All Access: Dean DeBlois & John Powell

[@KowalskiyOW2]

20:44 is john powell's score in a nutshell

[@sofi1518]

How to train your Dragon resonated emotially with me like no other animation movie ever has. It had me feeling nostalgia, sadness, the inevitability that there is no going back to your childhood, and there is only moving forward. As Dean and John said, it's about loss and gaining something. This interview, particularly with Dean, left me with the impression that the studios don't/didn't truly grasp what makes this trilogy so unique. It closed the arc perfectly, it was dark at times but never hopeless - that's what made it work! And I wish other people would realize this and appreciate these movies like they deserve.

[@felipepiffero9598]

yes!

[@Massivecarcrash]

This channel is a goldmine. To the point about leaving room for the music. I dont think there's a more prolific example than Sergio Leone, who wrote almost half his scenes to be carried by music, sound design or the cinematography. He even had the music to his last film, Once Upon A Time played on set while filming so the actors could move accordingly. That's a man who had all his films done in his head before he ever shot a scene. That's one of the things I miss in major studio films these days. Moments when the film allows you to breathe a little, to take it all in.

[@christianfortner]

I got so excited when I found out John was using the Eric Whitacre Singers for the 3rd film. Knew the choral spots were going to be amazing. I wasn’t wrong!

[@Jugem16]

Wonderfully informative, but it's a bit disappointing to see Dean downplay his own movies when he does. The coda of Dragon 3 as being made to cater to the family audience? Why? It was a wonderful, wholesome moment and the ending would've felt dry without it. It wasn't the goodbye, nor the dragons leaving, nor the wedding that got to me. It was that brief reunion that tied it all together. That bit of closure was essential to the film. It wasn't sweet at all, rather it gave texture to the bitterness. Dragon 3's maturity lay in its thematic content and the internal conflict of the characters, as opposed to anything external. It was an emotional story more so than a spectacle, and the imagery within the film reinforced that. There's a lot unstated that was missed by the passive audience member, and it's purely a fault of their own for treating animation as something below them. A wise takeaway from John is that the best piece of art is the one you can interpret in various ways. Dragon 3 is the most interpretable of the 3, and that makes it truly engaging and mature. The PG rating kept it grounded. As painful as it would have been to work through a "limitation" like this, it allowed the film to ring purely. Was Spielberg wrong in his feedback, Dean? It sucks how the higher-ups cornered the project after Dragon 2. That film was not a creative disappointment in the slightest. Thankfully, Dragon 3 came out fine.

[@nyr0r0saurus]

I largely feel the same way. It's so interesting to see Dean's perspective on the films (you can tell he's not over the original Valka-as-the-villain version of the second film, which I can sympathize with). But however he feels about the reunion at the end of The Hidden World, I thought it was a perfect ending which made me more emotional than the scene when the dragons left. It provides real closure, and doesn't feel pandering at all. I don't think the third film is perfect, and it could have benefited from going a bit darker. But I agree with you that the film leaves a lot of space for interpretation. A lot of people have judged it harshly because they haven't approached it with an open mind. You can absolutely tell how much Dean, John, and the rest of the team poured their hearts into it. This is such a great interview.

[@leeward5907]

I want John's t-shirt.

[@noahdtaylormusic]

Best video yet. Thanks for interviewing both John and Dean.

[@christshandmaiden]

I boohooed like somebody died in HTTYD3. lol my heart and eyes were drowning

[@ev_green_]

22:22 "Don't score what you can see "

[@LawrenceWhitehead]

Thanks so much for this, Kaya! I love all your interviews, but the episodes with John are particularly enlightening and entertaining. It’s amazing that you were able to set up this unique interview: Congratulations! There are so many incredible insights! I’m glad you captured Dean’s confession at 1:14:57 for us all to enjoy - it’s priceless to see John’s reaction. I eagerly await their next collaboration.

[@jakobolofsson7780]

49:13,glasses are refilled😂

[@theamazingworldofjaeden6837]

I finnaly have seen the men who carved theyrr way into my heart with theyre creativity , music and movie . Fucking jesus I live httyd

[@natanelarnson]

Love seeing the behind the scenes thought to different parts of the films.

