According to the artistic news site Boraq Hamim , the movie “Loupetoo” is one of the few Iranian 3D animations that have been made and released in these years. This animated film is currently the best-selling work in cinemas, which after the success of “Dolphin Boy” can be a sign of the attention of 3D animations among cinema audiences.
We had a conversation with Abbas Askari, the director of “Loupetoo“, about the making of this animation and the state of children’s cinema and animation, which you can read below:
After four years have passed since the making of the movie “Loupetoo“, why did you release this work in the situation where cinemas have the lowest sales?
The writing of the script of “Loupetoo” began in the winter of 2014 and continued until the summer of the following year. The production of this work started in the summer of 2015 and we were involved in the production until the end of 2017.
The decision to release “Loupetoo” in these circumstances was really difficult. We had decided to release the movie “Loupetoo” since 2018, there were many problems that due to the spread of Corona, the cinemas were closed and the sales were minimal until the situation of the cinemas improved a little and then again in the last two months we saw unrest in We have been the society that put cinemas in a bad state. We postponed the release of the film many times and it was not clear what would happen in the future, so we had to release “Loupetoo” under these circumstances. On the other hand, the situation has worsened today because there are no advertising conditions due to the filtering of cyberspace. However, now we hope that “Loupetoo” can attract the opinion of the audience, fortunately, despite the conditions we are witnessing, “Loupetoo” has sold well and is the best-selling film these days.
“Loupetoo” is one of the first animated films in which the art field participated in its production. How do you evaluate the support of institutions such as the art field in the development of the animation industry, and how did your cooperation with the art field form?
A part of the investment of “Loupetoo” was made by the “Frasoi Dimension” institute, and then this institution offered cooperation to the art field, which they also concluded with the necessary investigations that the “Loupetoo” project can be suitable for the investor, and the rest of the capital for the construction of this project. They provided the animation.
In fact, the production of this animation started in the series “Beyond Dimensions” and in the production stage, the art field entered into cooperation at the suggestion of this series. Certainly, the production of animation works, which usually have a high cost, can flourish with the support of various organizations, and if the art field continues its approach in supporting such works, we can definitely hope for the future of animation in Iran.
In recent years, several 3D animations have been made and screened, which have sometimes been well received and have even received awards in foreign festivals. What do you know about the growth factors of Iranian animation cinema and what strengths and weaknesses can be raised about this type of cinema?
In general, children’s cinema has a good market and animation has been able to have significant sales due to this feature, and I think that in the future, more attention will be paid to animation as well as children’s cinema as a best-selling cinema.
The number of 3D animations that have been released is still very small, and it is still not possible to judge the level of animation in Iran. In my opinion, we only have problems in directing and scripting, and we should pay more attention to storytelling, but in terms of technique, I think we can compete with world cinema, and if the economic cycle is restored, our strength in this field will increase.
That is, you are of the opinion that if the economic cycle is restored and we strengthen our script and direction, Iran’s animation technique will be at a level that can compete with the animation of companies like Disney and Pixar?
The movie “Loupetoo” was produced with more than 30 people, and we can compare this number with a Disney movie that is made with a staff of about 300 to 400 people. This competition is definitely not fair, and on the other hand, the budget for making animation movies of these big companies They are made with 300 to 400 million dollars, and we have not spent even one percent of this figure on our own films, including “Loupetoo“, and yet, compared to the works of these companies, we have no shortage of techniques and can compete with them.
Certainly, a child who goes to the cinema and watches a movie does not care about the budget spent on making this movie, he has seen world-class animations and expects us to present works at that level. I think that in terms of technique, children who sit at the feet of our 3D animation works will not feel any shortage, and if there is a weakness, it is more in the script and director that we need to strengthen ourselves in this field. In the same institution where we are working, we have collaborations with other countries, which shows that the quality of Iranian animation is at a level that can compete with other countries.
In many children’s works, the insistence on conveying a specific message and concept usually makes the works become sloganeering and advice-oriented. How serious do you consider this phenomenon in Iranian animation cinema?
Presenting a message in a movie is not a weakness in any way and it can even make the work more attractive, but messages should be conveyed to the child audience in a pleasant format that is not exaggerated. As a director, I only consider attractiveness in the first stage and I don’t even think about the budget and production stages, and the message is not important to me at this stage.
The filmmaker must put himself in the place of the audience to find out if the work he produces contains an attraction that will compel him to watch the film until the end or not. We followed the same path in making “Loupetoo” and the message was in the last stage. But in general, if a group of writers and producers of an animation start making a work with a healthy mind, a healthy message is unconsciously included in the work, and it is not necessary to try and include a moral word in the film.
In the virtual space, there have been published materials that introduced “Loupetoo” as the story of Iranian toys. What does this movie have to do with “Toy Story”?
There was a campaign titled “Celebration of Iranian Toys”, which was later changed to “Shadi Nazdani ist” and I think that under the influence of this title, which was also hashtagged in the virtual space, some people used the title of the story of Iranian toys, otherwise everyone has seen the film. He knows that “Loupetoo” has nothing to do with “Toy Story” and if there are toys in the movie, they are not alive and this movie is about toys.
Did institutions such as education cooperate with you in the screening of this film?
This cooperation has been done to some extent. In cities like Qaimshahr, I think the students of Madaresh were the first audience of “Loupetoo“. I have been contacted many times by different schools and have requested that a screening be allocated for the school or a discount for students to see the film in the cinema. The cooperation of the Ministry of Education and Children’s Cinema can definitely be effective in promoting this cinema, and I hope that this cooperation will increase and that education and education will prioritize students’ going to the cinema.
Screening in areas without cinemas is also one of our plans, of course, I don’t know much about it, but I think it will be implemented soon.
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Source: Ilana
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