Costco Connection - December 2008

arts & entertainment

Steve Martino

sees a Who

Horton co-director heard the call

and working with such a Seuss classic?

TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX HOME ENTERTAINMEN T

SM: It was nerve-wracking. What made iteasierwas,fromtheveryfirstmeetingwith Audrey [Geisel, Seuss” widow, who allowed the two access to all of Seuss” original notes and drawings], we made a commitment to the original work. I looked at Dr. Seuss as being the production designer. Instead of trying to create our vision, we looked at his originals to see how to best present his vision. We also used the theme of the book [a person”s a person, no matter how small] as a filter. It”s the dynamic between many of the characters in the story.

By T. Foster Jones

HORTON IS AN ELEPHANT on a mission. One day, in the Jungle of Nool, Horton’s big ears allow him to hear the cries of a microscopic community, Whoville, which rests in a speck of dust that has landed on a flower. Though he cannot see the residents of Whoville—the Whos—he promises to help them.

Horton’s friends think he’s nuts, particularly a pushy kangaroo who wants to get rid of the speck and punish Horton for influencing his friends to use their imaginations. In her opinion, if you can’t see it, hear it or feel it, it doesn’t exist. Horton’s mottoes are “A person’s a person, no matter how small” and “An elephant’s faithful, 100 percent,” and he risks everything to protect the Whos.

For fans of legendary children’s book creator Dr. Seuss, the moment was a long time in coming: a 3-D animated feature film based on one of the author’s most beloved tales, Horton Hears a Who, which hit theaters in 2008.

Appropriately, a who’s who cast voiced the various characters, including Jim Carrey, Steve Carell, comic legend Carol Burnett, Seth Rogan, Jonah Hill, Amy Poehler and Will Arnett.

Co-directing Horton were Jimmy Hayward and Steve Martino, who had previously worked together as illustrator and art director, respectively, on the animated feature film Robots.

The Connection spoke with Martino in his White Plains, New York, studio near the headquarters of Blue Sky Studios, the company responsible for producing Horton.

The Costco Connection: How did you end up co-directing this movie?

Steve Martino’s goal in creating the movie version of Horton was to adhere as closely as possible to Dr. Seuss’ original vision.

Steve Martino: It started with the work that both Jimmy and I had contributed to Robots. Jimmy comes from an animation background whose strength is story. I’m an animator with a strong background in design and art direction—the materials, lighting and effects that go into the making of the film. What was seen in the two of us was two people whose skill sets covered the broad range of needs. Although we have two very different personalities, we have a very similar approach to the storytelling.

CC: Was this a big jump for you?

SM: The level of responsibility when you’re part of the directing team is so much higher. You’re in the cross hairs. I was used to working with teams of artists, so I was prepared for that aspect. The responsibility for how the movie gets shaped—every aspect of the movie, all the way from start to finish, art, music, the full vision of storytelling—that was a big step up.

CC: Were you nervous, given the expectations of fans

CC: Do you think the narrative metaphor speaks to what is going on in the world today?

BLUE SKY STUDIOS

SM: Absolutely. It’s a message of prejudice and judgment. Don’t judge a body of people and classify them in a way that’s easy and simple. Each person is special, has his or her own unique qualities. I think it’s a universal, timeless message.

CC: What was the most difficult challenge in bringing this book to the big screen?

SM: One of the challenges was capturing what [Seuss had] done and translating that wonderful form and shape into a fully three-dimensional film. The other was recognizing that we were going to need to expand this short story into a much longer film, without departing from characters and situations that were in the book. [To do that] we wanted to see the work between the pages. Get to know the characters more, understand them, so we understand their motivation.

CC: What was the most rewarding aspect of making this film?

SM: The day that I sat in the theater with Audrey to watch the final version. This was the culmination of the promise we had made her. My hands were clutched on the sides of my seat, anticipating how she’s going to react. As the film finished, she stood up and clapped. Anything after that, whether the film was a success or made money, didn’t really matter. What mattered was that we made good. And