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The Future of Stop Motion: PES

Interview by Nick Dawson | February 10, 2009

For the penultimate entry in our series of interviews with talented young stop motion animators, we talk to the elusive PES, creator of Game Over and Western Spaghetti.

PES is an artist who has earned global recognition for his innovative short films and unique approach to stop-motion animation. Often working with familiar foods, household items and found objects, PES has crafted some of the most memorable short films of recent years, including Roof Sex, KaBoom!, Game Over, and Western Spaghetti. In addition to his short films, he has become one of the most commercially successful independent artists working today. He has directed dozens of commercials for clients worldwide including Coinstar, Playstation, Bacardi, Sneaux, Scrabble, Sprint and Orange Telecom. Though some choose to focus on PES’s unique style, perhaps director Michel Gondry says it best: “Clicking on a PES film is to open a safe and suddenly see a million ideas glittering and exploding. The only reason you close the door is to re-open it just after and discover what will pop this time.”

How did you first become interested in stop motion animation? Was it a particular film that got you into it? What particularly attracted you to it?

I had the idea for a short film called Roof Sex, which was about two chairs that escape to a city rooftop to have sex. I felt stop-motion was the best technique to execute it, but I couldn’t afford to pay anyone so I taught myself how to animate because I didn’t want anybody to screw it up. I did tests with doll furniture on my dining room table until I felt confident enough to shoot it for real with life-sized chairs.

How easy was it to become proficient at stop motion? Did you study it at school or did you teach yourself?

Easy. It’s either in your DNA or not.

Which special qualities do you feel are necessary to be a stop motion animator? Do you have a much higher level of patience than most people?

Spatial awareness of one’s body. Do you trip all the time, bump your head, step on dog shit frequently? If so, stop-motion is probably not for you.

Patience? I’m only patient for the couple hours it takes to do a shot. That’s it.

How do you conceive ideas for stop motion projects? Do you always first have to consider practical constraints, or do you instead look to overcome potential problems after coming up with a creative concept?

I simply try to make films that I’d like to see. If stop-motion’s the right technique, then I use it. But I don’t hold a torch out there for stop-motion. I just have my own set of ideas that seem -- to me at least -- to be well-suited to the medium.

What are the greatest challenges you face as a stop motion animator?

When editing a film, you must learn not to get too attached to a shot for a technical or emotional reason (i.e. “it’s such a great shot” or “I spent so much time on that shot!”). You must learn to cut your baby ruthlessly.