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AN INTERVIEW WITH Joshua Wright, DIRECTOR

Please introduce yourself.

My name is Joshua Wright and I’m currently a Masters Student studying animation at Manchester Metropolitan University. 

I’ve always had a passion for art and animation ever since I was small.


Why you became a filmmaker?

I’ve always had a passion for art and animation ever since I was small and I’ve made it my goal in life to work in the animation industry 

whether its working for a studio that makes films or tv programs, working on my own stuff or both.


What are the films or people that had impacts on you and deeply inspired you to become an animation filmmaker?

Growing up I was glued to the television watching all sorts of cartoons that were on the Disney channel, Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, 

VHS or what was on at the cinema. So, I was and still am a fan of animation always drawing characters and art soon followed. 

I feel inf!uenced by whatever takes my interest from experimental psychedelia to anime to artistic short animations.

Right now, I’m inf!uenced by experimental artists and &lm makers such as Ralph Steadman, Lizzy Hobbs, Joanna Quinn, Tom Moore 

and Michael Dudok Du Wit.


Give some more information about yourself and the films you have made so far?

Growing up I knew what I wanted to do in life. I had a lot of enthusiasm for my subject but not much con&dence in my ability which 

resulted in a lot of opportunities that never came to be such as working in virtual reality and storyboard artist work. 

I didn’t properly come into my own until I went back to university and pursued a Masters in Animation, and I haven’t looked back

As a filmmaker, why you decided to make "All Too Beautiful"?

All Too Beautiful was made in my first year of my course and this this film came about through a class exercise in film portraiture. 

The class were tasked with picking a person that fuels your creativity and you had to show who they were as a person with a series of shots. 

We were asked the question ‘What does Film Portraiture mean to you? 

My teacher at the time Gideon Koppel and soon after Samantha Moore brought out my desire to turn this into an animation project. 

Through various one on one tutorials and experiments to help mould this project into existence I settled on adapting one of my brother’s songs 

he made for a band that never properly materialized.  All Too Beautiful was written at the time my brother was recovers from having his appendix removed 

and he wrote about feeling low to getting back to his old self again. A state of mind which he referred to as the All Too Beautiful. 

From this, Film portraiture to me is like a mini biography which can take place at any moments in a person or characters life. 

You can capture a person or character feelings quirks or story in a short amount of time or however you want to make it in any medium.


Why you decided to make it in animated shape?

I figured since my final idea for the film deals with raw emotion and feeling. I thought it would be best to show that using the rawness of experimental mark making by ways of mixed media paint and graphic pens.


Did you have any challenges you faced in making this film?

One of the challenges I faced was the walk off sequence at the end which as that sequence as it required several tools such as water colors, 

ink brush and graphic pen in order to represent everything coming together and getting back to your old self again. Other challenges included

the final edit making sure everything came together in the end and settling on a final idea as it went through several changes 

coached through various one on one tutorials with my teachers.  

With making this kind of animation film, have you learned any new lessons or new experience?

I learned not to be such a perfectionist and highly self-critical when it comes to creating. 

While the project was being formed, I was set on a challenge to do one drawing a day for 365 days.

This started with sketches which then evolved into a more experimental nature. From this exercise, I gained confidence I needed in order to make my work stand out on its own. More work can get done without the self-critical attitude. Even when you don’t feel like any ideas are

coming or if it doesn’t feel like it’s coming together, just start regardless and the ideas with flow.


What was the feedback from the audience that they had a chance to watch your film?

The main feedback I get from friends, family and colleagues who’ve check it out is positive but I’m always willing to improve and open to criticism.


For you what was the biggest lesson you had to learn after making this film?

After making this film I learned that there is a pleasure in imperfections. Soon as you stop worrying about how it looks and learn 

to embrace the mistakes like smudges and paint splatters, it gives your work that extra bit of life. 

Perfection doesn’t lay in the final piece, it’s in the tools you use.

The most important part is distributing the film. What did you do for distributing your animation film "All Too Beautiful"?

The most important part to me is that you keep going on not let rejection get you down. As much as it can be disheartening when things don’t work out,  you must keep putting yourself out there and improve along the way. What I did to distribute it was through applying for as many festivals

as possible while marketing the film through GIFs, Stills and Movie posters of the film on my Instagram and Tumblr. 

For an extra reach I asked if my family and friends could share it on their social media accounts if my film was up for competition 

with the opportunity to vote. The more you keep going the more potential for opportunity to further your career if /and/ or /when it happens.


What are your filmmaking goals?

My film making goals are to hopefully a job in the animation industry, make more films as well as collaborate and contribute to independent projects.


What is your next project?*

My next project is going to be an animated music video which will be my final major project for my course. It’s a music video for 

the Manchester band Mercury Machine entitled Fictional Mind. I’ll be following a darker tone then the themes shown in "All Too Beautiful"

 exploring themes such as horror and the uncanny.


GOOD LUCK  Joshua 

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