The L.A. Times has a delightful story today on the beef between Wes Anderson and the crew of his upcoming Fantastic Mr. Fox. That whole thing about Anderson directing the movie via e-mail? Pretty much true! For the two-year period Fox was shooting in London, Anderson was in Paris, not because he needed to be for any project, he just “didn’t want to be at Three Mills Studios for two years.†“It’s not in the least bit normal,†says the film’s director of photography, Tristan Oliver. “I’ve never worked on a picture where the director has been anywhere other than the studio floor!†Also, Oliver says more things.
Continues Oliver, sounding not unlike another quotable, director-slamming thing-sayer: “I think [Anderson is] a little sociopathic … I think he’s a little O.C.D. Contact with people disturbs him. This way, he can spend an entire day locked inside an empty room with a computer. He’s a bit like the Wizard of Oz. Behind the curtain.â€
To which a not-incorrect Anderson counters: “I would say that kind of crosses the line for what’s appropriate for the director of photography to say behind the director’s back while he’s working on the movie. So I don’t even want to respond to it.â€
We couldn’t find any photos of Oliver, but we’ll replace that promo shot from Mr. Fox just as soon as soon as the cinematographer’s Maxim spread comes out.