Can you talk a bit about the genesis and evolution ofTangled?
Nathan Greno: The idea of a Rapunzel story has been around the Disney Animation Studios since the 1930s... it was on one of Walt's early lists. It took a long time to bring this film to the screen. The problem is the original tale is a very small story. It takes place in a tower. A girl is waiting around to be rescued. It's all very passive and small. We needed to blow up the scale of the film... turn it into a big event. We really tried to keep what worked in the original. The original icons of the classic story are all there... it's just been updated for a modern audience.
Are you pleased with the film's title change fromRapunzel toTangled?
Byron Howard: When Nathan and I figured out that this film was really about two characters, Flynn and Rapunzel, we knew that changing the title would be a good idea. We like thatTangled as a title sounds smart and intriguing, while also relating to the tangle of plot, characters and emotion in the film.
Nathan, how were you, as a storyboard director, considered as another director for Tangled?
Nathan Greno: John Lasseter asked me to direct theBolt DVD short film (Super Rhino). Byron helped me on that short -- there were departments I never worked in before and Byron showed me the ropes. Lasseter really liked the job I did on the short and asked if I would like to direct a Rapunzel film for the studio. Yes! Of course! He asked if I would like to direct with anyone or by myself. I asked for Byron. Byron said yes... and today we haveTangled!
Byron, on your last two projects, you've had to take over for another director. Was that challenging for you?
Byron Howard: It's very challenging to step in on a project after another director has put his stamp on it. We've learned that the best thing to do is to tear the existing film down to the foundation and start with as much of a clean slate as possible.
How did each of you get your start in the entertainment industry? Was animation always your passion?
Nathan Greno: I wanted to work for Disney ever since I was a kid. I was always into creating my own comic strips and comic books. I loved to create my own worlds and characters. I loved storytelling. My mom started taking me to see the Disney films when I was a kid and I fell in love with them. Disney created better stories and better characters than anyone. I wanted to go there and learn. I was in first grade when I told my parents I wanted to work for Disney. I guess things do work out in life if you want something bad enough.
You have both worked on several films prior toTangled. Please explain the process of transitioning into the role of Director.
Nathan Greno: I came from the story department. I was drawing storyboards for over a decade before I started directing. I was always at the start of the process, but now I get to follow the ideas all the way through to the finished frame. It's an incredible process. I feel like I've become a much better artist. And I still get to storyboard... so I'm happy.
Byron Howard: Being an animation director is an amazing job. We are surrounded by the most skilled artists, composers and craftsmen in the film business. Nathan and I start at the very beginning of a film when there's only an idea and thousands of blank storyboards,
through to the end when the film premieres in theaters all over the world. In working with so many brilliant people along the way, we both become better filmmakers ourselves. I love my job.
What was it like to become a director after having run the storyboards?
Nathan Greno: In the past I would pitch my storyboards and ideas and sometimes they would change by the time they hit the big screen. I didn't always understand why. Now I can follow ideas through start to finish. They still change... but at least I now understand why they are changing!
How has the animation process changed through the years you have been working on Disney films?
Byron Howard: When I first started at Disney, CG animation was really just a tiny blip on the radar.Lion King had just come out to huge success, and Disney had a long slate of traditionally animated films in production. I actually remember seeing some of the first scenes fromToy Story, when the Army Men leave Andy's room to spy on the birthday party, and I was like "Wow. This is going to change things from now on." Now CG is the expected route for animated films, and the scope of the stories get bigger and bigger with each release.
Having worked in both mediums, what do you prefer about computer animation and what do you miss about traditional 2D animation?
Nathan Greno: I really love both 2D and 3D animation. 2D is really graphic and classic. 3D has amazing textures and cameras to play with. It all comes down to your story... some tales work best in 2D, some in 3D!
What advice do you have for kids who dream of one day directing?
Nathan Greno: Go for it! I grew up in a small factory town in Wisconsin. It took a long time to get where I am, but I worked very hard and my dream came true. It's possible to do whatever you want in life if you work hard enough.
Byron Howard: Do what you love and do it with passion. Passionate people really push every industry ahead, including animation.
Did you always have Zachary [Levi] and Mandy [Moore] in mind for the roles of Flynn and Rapunzel?
Nathan Greno: In the very beginning, we try to create very appealing characters. We have friends around the studio do the temp voices for our early screenings. At some point (before animation begins), we begin the casting process. We saw hundreds of people for the role of Flynn and Rapunzel. Hundreds! It was crazy. It seemed that all of Hollywood wanted these parts. There were a lot of amazing auditions, but in the end Mandy and Zac totally nailed it. They were incredible. People are always surprised to hear they didn't record together because their characters are so charming on screen. Mandy and Zac were the perfect fit.