[@radugrosu9445]

9:57 looks like dean is ready to give jhon a smack XD

[@alexanderdelacruz9249]

😂😂I know

[@civilowl965]

Thank you for the interview. How to train your dragon 3 score had a bizarrely profound effect on me that I wasn't expecting at all. I wouldn't say I'm a "fan" of the franchise. I thought the first film was all right and really enjoyed the second. I'd had the same experience with Kung Fu Panda. Okay first one, great second one, and then, in my opinion, a very dull effort for the third one with a crass message. So I was curious to see if the third one here would be able to finish off on a high. I listened to the suite and found it okay but wasn't really feeling it. I saw some vague bits about the film and felt my interest drop a little: a vibe of "needs to be with his own kind", a love interest. Often tastelessly done concepts. Then, I listened to the score proper, and was blown away. I found myself spending an hour enveloped by music with genuine melancholy, genuine romance, genuine fun, and imagining the amazing story that would accompany it. The destiny/goodbye theme in particular I found so heart-wrenching and sad, I cried the first time I heard it. I have no idea why it resonated so much. It gets very little mention in the comments on these places. But the second I heard it I became completely invested in the story. The sense of inevitability. Knowing that it's the final adventure. Swept away by a romance that I was cynical of. Towards the end, nostalgic for a concept I have no real nostalgia for. I haven't seen the actual film, and I don't think I ever will. Dean's comments about not wanting to wreck an experience I can certainly relate to. I think it would destroy the version in my head. It is, by itself, great storytelling. Finally, like many people watching these kinds of things, I enjoy writing music in my spare time. I enjoy writing both stories and the music, the themes, to accompany them with two friends of mine - a rather silly pursuit. No grand notions it will ever lead anywhere. I found the score very inspiring from a creative point of view. A hackneyed sentiment, but it's not because I have any desire to write like John Powell, but I would love to be able to write something that told a story that well. I'd be very proud of that. Unrelated: Lilo and Stitch is a piece of art. Packs so much into 85 minutes. It's a shame that animation sometimes feels like the last refuge of earnest emotion.

[@ToreGThomassen]

Fantastic interview! Wow 😊

[@Sarah-ov1rb]

I guess to step away from the realism and tragic reality Toothless faced and add a thought regarding the overall film.... I am so thrilled that Toothless was able to find somebody and that he and the dragons have a beautiful place to go to when needed for their safety and enjoyment. He deserves the absolute best in this world! 🥰 That being said, this film's very odd and out of character theme also teaches some extremely poor, disheartening, and blatantly unrealistic messages. Just remember that in real life, important things can in fact last especially if you put in the effort should there be difficulties. Surviving and withstanding so much isn't an indicator that you should give up, but a testament of how adaptable you can become and what can or should be done to prevent, avoid, or rectify the inevitable strife and complications of the future. Sacrificing unconditional love is not required to prove or show that you have grown or strengthened as an individual. Understanding consequences, especially ones that impact others, should guide you and be a large part of what determines your actions. (in this case RIP Toothless) Finally, real life isn't about being forced into making "one or the other/all or nothing" types of choices just to show your strengths and to prove yourself. It is instead about finding a healthy balance for everyone involved. These 4 thematic elements are all true signs of coming of age. It would have been incredible to see our heroes further explore and demonstrate these concepts as character integrity should absolutely be developed but always still preserved. Living your life with these ideals is how you ultimately demonstrate that you are promoting, nuturing, and have acquired resolution, creativity, resourcefulness, maturity, compassion, and love. If you need some actual closure and a practical resolution for this story and its characters, go to the ultimate tier of canon, the books. Most notably, have a look at the ending/epilogogue of the 12th and final book of the series. The books are much more similar to the films than people give them credit for especially in the moments when it really counts. Dean just cherry picked one sentence from the book and tried to force the entire set of established developing characters and film to meet that instead of drawing from everything the books had to offer, which was such a shame/lost potential for this final film. The ending is essentially the same in the books but Toothless does not die and the character integrity, story arcs, and real life themes/ messages for the readers are so much more realistic, true to the story's resounding form, and satisfying yet empowering.

[@ishalakbar4294]

this interviewer is amazing

[@Ultrasonix3]

WHY DOES JOHN LOOK YOUNGER NOW THAN 10 YEARS AGO???

