(This interview is with producer Thomas Meyer-Hermann) Are the two leading characters in the film based on real people?

No, actually, they are not based on any specific people and the story is completely fictional.

They are not Woody Allen and Mia Farrow?

Well, it was vaguely inspired by Woody Allen. His glasses, in particular. But we did not really think of Mia Farrow. In fact, we did not really think about anyone specific when we were creating the female character. Perhaps, it was a collective image of many different women the writer and director met in their life.

How was the animation done?

The animators had to transfer the movements and emotions of actors to the film characters, the dogs, using animation skills. A dog’s face is quite different from a human’s, so it was quite challenging. But I think it worked out pretty well.

What is this style of animation called?

I don’t think there is a name for it, but I think it’s quite special. Usually, in animation films there is a tendency toward overacting and exaggeration. Exaggeration is one of the 12 Disney principles of animation. But what we did in 12 Years is just the opposite. The movements and emotions are very subtle. You can’t do that with drawings. I think you can only do it with computer animation.

12 Years is three and a half minutes long. How long did it take you to make it?

Three months. But there was a whole team working on it. The story was simple, but we had that challenge of getting a dog to show human emotions. There was about 1.5 months put into the development of these faces that were capable of showing emotions. The rest of the time was put into animating.

Does your studio specialize on just short films or do you also produce feature films?

We do different things with various styles of animation. We specialize in short films and commercials, but at the moment we are working on TV series. Its 52 episodes, each 5 minutes long and it is all done in flash animation.

What was the inspiration for 12 Years?

First came the dialog, which was based on the writer’s observation on how people deal with each other. The writer also was interested in showing human emotion in these animal faces. He wanted the audience to sympathize with these characters, yet keep their distance. Like you’re sitting in a restaurant a few tables away and you see them talking and understand their suffering, yet you don’t really feel it.

It’s a German production company and a German director. Why is the film in English?

We originally did it in German, but realized at the end that we wanted to have an English version, especially for the Internet and international festivals. And because the dialogue is so important, we did not want to just dub it. So we redid it with lip-syncing to English.

Are you an animator as well?

I used to be an animator, but now I am a producer. I founded my studio over 20 years ago. I used to make my own films and at the same time, looked to produce other projects, but I realized I did not have time to do both. I ended up just focusing on production. But I always try to involve my creativity in the projects I produce.

What animator are you a big fan of and why?

The ones I like to work the most with are Andreas Hykade, Phil Mulloy and Daniel Nocke. I work with all of them. So if I like someone very much, I try to work with them.

At Manhattan Shot we get plenty animation films that look great, but don’t really have a point. As a producer, when you look at an animation, how often do you ask yourself: What’s the message here?

I don’t remember which artist said: “If I had a message, I would send it by mail.” I share that opinion. I don’t think a piece of art should have a message. Well, a point, maybe. When we get a project at my studio, there is usually a message linked to it, because we usually produce trailers for shows or advertisements. But when it comes to a short film, I think it is important that it has a point. I don’t care much for films that just demonstrate technical skills.

Do you have an advice for someone who is thinking of making a first animation?

Don’t try to make a huge film, because you will either end up working on it half of your life or you will mostly likely have to shorten it later during the post-production. For a first film, do something small. The idea does not have to be small, but the film must be something you can manage in timely manner. It’s easy to underestimate the work in animation. If you think it will take you two months, it will most likely be four to six months in reality.