Perry Chen giving his drawing to "Paperman" director John Kahrs (photo by Amy Astley)
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Perry?s Previews Movie Review & Director Interview: ?Paperman,? A Flight of Imagination
(4.5 out of 5 starfish)
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By Perry S. Chen???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? November 2, 2012
Have you ever looked at a total stranger and imagined what it would be like to spend a life with that person? That is the story first-time Disney director John Kahrs is trying to tell through his delightful short film, ?Paperman,? which plays before the ?Wreck-it Ralph? feature that opens on November 2, 2012.
The story starts out when an attractive young woman Meg catches the eye of a sad-looking young man George, both waiting at a New York tram station.? As Meg gets onto the tram, she looked at George in a way that Kahrs described in a panel discussion at the 2012 Platform International Animation Festival as ?we could have made a great couple.? Unexpectedly, George spots her again in the highrise building where he works, and makes a daring attempt using paper airplanes to catch her attention.
?Paperman? is an incredible film, the best animation short I have seen this year! The art is a seamless bend between CG and 2D animation, retaining the feel of fluid hand-drawn movements. The film is done in black and white, conveying the time period of the 1900s. The color gives it a nostalgic feel, but not enough to distract from the main story. The characters are shown with great detail using the lighting, movements, and evocative music that changes with the mood of the story, from melancholy to light-hearted moments. George has a dark color scheme and looks bored and depressed, while Meg is more lightly colored. Finally, the film conveys a deep story with underlying themes of love, fate, and connections.
"Paperman" by Perry Chen (given to director John Kahrs)
I had the great honor to interview director John Kahrs at the Platform Animation Festival, and gave him a drawing I did from the film.? He told me that he was inspired by a time when he lived in New York City. During his commute, he saw that ?everybody is looking to make a connection out there?, and he had the idea to make a film about connections. John got started doing animation by making flip books out of his mother?s romance novels when he was my age. Making these books really taught him a lot about the principles of drawing. Later, he got a camera and began to make his own short films. His best advice for aspiring animators is to ?know how to move the characters and when to stop moving the characters. You have to find the balance between the two,? he explains,?because that?s what life is like.?
I noticed that a man would do anything to get a woman?s attention.? The only flaw in the film is that George and Meg took completely different trams even though they worked right next to each other. Meg got onto the tram while George stayed for the next one, and when they both returned from work, they arrived at the station from trams of opposite directions. When I pointed out the flaw during my interview, director Kahrs acknowledged that ?this is a giant plot hole, and you are the first person to ask it.? But I told him that the story more than makes up for it.
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The director kindly autographed a collectable booklet on the art of ?Paperman? and drew me a scene from the film on my now famous animation sketchbook (with original drawings from Pixar director Brad Bird of ?Ratatouille? and ?The Incredibles,? Disney director John Musker of ?Aladdin? and ?The Little Mermaid,?? directors William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg of the Oscar-winning short ?The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore,? ASIFA-Hollywood President Frank Gladstone, my animation collaborator Bill Plympton, and many more).? Director Kahrs said he is working on a ?secret? project right now.? I look forward to seeing his next masterpiece.
Original drawing by "Paperman" director John Kahrs to Perry Chen at Platform International Animation Festival
I watched ?Paperman? four times already, at the ?Wreck-it Ralph? press screening, the Animation Show of Shows, and the Platform Animation Festival.? The film is fresh and interesting each time, and I notice new things with each viewing.? I give ?Paperman? 4.5 starfish.? I recommend this film to people of all ages, although adults would appreciate the story more.? I believe this charming short will surely earn an Oscar nomination, and may even win, come February!
Moral: Everyone longs for love and connection.? With persistence, destiny will take flight.
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Copyright 2012 by Perry S. Chen
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About Perry Chen:
Perry S. Chen is a 12-year-old award-winning child film critic, artist, animator, TEDx speaker, and entertainment personality, currently in 7th grade from San Diego.? He started reviewing movies at age 8 in 3rd grade using a kid-friendly starfish rating system, and has been featured in CBS, NPR, NBC, CNN, CCTV (China Central Television), Variety, Animation Magazine, The Young Icons, The Guardian, The China Press, etc.? He was a presenter at the 2010 Annie Awards for Animation, and has written movie reviews for Animation World Network, San Diego Union Tribune, Amazing Kids! Magazine, and his own Perry?s Previews blog.
Perry is currently writing, animating, and directing his most personal film to date, ?Changyou?s Journey,? produced by his mom Dr. Zhu Shen, about his beloved father Dr. Changyou Chen, a cancer researcher who passed away in July 2012 from terminal cancer after a long, brave battle, please watch trailer and donate to support Perry?s animation film:
www.perryspreviews.com
Perry won an ?Excellence in Journalism Award? from San Diego Press Club in 2010 and 2011 for his movie and restaurant reviews, an ?Excellence Writer Award? from ?We Chinese in America? Magazine in 2010 for his movie review column. Perry is widely recognized as an authoritative spokesperson about movies for his generation, and appears frequently at red carpet movie premieres, awards, and film festivals, interviewing prominent directors from such films as Toy Story 3, Up, How to Train Your Dragon.? He was a presenter at the 2010 Annie Awards for Animation in Hollywood.? Perry and his mom Dr. Zhu Shen are featured in a new book about parenting and youth entrepreneurship, ?The Parent?s Guide to Raising CEO Kids,? published in Aug 2011.
Perry?s first animation short ?Ingrid Pitt: Beyond the Forest,? in collaboration with animation legend Bill Plympton, won multiple film festival awards and has been screened at over 30 international film festivals, now available on iTunes. More info: http://ingridpitt.co.uk
Watch ?Ingrid Pitt: Beyond the Forest? on iTunes:
http://itunes.apple.com/gb/movie/ingrid-pitt-beyond-the-forest/id554607718
Watch Perry on ?Live Life & Win? national TV show:
http://vimeo.com/51042736
Become a fan on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/perryspreviewsfan (Perry?s Previews fan page)
http://www.facebook.com/ingridpittanimation (Ingrid Pitt: Beyond the Forest official FB page)
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Subscribe to Perry?s YouTube channel and watch his filmmaker interviews:
http://www.youtube.com/perryspreviews
Follow his tweets: http://twitter.com/perryspreviews
For business inquiries about Perry Chen, his animation films, movie reviews, contact Dr. Zhu Shen, bioforesight at gmail dot com
Source: http://www.perryspreviews.com/?p=3997
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