I always did like Nick Park…

Nick Park, director and Oscar award winner of all those fun and fantastic Wallace & Gromit films, has a great bit to say in a NY Times piece about animation. To quote…

Mr. Park summed up what may represent the consensus among animation artists when he said, “I’m anti making things more realistic. Everything in me goes against it.” His view: “If you aim for realism, and you don’t quite achieve it, it can become very ugly. If you separate your work from reality, the artistry and stylization become the focus. For me that’s the joy of filmmaking. I don’t want to create reality. I’m not interested in reality.

Ding! Give that man a cigar! John Canemaker also expresses his preferences…

I’m not that fond of literalism in any form of animation: I think the interpretation of the artist is the important thing, and how the hand and mind are seen in the product.

I agree. It’s more fun that way.