Welcome director Kirk DeMicco for the new animated film Vivo. We chat about balancing visuals and music in a musical film, life regrets, cookies, and career trajectories. 

More about Vivo:

Vivo follows a one-of-kind kinkajou (aka a rainforest “honey bear,” voiced by Miranda), who spends his days playing music to the crowds in a lively Havana square with his beloved owner Andrés (Buena Vista Social Club’s Juan de Marcos). Though they may not speak the same language, Vivo and Andrés are the perfect duo through their common love of music. But when tragedy strikes shortly after Andrés receives a letter from the famous Marta Sandoval (three-time Grammy-winning Latin pop legend Gloria Estefan), inviting her old partner to her farewell concert in Miami with the hope of reconnecting, it’s up to Vivo to deliver a message that Andrés never could: A love letter to Marta, written long ago, in the form of a song. Yet in order to get to the distant shores of Miami, Vivo will need to accept the help of Gabi (newcomer Ynairaly Simo) – an energetic tween who bounces to the beat of her own offbeat drum.

More about Kirk:

In 2017, Kirk was a creative consultant on Sony Pictures Animation’s “The Star.” Prior to joining Sony Pictures Animation, Kirk wrote and co-directed DreamWorks Animation’s “The Croods,” which was nominated for the 2013 Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. He made his directorial debut in 2008 with VanGuard Animation’s “Space Chimps,” which he also wrote. In addition to many writing credits in both TV and film, Kirk has been fortunate enough to adapt the work of many of his writing heroes such as: Roald Dahl, Jack Kirby and Elmore Leonard, and had the great opportunity to co-write two scripts with comedy legend John Cleese. Kirk was born and raised in Wyckoff, New Jersey and attended University of Southern California where he graduated in 1991 with a degree in economics and political science. He then spent three years in Italy as a journalist for an Italian film-business magazine before moving back to the United States to work for the William Morris Agency in New York City and Los Angeles.

Find us at www.werewatchingwhat.com