Justin K. Thompson is an award-winning production designer and the director of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. During last year's program for shortlisted filmmakers, Justin led the Animation workshop at the Sony Pictures Studios alongside production designer Patrick O'Keefe. In our latest interview, Justin speaks about his journey into animation, his passion for the creative medium and shares his advice for up-and-coming filmmakers.
You’re an award-winning production designer and the director of Sony Pictures Animation's Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. Can you share a little bit about your journey and what inspired you to pursue animation?
As far back as I can remember, I loved to tell stories and I loved making art. Having no formal outlets and an unshakeable determination, I let my passions guide me and I experimented constantly, looking for the perfect way to combine my innate love of storytelling, making films, acting, making music, writing, drawing, and painting. From the beginning, it fascinated me how stories were fundamentally changed through their interaction with different visual mediums. When I was finally introduced to animation in my late teens, I buzzed. I realized instantly that it was what I’d been searching for—a way to pour all of my storytelling and artistic energies into a single, brilliant medium. A medium which rewards invention and experimentation. A medium with limitless depth, color, and texture. A medium that provides storytellers with endless ways to express the internal life of a character through an external world of their own design. I’ve been in love with animation ever since.
Are there any films that have particularly resonated with you lately, or any upcoming films you’re particularly excited about?
I really enjoyed Sean Wang’s directorial debut, Dìdi. I thought it was a flawlessly observed, coming of age story, told from a very interesting and personal point of view. I was impressed by how well Sean Wang balanced heartbreaking moments of failure alongside uplifting, aspirational moments of joy. I also admired how well the camera work and cinematography responded to the character performances. The dialogue was beautiful and sparing. Just a great film, in my opinion.
Up next, I’m looking forward to watching Saoirse Ronin’s performance in Nora Fingscheidt’s adaptation of Amy Liptropt’s memoir, The Outrun. It looks like a beautiful character piece that offers hope about a very difficult part of the human condition.
In your opinion, what are the key elements that make an animated film stand out in today’s industry?
Whether it is a comedy, a thriller, an action flick, a musical, or a drama, I am certain great animated films are defined by the same thing that a great film in any other medium is defined by: Great characters that remind us of ourselves, dealing with problems that we strongly relate to, in stories that remind us of our own. Whether we laugh with joy, or cry with pain, or shiver in fright, great movies help us see ourselves, our friends, our families, and the world around us. Great movies help us understand each other. Great movies help us acknowledge the complexities of the world and give us hope. Great movies teach us how to move past our failures and inspire us to reach toward our better nature. A great animated movie has to do all of those same things. Because animation is a medium, not a genre, and I believe the rules for a great movie are the same, no matter what the medium is.
How do competitions such as the Sony Future Filmmaker Awards contribute to a filmmaker’s career growth? What role do they play in shaping a creative’s journey?
Even though there is no substitute for personal experience, any time a filmmaker with a curious mind can interact with more experienced filmmakers and share their ideas and influences, they’ve got a real opportunity to expand and grow their understanding of the medium. It’s an opportunity to become a smarter storyteller and discuss the limitless ways to approach the creative process. There’s also an awesome opportunity for filmmakers to share their point of view and connect with other filmmakers who appreciate their vision. Making connections with people that are going to cheer them on, offer them guidance when its needed, and be a friend to their film all the way through the long process of getting the thing made is such a vital part of any filmmaker’s success. Taking part in the Sony Future Filmmakers Awards is simply one of the best opportunities for an aspiring filmmaker to gain such rare insight from experienced filmmakers, improve their understanding of the craft, and make those critical connections.
What three key pieces of advice would you offer up-and-coming filmmakers trying to make it in the industry?
ONE: BE CURIOUS ABOUT EVERYTHING. Ask endless questions. Read every book you can. Talk to every person you meet. Visit every city, every state, every country within your means. Listen to every sound. Take pictures constantly and ask yourself what is in them until you’ve identified more than a hundred things. Start five new hobbies every year. Do ten things you’ve never done before every year. Go camping in the middle of nowhere. Stay in a five star hotel. Study art. Study history. Study pop culture. Study EVERYTHING. Be curious about everything. The more you experience, the more you study, the more you observe, the more informed, specific, and memorable your work will be.
TWO: ALWAYS BE WRITING. Even if you never want to be a screenwriter. Film is a storytelling medium. You must always be studying storytelling above all other crafts. Always be writing. Even if you only want to be a director, an editor, an actor, a cinematographer, a production designer, anything. These branches of the film process and their specific crafts are all simply various aspects of telling a story through the medium of film. I believe that to really get good at this, one needs to understand story first, and then apply their understanding of story to their chosen craft second. The more one writes, the better they will be at their chosen craft. So, always be writing.
THREE: HAVE FUN. Filmmaking is long, hard work and can easily overwhelm physically and emotionally. So look for joy in every aspect of the work. Create space for the other filmmakers around you to share the joy with you. Give yourself permission to experiment and try new things. Give yourself grace to not have all the answers and seek advice from everyone. Be generous with praise. Celebrate milestones. Enjoy the journey. Have fun.