What is the film about?

Get a Grip is a stop-motion fable about Gus MacDuffin, a puffin who longs to be like the other puffins. But when his first flight ends in a fall straight into a fisherman’s bucket, he finds himself in unfamiliar waters. With the help of a new friend, Gus uncovers an unexpected strength that opens a whole new world of possibilities.

What influenced it?

Hothouse 15’s theme was “people watching,” resonating with my own habit of observing others. I was heavily inspired by what I observed and learned while living in Boylston, Nova Scotia, a province whose rich identity encompasses lobster fishing, Celtic traditions and historical ports. This film felt like such an exciting opportunity to use the crafts and iconography of the area to tell this story. Whittling was at the core of the film, and everything from the Cape Islander boat to the fiddle and flute is used to place the film in the unique province of Nova Scotia.

Image: NFB

A little background information...

I moved around many times throughout my childhood, and observing was a habit I would always fall into. Learning how to adapt was both good and bad. While trying to fit in, I’d often push down aspects of myself. It took years before I realised it’s okay to observe and learn about things from people you admire, but you don’t need to erase the traits that make you who you are. Gus’s story is also about observing, learning, growing and returning to who you truly are.

How was the film made?

Image: NFB

Get a Grip is a stop-motion short largely made of wood and paper. The puppets, two puffins and a fisherman, are entirely carved from basswood. I used hinge joints for the fisherman’s legs and wire joints for the puffins’ legs. The sets, a boat and cliff, are made from cardboard while the backgrounds are small paintings on paper. In a compromise with time, the sets were made physically, but the animation was shot on bluescreen to key in backgrounds in post. This allowed us to create rocking animation for the boat on the water.

Image: NFB