New Video Offers Insights on Animation from Brad Bird

Video essay from Dutch filmmaker Kees van Dijkhuizen, Jr. provides insights into ‘The Incredibles’ director’s writing process, and why many people fundamentally misunderstand animation as a medium.

Here’s a hot video making the rounds this week. Dutch filmmaker Kees van Dijkhuizen, Jr. has released a new interview with animation director Brad Bird, Insight: Brad Bird on Animation. The interview is the second entry in the Insight collection, a series of video essays pairing audio from directors commentaries with visuals from their movies.

Pixar veteran Bird is the writer and director of animated films The Iron Giant, The Incredibles and Ratatouille. In the video, the beloved director provides insights into his writing process, how he directs animation and why many people fundamentally misunderstand the medium, making a case for slowing things down and allowing characters to experience darker emotions:

Bird’s hand-drawn animated classic The Iron Giant finally released on Blu-Ray in September, and with his upcoming sequel to The Incredibles recently moved up to a June 15, 2018 release date, there’s no better time than now to re-visit these modern classics.

Jennifer Wolfe's picture

Formerly Editor-in-Chief of Animation World Network, Jennifer Wolfe has worked in the Media & Entertainment industry as a writer and PR professional since 2003.