Review: ‘Claydream’ is a tragic story about the downfall of a creative studio
Review: ‘Claydream’ is a tragic story about the downfall of a creative studio
by Alex Billington
4 August 2022
Have you ever heard of Will Winton? How many people still know who he is today? Vinton co-founded a stop-motion animation studio based in Portland, Oregon. He created this studio in the early 1970s, known as just “Will Vinton Studios” at the time, and it ended up being a mainstream success – you’ll definitely recognize their work. They are best known for The California Raisins, as well as a few other films including Rip Van Winkle and Dinosaur. They even won an Academy Award in 1975 for an innovative clay film they created (called Closed Mondays). But all that is in the past, and it’s not a story anyone can remember anymore. There isn’t even much information about Will Vinton Studios on Wikipedia. Why? Well, you surely know the other name of the animation studio as it is now known today – Laika. Claydream is a documentary that takes us back through the story of Will Vinton and exactly what happened to him, his success and his downfall. It’s the tragic story of a beautiful creative studio that goes under at the hands of a rich bastard.
Claydream is a documentary film made by Marq Evans and originally premiered at Tribeca Film Festival 2021. The fascinating film tells two stories at once – the unfiltered history of Will Vinton Studios and their creative genius; as well as the story of their downfall after Nike co-founder Phil Knight invested in the company and eventually kicked out Will Vinton, took over everything, and changed the name (leaving ownership to his son, Travis Knight). One of the biggest problems with the documentary is that it seems unsure of what story it is trying to tell. Of course, both stories are intertwined and connected, and you can’t tell one without referencing the other, but after a while it gets so drowned out by Phil Knight’s tragedy that it almost drowns out the glory of their first year. Vinton’s original studio was a brilliant place – everyone who worked there loved working there because they were passionate about creating and innovating and always trying to do something new. It is the ultimate lasting legacy of Will Vinton Studios.
This documentary joins a growing list of documentaries that (re-)establish the legacy of someone who truly deserves recognition but has not received it or has been forgotten over time. Claydreammost of all, confirms Will Winton as the rightful king of claymation / stop-motion animation. It was his creativity and his passion, along with his co-founder and friend Bob Gardiner, that led them to the success they eventually achieved. There are several times in the film where Vinton admits that he started to feel like the next one Walt Disney, and after the success of The California Raisins, the media also went all in to proclaim this. But it seems that a lot of ego and that kind of obsession went a little too far as it kept him from realizing his right potential. His goal should never have been to be the next Disney, but to be something other things, to be a name that people remember for quality and creativity rather than piles of money and overpriced theme parks. By the end of this I became a Vinton fan. And I think he deserves the praise that has been lost over the years.
As a small business owner in the film business, I felt it deep in my bones how terribly depressing and incredibly frustrating the takeover was. Claydream feels almost afraid to even bring the name up”At some point” or discuss Phil Knight because of the wrath this wealthy asshole can bring down on them. But it’s quite evident in the way it portrays him as the evil monster who carelessly stomps over all the magical creations that Vinton and his team built. I will fully admit that before watching this I had no idea that Laika, one of my favorite animation studios still in business today, was created when Knight ousted Vinton from his own studio. I had no idea either not who Vinton was. Before I saw I had heard none of this, and now I am in awe. I am in awe that I never knew this story, never heard it told, and never knew about Vinton. But I am glad this document exists, even if it’s a bit pointless, because it gives everyone a chance to learn the truth about who Vinton was and hear in his own words the story of his studio and his dream of telling stories entirely with clay .
His legacy will live on thanks to Claydream and more and more people will learn about his story. Ultimately, it’s another cautionary tale that demonstrates the dangers of greed and hubris. The truth may be covered up or it may be forgotten, but history can never be changed as long as the stories are recorded for all to hear. The story of Will Vinton and his clay studio deserves to live on. I only want it all Claydream was about those glory days, about all the wonderful things they made from nothing but clay and ingenuity.
Alex’s assessment: 8 out of 10
Follow Alex on Twitter – @firstshowing / Or Letterboxd – @firstshowing