Dec 27, 2024

Interview with Oscar Nominees: Alexandra Miyot & Jean-Sebastien Hamel on Their Favorite Shots from “Crab in the Pool” (Exclusive Interview)

With awards season in full swing, we asked the producers of the 15 films nominated for this year's Academy Awards in the animated short film category to share their favorite shots from their films and why they were so special. Each film is listed in the order in which the materials were received.

The first in the series is A Crab in the Pool, by Canadian directors Alexandra Mayotte and Jean-Sebastien Hamel.

In a rundown residential neighborhood, Zoe and her brother Theo are fending for themselves. Adolescent Zoe is an angry teenager, haunted by inner fears. Theo is still a child, escaping from reality into a fantasy world. On a scorching summer day, the two children must burst the abscess in their relationship in order not to lose each other. This short film was produced by Montreal-based Sémaphore Films.

Miyot and Jean-Sebastien Hamel spoke with Cartoon Brew earlier this year about making the short film. Here are some of the duo's favorite shots and why they are important to them:

The film is all about storytelling! This scene begins with Theo staring off into the distance with his magic binoculars. He is alone in his fantasy world because his sister Zoe, who was there earlier, has left him behind. Since it is early in the film, it is very important to understand the characters and their relationships right away.

Theo seeks his sister's attention, but she wants the opposite. The post says “Lost,” but who is really lost? A little later, Theo complains, using the past tense, that his mother would have bought him ice cream on such a hot day. The two siblings have lost their mother, and the older sister, Zoe, refuses to let the younger brother, Theo, play that role.

This is the crux of the story. These two initially incompatible children end up fending for themselves in places where they are not supposed to be alone: a pawn shop, a fast food restaurant, and a brothel. They get lost and seek each other out.

As for the images, we really enjoyed ourselves here. Our imagination is our only limit and animation is our playground. Our approach is to create new storytelling that can only be done in this wonderful medium. The cat on the poster comes to life and comes down through the pole, the pole tilts to become a walkway for children to walk on, and finally the beautiful scorching blue sky becomes a refreshing pool where mermaids swim and sing.

The fact that everything is shot in one shot intensifies the impact of the story and invests the viewer even more fully in the narrative. Long one-shots resemble real life without the editing. It took us a long time to create this scene, and every time we see it again and hear the audience's surprised reaction in the theater, we are glad we were able to create a beautiful moment in the film.