WWTW Interview: Animator Nol Meyer (‘Megamind’)

Animator Nol Meyer is forever grateful Disney resuscitated feature-length animation in the early 1990s with films like “The Little Mermaid” and “Beauty and the Beast.”

But Meyer says today’s crop of animators is moving on from the story templates which fed the genre for decades.

“We’re not working on fairy tale princess after fairy tale princess [anymore],” Meyer says.

Case in point: “Megamind,” the new animated film starring the voice of Will Ferrell as a super villain at an emotional crossroad when he vanquishes his number one foe (voiced by Brad Pitt). The film is the second animated feature this year to focus on the bad guy, following on the heels of the delightful “Despicable Me.”

Meyer served as Head of Layout on “Megamind,” meaning he oversees the look of the film during production.

“We’re concerned about how we’re using the camera to help tell the story in the way the director and creative leaders are thinking about it,“ Meyer says.

Cheeky films like “Shrek” parodied famous movie scenes for laughs, like having Princess Fiona duke it out a la “The Matrix.” “Megamind” also pays homage to past hits, but Meyer says it’s meant to capture the feel of its inspirations, not offer a beat-by-beat recreation. One “Megamind” character might strike a Superman-style stance one moment, and then swing through the city like Spider-Man the next, he says.

“Megamind” is the latest animated film to hit theaters in three dimensions. For Meyer, 3-D  technology means more work … and the chance to push the boundaries of the genre.

“Animation can really be at the forefront,” of 3-D films, he says. “We’re doing some interesting stuff with [3D] that isn’t being done on other films.”

Filling the screen with visually rich imagery will keep audiences eager to see more films in the format, he says. But animators must refrain from getting too aggressive with the technology. He points to the flying sequences in “How to Train Your Dragon” as an example of letting a scene breathe in 3-D.

Meyer spent his formative years in and around Denver, and he recalls taking life figure drawing classes to sharpen his skills.

The sessions paid off in ways he never expected.

When he submitted his art portfolio to DreamWorks Animation, the powers that be focused on the life sketches he had made in under a minute’s time – and some were drawn in a mere 15 seconds. They needed proof he could capture the human form in motion, and they got it courtesy of his figure drawings.

“Most people would expect me to show them a portfolio of really awesome painted stuff,” he says.

(Photo: Tighten (Jonah Hill) lets Megamind (Will Ferrell) in on a little secret in DreamWorks Animation’s “Megamind” to be released by Paramount on November 5th. Photo credit: Courtesy of DreamWorks Animation)

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