MARK OSBORNE INTERVIEW
From Left to right: Some guy, not sure, Mark Osborne, crazy characters.
The Comedy Film Nerds interview the director of “Kung Fu Panda” Mark Osborne.
CFN: How did you get involved in “Kung Fu Panda”?
MO: I cold called into DreamWorks seeking to gain experience by being a Director there and I showed them my Academy Award nominated short “MORE”. That opened the door for me and I started helping out the development department looking for a project that I could direct there. I plucked what is now “Monsters vs. Aliens” from the development dust bin and breathed new life into that for a bit and then I wrote what turned out to be very helpful notes for a struggling project that was having a hard time finding its way called “Kung Fu Panda”. The rest is history.
CFN: What is the worst cartoon ever made?
MO: The worst? Geez. I’ve seen some bad ones but I don’t know if I’ve seen the worst yet. I try to stay away from the really bad ones. “Cars” put me to sleep so I can’t say for sure if it was bad but it did seem like it could be a contender…
CFN: Is it OK if we respell your name to Marc Osbourne? It looks cooler.
MO: Please use Marque Ozburn. That is the mathematically coolest possible version of my name.
CFN: What’s your favorite animation style?
MO: If you mean what medium I’d say stop-motion for it’s visceral hand made human appeal. If you mean what aesthetic style do I like best, I’d say “Kung Fu Panda” (I know, how gross is that). The look our artists achieved is breathtaking, tactile and quite unique I think for CG animation.
CFN: What’s going on with your short film “More”? We have a theory it’s going to be played in IMAX theaters since you shot it in 70mm.
MO: That’s not a theory, that’s fact my friend! Yes, it originated in 70mm 15 perf and screened in IMAX theaters in front of the film “Everest” for a bit. As far as “what’s going on with it” it was just included in the Pangea Day broadcast on May10th, an event that aimed to bring the world together through the power of short films (sorry, this answer isn’t very funny, but it is true!). Also, it is available for purchase on my website www.happyproduct.com
CFN: Is Ian McShane still bitter that he’s not a bigger star after “Deadwood”?
MO: What are you talking about, he’s a huge star! He’s the voice of Tai Lung for crissake. And he seemed to be as happy as could be when we worked with him. He’s a total pro and a total sweetheart. He did seem to wish that there were more episodes of “Deadwood”, that’s for sure.
CFN: What do you love most about animation?
MO: I love that it is the most sophisticated and purest form of emotional storytelling possible. If given the opportunity it can be fine tuned and perfected to be the best vehicle to express story, character and emotion. I also love that it is a collaboration of many many artists’ hearts and minds so that there is a vitality and life to an animated character that can transcend an actors’ persona on screen. It is bigger than life and can trick an audience into letting their guard down since it’s all fake, but then it can penetrate you and give you an emotional sucker punch.
CFN: What summer movie are you most excited about seeing?
MO: I hate to say it because it’s the competition but I can’t wait to see “Wall-E”.
CFN: If you had to pick, who’s crazier, Colonel Kurtz or Dennis Hopper?
MO: Colonel Kurtz for sure, he’s scary. Hopper’s just loony.
CFN: In 2000 you were nominated with some other directors for the Sci Fi channel’s Future of Film Award. Who won that?
MO: I don’t know and I didn’t know I was nominated for that. Maybe you can find the answer on the interwebs. (editors note: this was an unsuccessful shameless plug for film nerd Chris Mancini to weasel in the fact that he was actually the director who won the Sci Fi Channel’s Future of Film Award for his short film “Skins”. His DVD of all his short films, including “Skins” is available for purchase in the Comedy Film Nerds Dot Com store. All major credit cards accepted)
CFN: Why are they making another “Terminator” movie?
MO: Because they did the math and figured if there are 9 Air Bud movies there should be at least 5 Terminators.
CFN: How’s your brother doing? Did you make him audition?
MO: He’s the greatest uncle ever in addition to being a great head writer on a new Cartoon Network series called “Flapjack”. He’s awesome. And no he didn’t audition, but I did make him do the line about 60 times just to make him earn his money.
CFN: What’s the worst job anyone has ever offered you?
MO: Directing a recording session for a sound alike Po for a mall show in New Zealand where he teaches Kung Fu Masters (and the audience) to party by singing and dancing to “Eye of the Tiger” and Van Halen’s “Jump”. I wish I were kidding.
CFN: If Bruce Lee were alive today would he want to fight Jet Li and who would win?
MO: Bruce Lee would not want to fight, because he is a master. If he had to I think it would be a pretty fair fight. Jet Li might win, but Bruce Lee would look much cooler overall.
CFN: When you were a kid, what did you do that got you in the most trouble?
MO: I cut high school once to go the mall arcade for lunch one day and I got caught and had two days of in school suspension in a tiny room under the stairs. It totally made no sense. I didn’t learn a thing from that except don’t walk down the road to the mall, cut through the woods.
CFN: What is your favorite martial arts style?
MO: I love monkey style. It’s so goofy and involves embarrassing mime like qualities that you must master as well. It is very theatrical.
CFN: Tell us about your next project.
MO: I’m going on a drinking stay-cation.
CFN: Who do you really want to work with next?
MO: I’d love to work with Jack Black again, he’s a comic genius. I’d also like to work with Kyle Gass. Tenacious D changed my life.
CFN: What’s your dream project?
MO: “The Confederacy of Dunces” or “Catcher in the Rye” seem to be the most elusive projects that can never seem to be made so I’d love to take on those challenges. But my current pipe dream of a project is a stop-motion sci-fi film that I wrote with a friend that is near and dear to my heart called “The Great Ascension Machine”. That and a remake of the 1980’s version of Flash Gordon starring Jack Black as a washed up lead singer of an aging hair band that is thrust into space and must save the earth from a Kyle Gass Ming the Merciless using only the power of his voice! (Editor’s note: That sounds so awesome that not only would we watch that immediately, we would even fund it if we could.)
CFN: So did Angelina Jolie give birth at Cannes or what? You were there, you must know.
MO: I know nothing except that by accident I didn’t introduce her or Brad to my wife.
Kung Fu Panda is currently in theaters and was reviewed by film nerd Neil T. Weakley. Read it…ki-yaaiiiii!!