Byron Howard: Our audition process forTangled was unbelievably huge. Nathan and I saw over three hundred actresses for the Rapunzel role alone. The benefit to doing that thorough of a search is that when you finally find the right actress, as we did in Mandy Moore, you really know that she's the one.
Were there any traits in Rapunzel that were directly from Mandy Moore such as her being barefoot constantly, or the short brown hair at the end of the film?
Byron Howard: Mandy and Rapunzel definitely have similarities. They're both incredibly smart, funny, artistic young women, and unbeknownst to us, Mandy jumps out of airplanes! Just like Rapunzel leaps off cliffs and swings from the rafters. Adventurous young women as well.
Where did you folks find Donna Murphy? She stole the show.
Nathan Greno: New York City. She lives there.
How long did you need to prep for the roles of Thugs #1 and #2 and Guards #1 and #2?
Byron Howard: I feel like I've been preparing for the role of Thug #2 for my entire professional life. It's really the role of a lifetime.
Nathan Greno: It takes YEARS of practice to pull off roles like "Thug #1" and "Guard #1". Kids, please don't try that at home.
What prompted you to include Pascal, Rapunzel's chameleon side kick, in the cast?
Byron Howard: Pascal came from the need to have someone for Rapunzel to talk to in that tower. We knew we needed that character, but we didn't want to do the typical squirrel, chipmunk or bird that you see so often in these tales. We thought a lizard sounded like a quirky pet for a quirky young woman.
I loved the characters of Pascal and Maximus. Was there ever any discussion about giving them voices? (I'm glad you didn't.)
Byron Howard: Nathan and I are huge, HUGE fans of Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin, and we thought, "Wouldn't it be great to have someone like that as a character inTangled?"
Time and time again, people who have seen the film have said that they liked the fact that we kept them silent. Pantomime acting is a great challenge for our animators.
Is it me or did some of the animals seem smarter than Flynn?
Nathan Greno: Max and Pascal would agree with that.
Rapunzel's "mother" was a very interesting and rather scary character. Did you draw on past witches and femme fatales from Disney movies for inspiration?
Nathan Greno: Disney does villains better than anyone and we needed to live up to the classic villains of our past films. We think Gothel is mostly scary because she isn't a witch. She doesn't have "powers", but she has a very evil mind. Evil minds actually exist in the real world -- I think that's why she freaks people out!
I've noticed that you bear a slight resemblance to Flynn Rider, Byron. Is this simply coincidence or directorial influence perhaps...? In all seriousness though, having been a huge part of films likeTangled andBolt means that your influence in these films will carry on to future generations of viewers. Does this knowledge play a part in the choices you make during the production of these films?
Byron Howard: We like to say that Flynn has my hair and Nathan's strong chin and goatee. Flynn's a handsome guy, so if anyone thinks we look like him, we'll take it. The fact that these films can endure for generations is one of the reasons we work at Disney. Last Halloween, a little girl showed up on Nathan's doorstep dressed as Snow White. That film is over seventy years old; can you think of any other films that have that kind of longevity? It's amazing. We really hope this version of the Rapunzel story becomes the definitive version for generations of movie fans.
Nathan Greno: It was in my contract... one of theTangled characters had to have my facial hair.
Who thought up Flynn's "smolder" face? Was it based on anyone in particular?
Byron Howard: The smolder is based on my directing buddy, Nathan. He has a way with the ladies.
How important was for you to make sure that the lead in this movie were a strong woman, which goes a little bit against the stereotype of a fairy tale princess...
Byron Howard: We knew Rapunzel had to have a lot of girl power. She and Flynn are the engine that drives this story, and making her too prissy or passive would have been cheating our audience. We love that Rapunzel's not perfect, she's quirky, funny and real. She has a very bohemian quality about her, painting her walls and running around the forest with bare feet through the mud. Above all, she's much more like a real person, strong, smart interesting and flawed.
Family plays a very strong role in this film. What prompted you to explore the mother/daughter dynamic through the character ofRapunzel?
Byron Howard: Nathan and I were fascinated by this bizarre relationship that Gothel had created between herself and this kidnapped girl. To try to find out more about mother/daughter relationships, we asked a bunch of women from our studio to stay after one evening to have a chat about their relationships with their mothers. It turned into a therapy session!
