WE know that comedy branches out in many directions, and one of the most classic forms of it – whether you prefer the delivery to be clean or a little unruly – is of course, slapstick humour.
Sharing with The Vibes Culture & Lifestyle on the appeal of this style of comedy is none other than the director of Disney+ original animated series ‘Chip 'n' Dale: Park Life’, Jean Cayrol.
Cayrol is also known for being the co-creator of ‘Oggy Oggy’, an animated preschool series based on the global hit franchise ‘Oggy and the Cockroaches’.
During a media roundtable, he shares more about his latest project…
The Vibes: How different is ‘Chip ‘n’ Dale: Park Life’ compared to the original version that we know?
Jean Cayrol: You can say that it is loosely based on the 40s/50s cartoon, but I must be clear that it is not a remake. It’s a brand-new show entirely. I specifically did not try to step on the animation style of the originals or tie it to the Mickey Mouse shorts. No doubt, they were very well made but for this show we wanted to have its own flavour, by bringing it to the 21st century.
It’s scary because you deal with characters everyone loves, but equally exciting to be given the opportunity in creating a new series that explores Chip and Dale’s friendship.
TV: What were the considerations behind pushing for a slapstick approach for your new show? Was Disney open to present iconic characters such as Chip and Dale, which viewers have known for decades, in a fresh way?
JC: Disney was really supportive throughout the process, and they gave us the freedom we needed in the design and storytelling of ‘Chip n Dale: Park Life’.
One of the reasons the show was created is because they wanted it to be done in a new approach so there were no lines drawn in a sense that we should not cross.
Hence, we were able to use slapstick elements as much as we wanted to because they [Disney] kept pushing us further into the direction.
TV: Some of the animation ideas we see in the skits of the episodes are very over the top. Can you share more about the creative process?
JC: On the visual element, since it is a non-verbal comedy, the drawing/doodling was part of the process in the early stages.
So, when we started brainstorming in the writing room, the visual ideas were formed concurrently together with the writing.
Writers and storyboard artists fed each other constantly where the bouncing of ideas was organic. There was definitely a lot of team effort that took place.
As a story boarder myself, I find the exchange to be pleasant, and better than being put alone in a corner to work on the project in silo.
TV: How challenging was it trying to animate comedy?
JC: I would not say that one a different genre is easier but for comedy to work, it all goes back to the storytelling, and this is often the hardest part.
For the team behind the show, we just draw and test, and the way we test the jokes is by showing them to people – we test it out in our meetings and if the room loves it, then we know it would work with our audience.
In this process, you may think that you have the best idea but that is not necessarily always the case. You have to be ready to cut some ideas that you like.
TV: Viewing interest has evolved in the years. Do you think ‘Chip n Dale: Park Life’ is able to deliver what audiences want today?
JC: From the very beginning, we wanted to do a show so that the whole family can enjoy – something that appeals across ages.
To do that, there were two major components we focused our efforts on: i) Creating two relatable characters, where even adults can relate with through the domestic issues these characters face, and of course the ii) slapstick skits where the younger audience is able to respond well regardless of language.
In this version of Chip ‘n’ Dale, we try to develop the dynamic of the duo early on where if you watch the show, the characters do act like humans sometimes. I wanted viewers to connect with Chip and Dale on an emotional level even if they are just chipmunks.
TV: Can you explain more about what you mean by domestic issues?
JC: When we worked on creating the dynamic of the duo, we really explored the ideas of how they live together and what it means for the relationship they have.
I mean, when you share a space with someone (whether it’s with a partner, a friend or whoever), you sometimes come across domestic issues regardless of how silly or serious it can be. For instance, what to eat, do, communicate etc.
For ‘Chip ‘n’ Dale: Park Life’, even if the circumstances are ‘cartoony’, the emotional aspect is what I believe can appeal to the audience. – The Vibes, August 14, 2021
*Catch weekly new episodes of ‘Chip ‘n’ Dale: Park Life’, now streaming on Disney+ Hotstar.
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