Framestore's Ben West Discusses His OtherHalf

Ben West is a creative director at Framestore but also an an animator, writer, architect and, most importantly for this particular story, a director. 

West [pictured below] has previously shot two short films, Freaks and Fugu & Tako, both of which followed unsual stories with unusual characters. Now he's just released his latest short, called OtherHalf [featured above], and below he talks to shots.net about what compels him to wear so many creative hats, where the idea for a man split in two came from, and why it's a boon that his real other half is a casting director.

Where did the idea for OtherHalf originate?

I have no idea where these thoughts come from. I would need a therapist to figure it out. I’m attracted to strange. I like stories about the human condition. I guess it’s a mashup of those two things. 

My previous film, Fugu & Tako, involved a character who felt he wasn’t getting enough attention then his head transformed into a pufferfish. I take a very human inner conflict and manifest it as something you can’t ignore. 

I have lots of ideas, some good, some bad. I just wait for something to stick. The idea of a man literally torn in two because one part wants to sit on the couch while the other goes jogging seemed like a good idea at the time.

What was the process of getting it made in terms of financing?

OtherHalf was self-funded… well sort of. I joined Framestore after making Fugu & Tako [trailer below] with the goal of creating great films with visual effects. Framestore was looking for directors and shared that same vision. 

People often get the wrong idea about visual effects, they assume it’s a bunch of geeks twiddling their thumbs. It is that, but these same geeks are the storytellers of the future and Framestore gets it. I pitched the idea for Otherhalf to the powers that be and we decided to roll the dice. 

How difficult was it to find the right cast for the film?

When you make a film a you have to be married to it. Fortunately my wife, Wendy Green, is a casting director, she also produced OtherHalf and Fugu & Tako so I’m very spoilt as a director.

We usually clash over who should be cast for the roles. We go round and round and round and in the end she’s always right. On this one it was easy, Eric Normington was our first choice. He brought an authentic performance that created a reality to the absurdness of a dude split in two.

The tough part was casting the legs, we were looking for an actor who could communicate emotional cues without a body, that’s when Josh Bednarsky stepped in. He really made a character out of the legs. It’s an amazing performance, those dancing scenes are permenantly burned into my brain.

This and your previous films all have high-end VFX involved; are you particularly interested in stories which demand VFX?

I like films that take you somewhere you never imagined. Visual effects allows you to do that. It gives you the freedom to push the envelope. Nothing is impossible in storytelling. The limits are your imagination. 

You’ve directed short films before but your main role is as a CD at Framestore; how do you balance the two roles?

The future of visual effects lies with hybrid fillmakers, people capable of working with actors, understanding story and an instinctive knowledge of the tools that bring it together. It’s no longer a choice to be multidisciplined, it’s simply what it takes to make the best content.

At Framestore, that’s my focus, I’m commited to storytelling. I’ve directed Super Bowl commercials, films, I’m an animator, creative director, writer, and an architect. It’s critical to my creative process to have a rounded experience. Working with Framestore allows me to be selective and focus on content I’m interested in.

Tell us about your directing career, how did it start?

I started my career as an animator, went to film school, got a masters in directing then onto commercials with @radicalmedia. I’ve directed lots of commercials, second unit directed features and VFX-supervised television series. The great thing shorts allows you to do is find your audience. With [debut short] Freaks [below], Fugu & Tako and OtherHalf I think I’ve done that. The next step is the feature film.

Is directing something that has always interested you?

I’ve always had a fertile imagination. If I wasn’t a director I’d probably be in the nuthouse.

What was the most difficult part of working on OtherHalf?

The biggest challenge was trying not to laugh on set. The sight of the body walking around with a chair for a skirt and the legs in a green gimp suit made that very, very difficult.

What are you working on next?

My next project is a feature film based on my short, Freaks.