. Throughout the years, the filmmaker has often spoken about how his work is influenced by his father. Apparently, del Toro also views his movies as a photo album of his life. Instead of showing people a trip to a national park or his latest vacation, del Toro told Variety, "Directing is making the experience profound for everyone," especially as he can look back at how he has spent the last few hundred days of his life.

Legendary animation directors have earned their titles for a host of reasons, with many of them opening up about how they like to tell their stories through their work. Thankfully, with so many incredible movies, we get to enjoy the results from the comfort of our own homes.