Behind the scenes on Paddington in Peru: ‘The Home Office issued Paddington with his own passport’

As a seasoned animation enthusiast with a soft spot for bears, I must say that the process of bringing Paddington to life is nothing short of magical. The intricate blend of live-action and animation, combined with the meticulous attention to detail, makes this bear feel as real as any character I’ve encountered in my lifetime.

This article first appeared in TopMob magazine.

Upon stepping into the structure, a scene unfolds before me that leaves me slightly astonished. Standing there to welcome me is no one less than Paddington Bear. Clad in his distinctive blue trench coat and red hat, it’s clearly him.

Gazing at me with his inviting, rich-brown eyes, it seems as though Paddington’s soft, cocoa-colored fur yearns for a gentle caress. I’m informed that I’m free to pet him, bringing me back from my fantasy where this beloved bear is a living creature in our reality.

In this upcoming third Paddington film, “Paddington in Peru,” a remarkably lifelike replica of Paddington’s head, known as a “stuffie head,” is used. This intricate piece, priced at £30,000, is made from ethically sourced beaver fur. According to Rob Silva, co-producer, this prop serves dual purposes: it offers a reference point for the actors during filming and helps animators understand how light interacts with the bear’s fur when creating the computer-generated Paddington. Today, we will get a behind-the-scenes look at Framestore, a renowned visual effects company, where this magical process unfolds.

In crafting the Paddington films, even though he’s a fictional character, his detailing is so precise that it seems almost real, with intense glances and all. According to animation director Pablo Grillo, the key focus lies in ensuring that the eyes appear to be looking directly into you, reaching deep into your emotions.

Co-producer Rosie Alison comments: “One of the initial photos from the first movie gave off a rather lifeless vibe, causing concern that the project might not succeed. Many people even labeled him as ‘creepy Paddington’. Capturing the essence of Paddington in still images can be challenging, but it’s the sparkle in his eyes and subtle facial expressions that truly bring him to life.

In the Peruvian town of Paddington, hitting UK cinemas on November 8th, everyone’s favorite marmalade-loving bear, Paddington Brown, voiced again by Ben Whishaw, receives a British passport, enabling him to journey overseas and visit his beloved Aunt Lucy (Imelda Staunton) in his native land.

Silva explains, “We inquired at the Home Office if we could obtain a replica passport for Paddington, and surprisingly, they granted one! Here it is,” Silva shows, revealing the passport with Paddington’s image inside. “I never thought the Home Office would have a sense of humor, but officially, they’ve registered him simply as ‘Bear’.

With his passport clutched tightly, Paddington Bear is all set for another exciting journey. Joining him this time are Henry Brown (played by Hugh Bonneville) and his wife Mary (now played by Emily Mortimer, replacing Sally Hawkins), together with their children Judy (Madeleine Harris) and Jonathan (Samuel Joslin), along with housekeeper Mrs Bird (Julie Walters). They all embark on a trip to Peru. However, upon arrival, they discover that Aunt Lucy is nowhere to be found.

She has been living at the Home for Retired Bears, run by the smiling, singing Reverend Mother (Olivia Colman), but is nowhere to be found, which sets Paddington and his pals off into the Amazon to try to find her, aided by charming riverboat captain Hunter Cabot (Antonio Banderas) and his daughter Gina (newcomer Carla Tous).

Alison remarks, “There was some doubt about whether a bear strolling through London could be effective, but it’s been fantastic to discover all the possibilities.” She continues, “Once he returns to Peru, he will have transformed into a proper English gentleman.

The team behind Paddington – comprising actors, technicians, and Paddington himself (a plush toy figure) – shot scenes in numerous places across Peru over a period of two months. Some of these locations included the well-known Incan fortresses of Sacsayhuamán and Machu Picchu. Additionally, they journeyed to Colombia as well. Notably, several sets were constructed on a 500-acre farm called Berrybushes Farm, which is situated near Watford.

