The AFA Podcast Interview: Ricard Cusso and Elise Allen (The Pout Pout Fish)

·22 min·1 clip

Ricard Cusso explains how Mr. Fish has 400 joints in his face to let animators express deep emotions.

This interview episode features Ricard Cusso, director, and Elise Allen, writer, discussing their new animated film *The Pout-Pout Fish*, based on the bestselling children's book. The hosts of the AFA Podcast speak with the creators about their career paths and the adaptation process. Ricard Cusso began in live-action directing in Spain before moving into animation with his first job in Brisbane, Australia. Elise Allen initially pursued acting in Los Angeles before transitioning to writing, with her first animation work coming through The Jim Henson Company. The project came to both creators through the Australian production company Like a Photon. Adapting the short picture book required expanding its core theme of connection and love into a feature-length narrative. The film introduces a new character, Pip, as an energetic foil to the pouting Mr. Fish to create conflict and drive the story. Visually, the team chose a stylized 3D approach, deliberately moving away from the book's 2D illustrations to compete with major studio films. Key visual references included *The Bad Guys* for facial animation, *Luca* for curved mouth shapes, and *The Snail and the Whale* for textured, tactile character design. A significant creative challenge was designing an engaging underwater world without the budget of a major studio, leading them to abandon strict physics for story and comedy. Nick Offerman was cast as the voice of Mr. Fish, a choice the creators describe as perfect casting that brought the character to life. The film's message centers on finding home and personal connection through relationships, a theme explored through three main characters facing the loss of their physical homes. Ricard Cusso reveals that the character rig for Mr. Fish contained approximately 400 joints in the face alone to allow for expressive animation. Both creators express enthusiasm for potential sequels, noting the richly populated undersea world they established offers many avenues for further stories. Currently, Ricard Cusso is taking a break after simultaneously directing this film and *Mission Santa*, a Christmas film. Elise Allen is now developing an independent YouTube puppet show called *The Monty Pickle Show*, connecting back to her early passion for The Muppets. The tone is conversational and informative, focusing on the creative and technical processes behind animated filmmaking. Listeners interested in animation production, adaptation, and family-friendly filmmaking would enjoy this detailed behind-the-scenes look. Those seeking critical analysis or debate about the animation industry might find the episode too focused on a single promotional project.

As heard by us

A grounded craft interview that shows how *The Pout Pout Fish* took shape through expressive design choices.

AFA's interview with Ricard Cusseau and Elise Allen, director and writer of The Pout Pout Fish, stays close to the practical roots of both careers and the film's visual shape.

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Why you'd press play

Hear how The Pout Pout Fish was shaped to emote on screen.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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