New Director: Kirsten Lepore

shots’ editor at large, Lyndy Stout, scours the globe for fresh, new directing talent so we can find out what makes them tick and, of course, take a look at their work. Those clever clogs at Caviar snapped up filmmaker, animator and illustrator Kirsten Lepore earlier this year. Here we find out out why…

Tell us about your background – did you go to film school or did you learn on the job?

I was born and raised in good 'ol Jersey, where my first filmmaking experiences were made possible by the family camcorder around age 10.  My two younger sisters (a.k.a. willing acting talent) and I spent much of our free time concocting bizarre characters and filming their stories. I eventually went to an art college for illustration, but ended up switching into their fledgling animation department. My undergrad degree provided an excellent education on the conceptual side of things, but in terms of the technical I am mostly self taught.

What led you to working with animation?

I'd been experimenting with clay stop-motion back in my camcorder days, but really got into animation when I started learning Flash in high school.  From that point on, I was pretty hooked on the idea of my drawings and sculptures moving around on their own and have been doing it ever since.

Which piece of work are you proudest of and why?

I'm probably proudest of Bottle, my most recent short because of how much people seem to enjoy the story, and also because of what I was able to withstand physically during production.  I probably should have had a crew since the animation process was pretty grueling; each shoot day was eight hours straight of manual labour while battling the elements with no food or bathroom breaks.  Even post production was nightmarish, as I had to painstakingly colour correct the entire film frame by frame to make the outdoor lighting more consistent.  But at the end of the day, none of those annoyances really matter once I see people reacting positively to the film. I couldn't be happier with how well it's been received.

How did you first come up with and develop the idea of Bottle?

The idea for Bottle was born out of material challenge; I knew I wanted to make a film using snow and sand in their natural locations.  With this in mind, I formulated a story that would utilize the materials in a way that was meaningful and integral to the piece.  It took a few months to really distill the story to its simplest form, so that it would be manageable to create within a five-to-six month timeframe.

Did you storyboard each scene in detail or was it a more spontaneous shoot?

The boards themselves weren't incredibly detailed, as all my drawings were pretty much just a lump with arms, but the entire film was very meticulously planned. In fact, my original animatic plays (almost shot for shot) like the finished film.  With most all animation, you have to pre-edit the film in the storyboard phase, as any footage wasted could have been days of work out the window.

What was your favourite part of making the film?

When it was done and being output to HDCAM.  No, I definitely did have some fun out on the shoots.  After all, I was making snowmen and playing in the sand all day.

Fabulous locations in Bottle, where are they?

Thanks! Making this film definitely solidified my love and appreciation for the vast range of landscapes in Southern California, as the whole thing was shot there between February and April.  The beach portions were done in Malibu, and the snow footage was split between Frazier Mountain Park and Big Bear Lake.

How did Caviar discover you? 

I think someone from Caviar had seen one of my films at a festival at LACMA in LA.  Next thing I knew, I was sitting in the outdoor patio of their offices having snacks and watching some of my director idols walk by.  

We like traditional animation and we like fancypants CGI. Your showreel has all sorts – what is your favourite form?

That's a tough one...a bit like picking a favorite child.  Each medium certainly has something to offer that's unique and different from the next, but I lean towards 2D and stop-motion in my own work since it comes more naturally to me.  I often wish I could do CGI and am in awe of those who can, but every attempt has left me feeling limited by my lack of knowledge in the software.  I feel more comfortable with 2D and stop-motion because I know I'll be able to physically build or draw whatever I envision in my mind.

As a director do you actually do the minutiae production work such as in stop-motion?

For almost every project I've directed thus far I have done everything down to the smallest detail.  I don't always want to, as it is generally back-breaking work, but usually it's easier to achieve exactly what I have in my brain when I do it myself.  Also, stop-motion production people are few and far between, so I've yet to find a  buddy to help split up the work who isn't already busy with their own projects.

We love your commercial for Heinz Poppers, what was the animation process like on this and what were the main challenges?

Glad you like it! The animation process was fairly smooth on that one -- I shot it in about 3 days on a tabletop with a super small set.  The main challenge was in animating with real food:  Although very delicious and nutritious, vegetables apparently make terrible stop-motion puppets as they do not cooperate under hot lights for more than a few hours.  I learned this lesson the hard on my film Sweet Dreams, so I made sure to shoot quickly on the Heinz spot so peppers wouldn't start falling apart in my hands.

What is the best piece of advice you've ever been given about filmmaking?

I did an end tag/ID for Frederator a few years back and was frantic, trying to impress Fred Seibert with my concepts for the spot.  I pitched him a bunch of ideas that I thought he would like, and he calmly told me to go in whatever direction was most exciting for me, to trust myself, and not to be wholly consumed by custom tailoring an idea that would please him, the client.  Although this sort of freedom is rare with any client project, I took his advice to heart and have always tried to stick with ideas that in their core, feel right to me, even if some of the surface details end up shifting around.  I think with any film project, whether personal or commercial, you have to stay excited about it to keep yourself motivated and execute it to the best of your ability.

What inspires you creatively?

Anything and everything! My sisters, friends, music, dance, weird conversations, walking through craft stores, and looking at nature are all constantly inspiring.  I try to enjoy and take something from every new experience.

What would you like to be doing in five years time?

I would love to continue directing, experimenting, and working with talented people and friends who inspire me.  I would also love to be picking heirloom tomatoes from the backyard garden of a small house I hope to have.