A word from the Director:
Matt is not only an editor, he is a visionary. From the very beginning, he taught me that access is art. Creativity blossoms in the effort to overcome barriers. At times of crisis, I could call Matt and he would calmly fix the problem or explain the solution. When the sound effects overwhelmed the voiceover, Matt quickly created a new audio mix. Describing the emotional context for the music was tricky. “Watch an animated video where you like the music,” he advised, “that will help you to articulate what you want.” Matt was the “Calvin whisperer” who brought all the moving parts to life.
— Sarah
Here’s what Matt had to say about the experience:
What was fun about working on this project?
The moments that came to life for me were when Crom’s performance merged with the animation and Michael’s voiceover. While taking the edit from rough cut to fine cut, the magic of the storytelling really started to show. I had such strong material to work with: the expressive ASL performance by Crom, enhanced with Dianne Lee’s charming animations, along with Michael’s golden voice and a smattering of playful sound effects. It was my role to work with all of these elements and get them to dance together. It was so fun to find all the moments where they exchange energy, and to share that synergy with our audience.
What was your favorite scene?
I really loved the combination of Crom’s signing and Michael’s voiceover when Calvin explained how the hurricane was coming. I can still hear the comical urgency in Michael’s voice (and Crom’s signs) when Calvin defines ‘hurricane’ as though having memorized a dictionary: “a violent tropical weather system, which is storming up the coast at a tremendous speed and will not diminish until it encounters large stretches of landmass.” It was a marvelous reenactment of Jennifer Berne’s great writing, which brought out the great humor in her words.
Why is the story important today?
I relate to Calvin so much because when I was a kid, I didn’t care about sports — just like Calvin didn’t care about flying. I was a bookworm, like he was. The story is eternal for us bookish types who have a ton to offer but don’t engage in the physicality that’s ubiquitous when you’re a kid. Some people just don’t work that way. Calvin chose other things that were more interesting to him. It’s not that he couldn’t fly, it’s that he chose not to fly. And when he saves the day, such joy arises inside Calvin that he discovers he can totally fly! It’s such a great moment.