QUESTION 1: What about your film excites you the most?

I really feel like we were able to construct a whole new, rich world that's teeming with life - especially with the time constraint. I'm also so thrilled that people have really seemed to connect with Jack and Ollie as characters! They are so dear to me, and their charm wouldn't have been the same without our amazing voice actors. Overall, the thing that excites me the most is the amount of love that the whole cast has poured into the film, and I think it's really evident on screen.

QUESTION 2: What is it about your current movie that will influence your next film?

One of the most important things to me when I was writing STAR Caper was to write without reservations. I wrote whatever I thought would be best for the story - regardless as to whether or not I thought we'd be able to pull it off. It definitely was a big gamble, but the thrill of finding new, creative solutions for each problem really paid off in the end, and I definitely believe that will influence the next project I'm working on.

QUESTION 3: When you’re shooting a film do you think of time as something you capture or something you construct?

Working in animation, we have to construct everything, but make it feel like something we're capturing something alive and breathing. Everything in the final image is constructed - from the location itself, to the character acting, the color, lighting, the camera angles, and much more - all crafted by dozens and dozens of artists. It's very rare that anything happens spontaneously (if it does, it's in the voice acting booth), but it's our job to make everything about what you're seeing on screen feel real.

QUESTION 4: What’s a limitation you wish you had on your next shoot that would force you into making interesting creative decisions?

To be honest, I feel like I'm already fighting an uphill battle, but the limitation that I'm grateful for the most is the lack of resources. To tell the story I want to tell - in the way I think it would best be told - I'm going to have to be very cunning and creative. Especially after STAR Caper, I'm a big believer in writing without restrictions, and then trying my absolute best to make that vision come to life. Not having the funds or sheer manpower of large-scale studios forces me to be more creative, and I think provides a stronger team, since we're all fighting to make it the best it can be.

QUESTION 5: If a film shoot is like a living organism which department do you think functions as its nervous system?

I would say a good director and producer working together make up the nervous system. The director is supposed to lead the entire team towards fulfilling the creative vision, and thus needs to be responsible for guiding a lot of the artistic decisions - channeling the strength and creativity of the artists around them into one cohesive vision. I remember a really prolific producer describing her work as "fixing the team health". She managed departments, made sure everyone got their work done not only on time, but to the best of their ability, while also making sure that everyone felt heard and valued. The director seems to set the destination, steering the ship, but it's the producer who makes sure the ship gets there in one piece.

@thegreatstarcaper (the film), @joenjebi (our producer), @abbi_pokone (our art director), and @tinymightynerd (me) on Instagram

5Q's w/: Riley Housden "The Great STAR Caper" Director, Writer