‘The Mitchells vs. the Machines’ Pushes the Medium of Visual Storytelling Forward
variety.comTara McNamara “Make the movie unlike anything that’s ever been done before.”Scrawled across a production whiteboard, this guiding principle led Sony Pictures Animation’s “The Mitchells vs.
the Machines” to break barriers with its fresh perspectives, unique artistry and richly drawn characters.Released on Netflix last April to acclaim from audiences and critics alike, the feature has become one of the most honored animated films of the season, with 30 critics group wins, nominations for best animated feature at the BAFTAs and the Academy Awards and eight nominations for the animation industry’s Annies — a testament to the project’s bold animated style and the wide appeal of its storytelling. The Bonds and Inspiration of FamilyThe concept starts off grounded and relatable, with the Mitchell family driving cross-country to drop artsy daughter Katie off at film school.
But the bonding endeavor turns into a fight for survival when a tech company’s product upgrade triggers a robot uprising.Creator Michael Rianda says the concept stems from “combining the thing I love most, which is my crazy family, and the thing I loved the most when I was a kid, which is killer robots.”Rianda brought on his former CalArts classmate Jeff Rowe to co-write and co-direct the story.“Mike’s goal from the beginning was to make it very much about real people,” Rowe says.The authenticity came from pulling character traits and observed behaviors directly from Rianda’s family — and the story needed equally fantastic original art.Rianda set out to assemble an animation team whose creativity would be less impacted by outside influences.
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