‘Klaus’ Director Sergio Pablos: ‘Nostalgia Is Not Enough’ (Exclusive Video Interview)

In the interview, he discusses the difficulties of developing an original narrative, and of telling it in a medium many major studios dismissed as obsolete. He confesses that the plot of Klaus, which was loosely inspired by origin stories like Batman Begins, initially struck him as too “sappy.” Only when he saw the irony in it — namely, the fact that an “asshole” inadvertently creates the myth of Santa — was he ready to develop it.

The real challenges then began, as Pablos cast around for a team with 2d know-how. He discovered that layout artists in the traditional feature animation style were more difficult to find than in the past, and so decided to hire concept designers and train them in the requisite skills. “We had to find the talent wherever it was,” he says. “A lot of times, it was about betting on guys who [didn’t] have a lot of experience.” He also goes into then film’s unique pipeline, explaining why he sought not just to revive 2d animation, but to make it evolve.

Cartoon Brew has also discussed some of the topics Pablos touches on with other members of the film’s crew. See below for our previous coverage.