10 Questions for Dean DeBlois - Writer / Director

1. As one of the Writer/Directors of “How To Train Your Dragon” could you give us a little background on your involvement?

Chris and I came to this project surprisingly late in the game. Several years had already passed during which the film underwent several adaptations of Cressida Cowell’s whimsical book – all of which felt a little too young and small in scope for what Dreamworks wanted. Chris and I were asked to take over in October of 2008, which left just over a year to rewrite and direct the film, in order to make its fixed March 2010 release date. So we jumped into the deep end, holding onto the spirit of the book, but largely re-imagining the plot to lend it epic scale, heightened stakes, and stronger emotional through-lines.

2. Can you tell us a little about your background in animation?

I could always draw and I loved to write stories, so when the time came to pursue a career path, I shelved my first ambition of becoming a comic book artist and instead tried out animation at Sheridan College. I had always been curious about animation, but didn’t think it was within my grasp. Turns out that I had a knack for it, and after my first year, I landed a job at a TV animation studio in my hometown. The job helped me pay for the next two years of college, and after graduating, I was hired by Don Bluth’s feature animation studio in Ireland. After four years, I applied to Disney and was hired onto ‘Mulan,’ just as Jeffrey Katzenberg was leaving to form Dreamworks. It was on Mulan that I met Chris Sanders. I took over for him as Head of Story, then later rejoined him to co-write and direct ‘Lilo & Stitch.’ Afterward, I pursued some live-action projects at Disney and Universal, but ‘Dragon’ brought us back together.

3. You and Chris Sanders make a unique team, can you describe your collaboration a bit?

Chris and I have similar tastes when it comes to movies, and we appreciate the same fresh approach to characters, dialogue, and storytelling. He has tremendous energy, quirky, fresh ideas, and a nose for anything that stinks of being clichéd or conventional. I’m obsessed with plot structure, character arcs, and through-lines. The combination sometimes makes for solid stories that have memorable, unique moments. We always have the same end goal in mind, but we approach story moments from different angles, trading script pages back and forth to weed out the weaker material. Mostly, we make movies that we would love to see, and as such, we keep each other honest.

4. Any hobbies you like to do on your down time?

Whenever I get the chance, I love to travel. I bring music, a camera, and a sketchpad… and just try to seek out the most inspiring, dramatic places I can find. I’ve seen quite a few to date, but every year my list expands. Currently, I’m obsessed with the poles. I’m hoping to visit Svalbard, Alaska, and Antarctica soon. Besides travel, I love making little films and helping friends make theirs. It’s so fun and I learn a ton every time, just finding my way through the process, and learning new tools.

5. You made a unique film for the group Sigur Rós, what other music are you interested in?

My tastes vary, but I’m especially into music that inspires imagery. It’s probably why I love Sigur Rós so much – their music is like a soundtrack for dreams, so epic and sweeping. I love to have them playing when I write and draw. Some other bands that inspire me are Radiohead, The Arcade Fire, Band of Horses, and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs… all of whom I hope to make films for one day. I’m in the process of finishing another music film that I directed over New Year’s break in Iceland for Jónsi, the frontman of Sigur Rós. He’s an amazing multi-talented artist, so full of positive energy. I’m proud to report that he has written and performed an original song for the ‘Dragon’ end credits.

6. Which do you enjoy more, writing, directing, or doing artwork?

I love drawing – I always have – but creating stories and turning them into films is even more satisfying to me. I love how wide the reach of filmmaking can be, both in the people you work with, and in the audiences you touch. I’m always spurred on by things I haven’t mastered, and in that respect, filmmaking is an ever-exciting pursuit. Story will always be a mysterious thing. I love learning about it, trying to understand it. Like, what makes some films affect people deeply and others fall flat? I’m fascinated by the riddle of it all, because I’ve been shaped by the films and books that I’ve seen and read. I want to create stories that affect people too and live in their consciousness. Any form of creativity makes me happy, but filmmaking is a tough beast to conquer, and that’s why I love it.

7. Was it difficult directing a 3D film with so much action?

No, just the opposite – 3D is liberating. It helped us at every turn. The thrill-ride aspect of 3D lent itself perfectly to our movie, which we knew from the start would have flying scenes, battles, tight escapes, and a visceral, immersive approach to the action scenes. The clever folks here at Dreamworks have integrated 3D into our process so organically, that it was barely ever something we had to think about. Our job as the writer/directors was to create a story that grabbed audiences and pulled them into the adventure. The 3D process took everything we did and embellished it, so that the moments became more dynamic, more exciting, and more 'real.’ I think that 3D is most effective when used to heighten the sense of 'being there,’ as opposed to poking you in the face and taking you out of the story by reminding you that you’re an audience member in a theater, being toyed with in a gimmicky way. Save that for the theme parks. 

8. Where did you grow up?

I was raised in a little bilingual town on the border of Quebec and Ontario, called Aylmer. It’s a suburb of Ottawa, Canada’s capital city. A beautiful spot, surrounded by rivers, lakes, forests… and mosquitoes. But it was a great place to grow up. Plenty of fodder for a young imagination.

9. What was the biggest challenge when working on How To Train Your Dragon?

The greatest stress on all of us was time, or the lack of it. With only a little over a year to rethink the story, write it, storyboard it, edit it, design it, build it, animate it, and light it… our collective backs were up against the wall. There was no margin for error, so we had to get it right, the first time out. In a strange way, it forced out our best work by creating an urgent need for solid decisions and then demanding that we stick to them. We all wanted the film to be the best it could be, and seeing it come together so quickly made everyone just go for broke and race to give it their all. I think the energy comes across in the movie’s pace and fresh feel. And the work is some of the best I’ve seen anywhere. You’d never know it was made in a crunch.

10. What do you hope the audience takes away from How To Train Your Dragon?

I hope the audiences lose themselves in the story and feel transported. That’s always my hope, because it’s what I love about movies. If people catch some themes and messages, great, but mostly I wish that audiences feel like they were part of a secret, part of an adventure. A short-lived escape from the norm of daily life. Everything we do is to create suspension of disbelief, so that you disappear inside a story and feel the emotions along with its characters. More than anything, I hope audiences are drawn into Hiccup’s world and that the experience sticks with them long afterward.