Interview John Musker and Ron Clements (“The Princess and the Frog”)

Tuesday 13 April 2010

With ‘The Little Mermaid’ (1989) John Musker and Ron Clements made an overwhelming entrance into the world of animation film. Since then, they have become an integral part of Walt Disney Animation Studios. In the years that followed, the inseparable duo released ‘Aladdin’ (1992) and ‘Hercules’ (1997) on the silver screen. Vibrant films with colorful characters and swinging music became their trademark. After ‘Treasure Planet’ (2002) it was quiet around Musker and Clements for a while, but seven years later they stand their ground again with ‘The Princess and the Frog’ (2009), a swinging musical spectacle that takes place in New Orleans. It is striking that Clements and Musker remain faithful to the classic, hand-drawn animation. No CGI or 3D techniques for them! On the occasion of the release of the DVD and Blu-ray of ‘The Princess and the Frog’ we spoke with the illustrious duo, who loved to be put to the test.

Musker and Clements know each other through and through. They have been working together since 1981 and in 1989 they first co-directed a production, in this case ‘The Little Mermaid’. They hardly encounter any real problems along the way. Musker: “It helps that Ron and I also write the script together. This gives us the opportunity to literally get ‘on the same page’, so that we can be sure that we are trying to tell the same story. We both have our own strengths. Ron is more structure oriented and knows exactly how to convey emotions to the characters, while I am stronger again in the comedic aspect and the action scenes.” The pair are deeply indebted to John Lasseter, the great man behind Pixar and for several years the great helmsman at Disney. Clements: “Although he has made great fame with computer animation and has even managed to take that phenomenon to a higher level, John is also a great lover of classic animation. When, when he was appointed as Disney boss in 2006, he indicated that he wanted to breathe new life into the hand-drawn animation films, we were of course very happy about that.”

New Orleans

Clements calls Lasseter a particularly inspiring man, with an enormous passion and enthusiasm for animation films and innovative. “I can’t imagine anyone nicer to work for.” It was therefore Lasseter who gave Musker and Clements the idea to make a film based on the classic fairy tale ‘The Frog Prince’ by Hans Christian Andersen. Clements: “John wanted the story to be set in New Orleans. He loves that city. The people, the music, the mystique of voodoo, the vibrant Mardi Gras, the food: New Orleans offers plenty of inspiration, we noticed that when we visited it for the first time. We based characters like Tiana, voodoo priestess Mama Odie and the Cajun firefly Ray on real people we met there. The main twist in the story, that Tiana herself turns into a frog when she kisses Prince Naveen, comes from a well-known children’s book called ‘The Frog Princess’ written by ED Baker.”

‘Nine Old Men’

‘The Princess and the Frog’ was created by a very mixed group, with veterans and newcomers working side by side. Musker: “It was a very good mix. The experienced rotten acted as a mentor for the youngsters, whose talent gives great hope for the future. We ourselves were trained by the famous ‘Nine Old Men’, the men who once laid the foundation for the animation film as we know it today. Ron worked with Frank Thomas, who drew the Seven Dwarfs and Bambi, among others. I myself learned the trade from Eric Larson, who is responsible for, among other things, Figaro, the cat from ‘Pinocchio’ (1940). The youthful enthusiasm of the newcomers, on the other hand, is a huge stimulus, because it is reminiscent of the pleasure that brings animated figures to life. And how special it is to have that gift.” He adds that he was once drawn to the profession of animator when he heard Chuck Jones, the great man behind Warner Brothers, say that animation is a field where you learn something new every day, no matter how experienced you are. Clements added: “I still feel so lucky to be working at Disney. It’s like a dream come true.”

African American

The Princess and the Frog is the first Disney film to star an African-American woman. Clements: “We hadn’t really thought about that. It goes without saying that a story set in the deep south of the US should have mostly black protagonists. It wasn’t until the film was launched and we got a response from the African American community that we realized we had sent an important signal. We received letters from black mothers thanking us for finally taking their daughter to a movie where someone like her was the heroine. Some of the letters were really heartwarming, that meant a lot to us.” Appreciation also came from the Academy of Motion Picture Art and Sciences, which nominated “The Princess and the Frog” for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. Proof that there is still room for hand-drawn animation. Clements: “The list of nominees this year was very interesting. There were two stop-motion films (‘Coraline’ and ‘Fantastic Mr. Fox’), one computer-animated film (‘Up’, the eventual winner) and two traditionally drawn films (‘The Secret of Kells’ and our film). We can only applaud that diversity.”

Blu-ray

For filmmakers such as Musker and Clements, the release of the DVD and Blu-ray is always a special moment. As extra material, deleted scenes and a making of have been added. Musker: “I would recommend the Blu-ray versions of our films to everyone. Certainly for those who want to know exactly how the animation process works, for example students, there is an interesting feature on the blu-ray of ‘The Princess and the Frog’, where you can see the entire film in rough sketches.” Clements: “With modern animation films, all the final color work is done in a very advanced digital format. Thanks to Blu-ray, the subtle nuances can be transferred to the living rooms of film fans. In that respect, Blu-ray best approaches the viewing experience as we creators ever intended it to be.”