In this rephrased version: Director Dougal Wilson assumed command of the expedition, taking over from Paul King, who previously directed and co-wrote the first two movies but moved on to work on Wonka. Despite his departure, King continues to be part of the project as he collaborated with Simon Farnaby and Mark Burton in creating the storyline.

In 2019, Wilson admitted that he felt extremely nervous about joining the project, as Paddington 2 ranks among his all-time favorite movies. He confessed to being both scared and anxious due to the enormous challenge of following up the success of the first two films, and acknowledged that a third film is always particularly demanding. He expressed sincere hope that they won’t disappoint the fans.

To fully experience Paddington’s adventure, Wilson decided to explore deep within the Peruvian rainforest, specifically the Tambopata National Reserve. He shared, “I narrowly avoided stepping on one of the second most venomous snakes in the Amazon, nearly touched a roaming spider that was also highly toxic, and almost got bitten by a bullet ant. A vibrant macaw even visited and took a bite of cake from our tea table… Some of that excitement must have seeped into the movie!

Despite the fact that Paddington Bear and Ben Whishaw weren’t physically present on set, it seems as if Paddington is truly there thanks to some clever filmmaking techniques. A prop resembling a “stuffed head” shows where Paddington is standing, while eye-line sticks and a similarly colored teddy bear help create the illusion. An actor reads Paddington’s lines off-camera, while Lauren Barrand, who stands at 3ft 6in like Paddington, serves as his stand-in. She wears Paddington’s iconic duffel coat and hat so that he can be seamlessly added into the scene later on.

Behind the scenes on Paddington in Peru: ‘The Home Office issued Paddington with his own passport’

In London, tucked away in a basement studio, Whishaw dons a head-mounted camera setup while he recites his lines, distinct from the rest of the cast. As Grillo clarifies, “The camera serves as a guide for animators to match mouth movements and synchronize with speech. What’s more, Ben has expressive eyes and thoughtful brows, which offer an exceptional starting point and a delightful reference for us to initiate and design Paddington’s performance.

Grillo remarks: “Paddington is quite simple in nature. We strive to maintain a hint of seriousness about him. There’s a mysterious quality to his expression. Despite his cheerful demeanor, he rarely smiles genuinely. When he does smile, it often doesn’t look right. For promotional reasons, they frequently request a wide, radiant grin, and we exclaim, ‘Oh my goodness!’ It’s challenging to find the perfect balance. It’s usually just a small hint. He’s a thoughtful character who holds his feelings in check emotionally. He expresses emotion more through actions rather than facial expressions.

The Animation Supervisor, Arslan Elver, likens himself and his team of 120 animators working on Paddington at Framestore, using keyframe animation to animate the bear, as “digital marionette masters.” Essentially, he says, it’s similar to traditional animation, except we use a mouse and keyboard instead of pen and paper. This method, he adds, gives our work a unique charm that sets us apart from big-budget films that rely on motion-capture technology.

Approximately 200 “controls” are utilized to subtly maneuver the facial expressions and body movements of animated characters, from a blink to the sway of an umbrella. He invites me to try it out for myself, and with his guidance, I employ the mouse and press some keys to make Aunt Lucy gently tilt her head. It takes around five minutes to produce that single movement, but transforming that movement into a cinema-worthy shot, filled with facial expressions and poses, demands significantly more time. One second of completed footage necessitates 24 frames, and it might take an animator up to three days to craft them. As Elver puts it, “It’s a labor of love.

It takes a village to make everyone’s favourite bear – and it all began, of course, with Michael Bond’s books, illustrated by Peggy Fortnum. “When we were doing the first film, the lovely Michael Bond was nervous about what it would be like, but he was also quite relaxed,” Alison says. “He said there had been quite a variety of incarnations of Paddington, and somehow his spirit and who he is manages to persist through all of them. We all know Paddington.” As it turns out, he’s very real after all.

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Behind the scenes on Paddington in Peru: ‘The Home Office issued Paddington with his own passport’

Paddington in Peru will be released on Friday 8th November 2024.

2024-10-21 19:34

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