Higglety Pigglety Pop! or There Must Be More to Life
Encyclopedia
Higglety Pigglety Pop! or There Must Be More to Life is a 2010 live-action/animated short film
about the fictional adventures of Maurice Sendak
's pet dog Jennie, based on his 1967 children's book of the same name. It is directed by Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski, collectively known as Clyde Henry Productions
, and features the voices of Meryl Streep
, Forest Whitaker
and Spike Jonze
. Jonze also served as producer along with Vincent Landay
and Marcy Page. Higglety Pigglety Pop! or There Must Be More to Life was produced by the National Film Board of Canada
in association with Warner Home Video
.
named Jennie leaves a comfortable life and embarks on a journey for new experiences and stardom.
and suggested to the director that they would be suitable to create a short companion piece for the Blu-ray release of Where the Wild Things Are
. Jonze contacted the animators while he was in France promoting Synecdoche, New York
and the two met after, with Jonze proposing that they create a film based on some other short story by Sendak. Unfamiliar with Sendak's work, the filmmakers researched his work and settled on Higglety Pigglety Pop! as their choice to adapt.
The film is set in 17 different locations, with a total of 25 scenes
. With just 10 months to create the entire film, the filmmakers could not use stop-motion or any of their traditional animation techniques. They decided instead to primarily make use of puppetry
, combined with some stop-motion.
Meryl Streep, who voiced Jennie, was not yet cast when shooting had begun. Sendak provided Lavis and Szczerbowski with an old recording of Streep reading the book, doing all the voices, and the filmmakers were impressed. They approached her with the part and she agreed.
Lavis and Szczerbowski's previous work Madame Tutli-Putli had received the Genie Award for Best Animated Short
and been nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Short.
Live-action/animated film
A live-action/animated film is a motion picture that features a combination of real actors or elements: live-action and animated elements, typically interacting.-History:...
about the fictional adventures of Maurice Sendak
Maurice Sendak
Maurice Bernard Sendak is an American writer and illustrator of children's literature. He is best known for his book Where the Wild Things Are, published in 1963.-Early life:...
's pet dog Jennie, based on his 1967 children's book of the same name. It is directed by Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski, collectively known as Clyde Henry Productions
Clyde Henry Productions
Clyde Henry Productions is a Canadian film, stop-motion animation, puppetry and illustration firm consisting of Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski...
, and features the voices of Meryl Streep
Meryl Streep
Mary Louise "Meryl" Streep is an American actress who has worked in theatre, television and film.Streep made her professional stage debut in 1971's The Playboy of Seville, before her screen debut in the television movie The Deadliest Season in 1977. In that same year, she made her film debut with...
, Forest Whitaker
Forest Whitaker
Forest Steven Whitaker is an American actor, producer, and director. He has earned a reputation for intensive character study work for films such as Bird and Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, and for his recurring role as ex-LAPD Lieutenant Jon Kavanaugh on the gritty, award-winning television...
and Spike Jonze
Spike Jonze
Spike Jonze is an American director, producer and actor, whose work includes music videos, commercials, film and television...
. Jonze also served as producer along with Vincent Landay
Vincent Landay
Vincent Landay is an American film producer. He mostly works with Spike Jonze on his music videos and feature films. He has worked with Jonze since 1993...
and Marcy Page. Higglety Pigglety Pop! or There Must Be More to Life was produced by the National Film Board of Canada
National Film Board of Canada
The National Film Board of Canada is Canada's twelve-time Academy Award-winning public film producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary, animation, alternative drama and digital media productions...
in association with Warner Home Video
Warner Home Video
Warner Home Video is the home video unit of Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., itself part of Time Warner. It was founded in 1978 as WCI Home Video . The company launched in the United States with twenty films on VHS and Betamax videocassettes in late 1979...
.
Plot
In the film, a Sealyham TerrierSealyham Terrier
The Sealyham Terrier is a dog breed of the terrier type. The Sealyham Terrier was originally developed in Wales.- History :thumb|right|A Sealyham Terrier photographed in 1915....
named Jennie leaves a comfortable life and embarks on a journey for new experiences and stardom.
Production
An associate of Jonze had been impressed by Lavis and Szczerbowski's previous work, the animated short Madame Tutli-PutliMadame Tutli-Putli
Madame Tutli-Putli is a 2007 stop motion-animated short film by Montreal filmmakers Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski, collectively known as Clyde Henry Productions, and produced by the National Film Board of Canada...
and suggested to the director that they would be suitable to create a short companion piece for the Blu-ray release of Where the Wild Things Are
Where the Wild Things Are (film)
Where the Wild Things Are is a 2009 American fantasy drama film directed by Spike Jonze and adapted from Maurice Sendak's 1963 children's book Where the Wild Things Are. It combines live action, performers in costumes, animatronics, and computer-generated imagery...
. Jonze contacted the animators while he was in France promoting Synecdoche, New York
Synecdoche, New York
Synecdoche, New York is a 2008 American drama film written and directed by Charlie Kaufman, and starring Philip Seymour Hoffman. It was Kaufman's directorial debut.The film premiered in competition at the 61st Annual Cannes Film Festival on May 23, 2008...
and the two met after, with Jonze proposing that they create a film based on some other short story by Sendak. Unfamiliar with Sendak's work, the filmmakers researched his work and settled on Higglety Pigglety Pop! as their choice to adapt.
The film is set in 17 different locations, with a total of 25 scenes
Scene (film)
In TV and movies, a scene is generally thought of as the action in a single location and continuous time. Due to the ability to edit recorded visual works, it is typically much shorter than a stage play scene....
. With just 10 months to create the entire film, the filmmakers could not use stop-motion or any of their traditional animation techniques. They decided instead to primarily make use of puppetry
Puppetry
Puppetry is a form of theatre or performance which involves the manipulation of puppets. It is very ancient, and is believed to have originated 30,000 years BC. Puppetry takes many forms but they all share the process of animating inanimate performing objects...
, combined with some stop-motion.
Meryl Streep, who voiced Jennie, was not yet cast when shooting had begun. Sendak provided Lavis and Szczerbowski with an old recording of Streep reading the book, doing all the voices, and the filmmakers were impressed. They approached her with the part and she agreed.
Lavis and Szczerbowski's previous work Madame Tutli-Putli had received the Genie Award for Best Animated Short
Genie Award for Best Animated Short
The Genie Award for Best Animated Short is awarded by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television to the best Canadian animated short film.-7th Genie Awards:* Michael Scott, Richard Condie, The Big Snit* Ishu Patel, Paradise/Paradis...
and been nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Short.