[@alexanderdelacruz9249]

Money......

[@coloneluseless524]

He lost weight and grew his hair out.

[@Laurikoivisto]

great concept Kaya!

[@ev_green_]

17:30 lol

[@micsten3622]

Dean seblois seems like gobber!

[@dafingaz]

Great!

[@Sarah-ov1rb]

Such a fun interview. John is hysterical and a joy to work with. That being said, shit is about to get real so please bear with me and hopefully, some of these objective points will resonate with you... THIS is the actual mature ending Dean left us with. He just didn't have the ability nor courage to share given the "target audience" and films are ultimately, a numbers/ money game. Also, for context, working with, caring for, breeding, and training domesticated, tamed but non domesticated (Toothless is in this category PLUS he is sapient) and untamed non domesticated (competely wildl) species is what I do professionally. We do a lot of rehabilitation and release programs and Toothless would absolutely not be a candidate for release due to him having a fatal handicap if it is not managed/mitigated through some degree of supervision and midigation. A downed dragon truly is a dead dragon. Born Free and Christian the Lion are entirely different situations that are incomparable to Toothless and his situation. Those forced comparisons Dean keeps trying to use is so jarring and inaccurate from a professional standpoint. Regarding the night lights and "thriving"... Due to prezygotic and postzygotic mechanisms, the hybridization with Toothless and another species/subspecies, the Light Fury, has no long term viability. Within likely 3 generations, that line from Toothless will have competely died out and will be sterile/unable to procreate. The only remaining option is incest which is yet another postzygotic mechanism that ensures the death of that line. It was so strange and out of character to see Toothless just laying exposed with his family, risking himself, his family, the hidden world, and everything sacrificed for the sake of it. Then for him to just fly up to an unfamiliar ship, slowly walk up to a human he "had forgotten" according to Dean, and then just stand up exposing his chest and underbelly to potential attack as he then decided to sniff when he could have done that from the safety of flight? That's a fantastic way to get yourself killed in front of your family you are supposedly meant to defend. When he is with Hiccup, I swear they share a brain cell sometimes, haha. The lack of character integrity actually has a lot of fans not considering The Hidden World canon. I'm actually thankful it is NOT called How to Train Your Dragon 3 as it further separates from the previous two and Gift of the Night Fury. Also, we thankfully have the books, like Game of Thrones, to take solace in given the jarring shallow ending compared to what was provided and developed beforehand with our story and characters. With that out of the way, here we go.... Dean confirms in an interview that Hiccup, as well as his kids, are never "meant to" go back for Toothless after the meeting on the boat. I can attach the exact quote from Dean in a reply if needed. (Because the film was already made at that point and his comment is not backed/supported by the film, some people consider this comment as not true/mere head canon like any other fan. Some also note semantics and Dean's word choice of "meant to" twice in a row, which strongly indicates his lack of commitment to his comment and so it didn't actually happen. However, some people give film directors/ creators word of god status and disregard linguistics, and so from this position, this comment is to be taken as full canon) That being the case, the very intricate, hand-made, and viking age prosthetic tail Toothless relies on to survive will inevitably fall into disrepair and fail as it requires some amount of maintenance. It has required upkeep for the entire franchise and was a core part of Toothless's character and how he and Hiccup interacted and developed as a team but also as individual characters working and growing alone and being creative/ innovative when separated. Metal that will rust, leather that warps, biodegradable saliva/scale coating, mere canvas, and many tiny hand-made moving parts all do not handle exposure and wear very well. There's also chaffing, strap adjustment, infection, and necrosis/septicemia that all become serious realistic concerns as well. Lasting for 10 years was a ridiculous stretch but this is an animated film about dragons after all so we can give a slight pass. That grace period absolutely has an end point though. The impending disfunction of the tail will ultimately ground Toothless, leading to his premature miserable death as he'd be crippled/ severely handicapped while out in the wild. He'd lose his position as alpha so no other dragons would be committed nor obligated to listen to nor care for him. As a final departing and truly selfless command as the alpha, and also as a chance to redeem himself given his deplorable decisions and leadership skills in the final film, Toothless would have likely forbid any dragon from getting a human to help him as his life is not worth jeopardizing the secret of the hidden world and the lives of all of the dragons within. The Light Fury would also eventually leave him for a viable mate after caring for him was no longer practical nor sustainable. It would only be a matter of time before Toothless succumbs to dehydration, starvation, predation, infection, exposure etc etc Nature is a cruel mistress and affords no creature a humane comfortable death. Also, there are many Light Furies, just no more Night Furies (albeit a single person wiping them out is a lazy reason and extremely unrealistic), and so finding another mate/ the continuation of the Light Fury species is no problem. Sorry this is dark but I work will domesticated and non domesticated animals for a living and know first hand how these types of situations work. Toothless would not be a candidate for full release given his servere handicap as he would assuredly die without some degree of supervision/intervention. Since Dean states that none of that is afforded to Toothless, his awful and undignified offscreen death is essentially and tragically confirmed. Needless to say, this was a terrible way to handle such a significant and beloved character. I love realism and can absolutely support the realistic and emotionally gripping premise and outcome of Toothless dying if Dean insists (unless he breaks story consistency/character integrity yet again and says the tail is suddenly magically indestructible. Plus, what a disrespectful/insensitive slap in the face to disabled people if he now chooses to competely disregard and refuses to acknowledge and accept Toothless's very real/relatable and serious handicap/disability) but good gods, not like this! This type of offscreen death is so unmeaningful and such a wasted opportunity to do something significant and beautiful with this character and the culmination of his story arc. Even in death, Toothless deserved better. Yeah yeah, I know, it's just a cartoon, you have too much time on your hands etc etc To that I say: Passion does not have an age nor time limit.

