podcasts
John Stevenson: Animation is constant iteration
He went through every 2D animation position before he became a director. And after that, the amazing Kung Fu Panda was born. He is also connected with Jim Henson’s famous The Muppet Show and the iconic film The Dark Crystal. What is it like to work at a studio as big as DreamWorks? Has he ever found himself in "director jail"? And what connects him to the Czech Republic? This interview was created as a kind of unusual masterclass in the form of a conversation at Anifilm 2023. Welcome to: In Conversation with John Stevenson!
„Making an animated feature film is like running a marathon; making a live-action film is a sprint.“
MENTIONED IN PODCAST
The Dream Stone (1990–1995) / Hanna-Barbera (studio) / Yogi Bear (1958) / The Flintstones (1960–1966) / Colossal Pictures / Back to the Future: The Animated Series (1991–1992) / DreamWorks Animation / Pixar Animation Studios / Akira Kurosawa / Martial Arts Movies / King Hu: A Touch of Zen (1971) / Zhang Yimou: Hero (2002) / Mark Osborne / Jackie Chan / Bruce Lee / The Dark Crystal (1982) / Labyrinth (1986) / Disney / Dumbo (1941) / Steven Spielberg) / E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) / The Muppet Show (1976–1981) / Brian Froud / Faeries (1978) / Animatronics / An American Werewolf (1981) / Miss Piggy / Jim Henson / Frank Oz / Fozzie Bear / Little Shop of Horrors (1986) / Shrek (2001) / Shrek 2 (2004) / Madagascar (2005) / Jeffrey Katzenberg / Punk Film / Karel Zeman / Ondřej Beránek / Clarinet Factory / Falmouth University (UK) / Nickelodeon / I Lost My Body (2019) / Flee (2021) / Little Mole (Krtek) (1957) / Bugs Bunny / Tom & Jerry (1940–) / Jiří Trnka: The Hand (1965) / Jan Švankmajer / Brothers Quay / Jiří Barta / Ray Harryhausen / Marvel / Star Wars / Netflix / The Summit of the Gods (2021)
JOHN STEVENSON'S WORK
Kung Fu Panda (2008) / Sherlock Gnomes (2018) / Middle Watch (2022) / Max & the Midknights (2024)
In Conversation with John Stevenson (2023) photo: René Volfík
