Tr3s Exclusive: Behind the Scenes of 'Hop' with Director Tim Hill

By Michael Lopez

It takes a special kind of filmmaker to blend detailed animation with live-action actors, and director Tim Hill is fast becoming the “go-to” guy for these types of projects. Hill, who helmed such hits as Alvin and the Chipmunks, spoke to Tr3s about his latest film, Hop.

“The basic filmmaking process is the same,” Hill said about blending live actors in a cartoon world.

And though he makes it sound easy, constructing Hop was a very technical process. Dozens of animators from the award-winning Rhythm & Hues Studios spent months creating the signature Easter bunny character, E.B. Tim shot actors in an empty space and later incorporated the animations in post-production.

“These films are hard for an actor because often times you are talking to a coffee table,” Hill explained. “Jimmy Marsden did a great job of making it look like something was really in the room when all he really had to work with was a puppet.”

Similar to Alvin and the upcoming Smurfs movie, Hop tells the story of a cartoon character thrust into the real world. The animated E.B. spends most of the film bouncing through Hollywood in hopes of making his rock 'n' roll dreams come true.

Hill explained the challenges of giving life to E.B.

“When you’re dealing with an animated character like E.B. it’s a challenge," he said. "You’re creating a real animal that’s photo real, but you have a human side to him where he can talk and walks like a human.”

Having seen an early screening of the movie, this writer can attest that E.B.’s onscreen presence comes off flawlessly. Voiced by Russell Brand, he’s got plenty of humor, a lot of heart and a party attitude that perfectly channels Mr. Katy Perry. While he was excited to get Russell for the part, Hill was equally thrilled about one other cameo.

“David Hasselhoff came to play," he said. "He was a lot of fun. He was very willing to make fun of himself and be this over-the-top talent show host. Plus, the fact that he worked with a talking car made dealing with a talking bunny that much easier.”

Do you like live-action animated films? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Animation, Exclusive Entrevistas, Hop, Movies, Movies & CineMás, Tim Hill