[@AJ-wg4rz]

loved this comment. you're so right. as a disabled person, the ending of THW is something i choose to separate from the rest of this beloved story, which you said, is at its core, a story about collaboration, teamwork, and hiccup and toothless' connection through a shared disability.

[@Sarah-ov1rb]

@AJ-wg4rz lovely and thank you so much. I'm glad this core premise resonates with you and that you can also empathetically connect with as well as relate to this story and its message in regards to having a disability.

[@emilemerten6535]

Did Dean just call John unable to write higher music? 30:25

[@matthewballon7553]

thinking about pg 13 animated films, how exactly are they gonna pull that off in the future, it's pretty frustrating to think about when there's gonna be parents and kids out there complaining about some violence, language and scary images.

[@Sarah-ov1rb]

I would LOVE a PG13 version. If you go rated R, you end up with Game of Thrones. 🤣

[@doomboogie315]

Oh, we're getting spoiled and I'm not talking about HTTYD

[@alexanderdelacruz9249]

Poor John, he needs rest 😂

[@travisanderson8102]

The substance and content that these two men deliver is phenomenal. John Powell is a God. But whoever is doing the interviewing, STOP TALKING! I appreciate everything you’re doing, but when a subject answers a question, your job is to listen until they stop. Otherwise, great job 😉

[@jokergames8376]

Is there how to train your bragon 4

[@leahtheanimationfan40]

No. The plan was to make a trilogy and they made an AMAZING trilogy. But there are TV Specials and Shorts, and a GREAT TV series that I highly recommend

[@jokergames8376]

@@leahtheanimationfan40 I watched it all

[@Sarah-ov1rb]

Time and money have a way of bringing things back. Dean does not own HTTYD so creating another one is not his decision. Klatz wanted a 4th and so if it is a lucrative proposition, it can happen. Jay, the voice actor for Hiccup, even stated he would return if another film is created. The final film had so many breaches of character, retcons, and plot holes/dropped story arcs that there is a lot of room to amend those issues and create another film.

[@unchangingfranklin1923]

How to train your dragon 4 !

[@bertybertface1914]

Nah, they should create a new IP and build that. Learn to let go.

[@lindawoozworld6177]

Berty Bertface and you learn to watch out with peoples feelings ;)

[@Sarah-ov1rb]

Time and money have a way of bringing things back. Dean does not own HTTYD so creating another one is not his decision. Klatz wanted a 4th and so if it is a lucrative proposition, it can happen. Jay, the voice actor for Hiccup, even stated he would return if another film is created. The final film had so many breaches of character, retcons, and plot holes/dropped story arcs that there is a lot of room to amend those issues and create another film.