Caleb Deschanel, a veteran of Hollywood’s visual storytelling, has witnessed a broad spectrum of film history. His résumé includes cinematography on The Passion of the Christ and The Patriot, contributions to iconic sequences in The Godfather and Titanic, and even directing a handful of Twin Peaks episodes. Yet nothing in his extensive career could fully brace him for his inaugural stop‑motion assignment: serving as director of photography on Wildwood, the newest feature from Laika, the studio behind Coraline.
Deschanel entered the project aware that stop‑motion demands patience and meticulous effort, but the scale of the undertaking surprised him. “When I started I thought it was one thing, and then I quickly found out that it was another thing,” he said, reflecting on the sheer volume of work required to bring the animated world to life.