Hailing from Adelaide in Australia, Tom Goodall is a multi-faceted filmmaker whose work has been brought to life on the big screen in blockbuster movies such as Disney’s Christopher Robin and Lady and the Tramp.
In an exclusive interview, Flickering Myth sat down with Tom Goodall to reflect on his work and involvement on such a prolific and life changing production.
Hi Tom, welcome to Flickering Myth! What got you into filmmaking and made you realize that it was your chosen path?
Hi there. It all started in Grade 5, when my class was split into groups for one week to make movies of our choice. It was the first time I’d ever handled a video camera. I had my group make a movie about school bullies who got their comeuppance from an overzealous teacher, which received critical acclaim from my discerning peers. From that week onwards, I would periodically gather friends together with a handycam to make whatever silly videos popped into our heads. It had always just felt like a fun hobby, never a career path. When I left high school, I had started a teaching degree (a passion I hope to return to one day) but was still making fun home movies with friends on the side. One night, I was up late editing the latest silly video, and I looked down at what I was doing. A switch just flicked in my brain: this, I could do this with my life. It was the simplest, humblest, most insignificant little moment, but it was the moment I started down the path that I’m still on today. I immediately turned all my efforts towards preparing a portfolio and irresistible application to an undergrad film program. I would say “and I never looked back” but that’s far from the truth – now today as my insight is sought by the best storytellers in the business, I often look back at that tiny revelation in my childhood bedroom. It started this entire wonderful journey and thank heavens I wasn’t swayed by distractions like “employability”, “prospects”, or “job security”.
How did you go from Australia to Disney Studios in Burbank, California?
On leaving Australia, I attended USC Film School in L.A. which genuinely changed my life. As the #1 film school in the world, and for good reason, they taught me the true craft of storytelling. Most importantly, it opened the door to an internship at Walt Disney Studios – to me, this was getting the golden ticket to the chocolate factory. That internship became a job working in development and, as years went by, my skills as a filmmaker were noticed by those around me and my input was sought on more and more projects.
That must have felt fantastic. Can you tell us about the movie, how you got involved?
I had previously been an intern with the lead producer, who fortunately saw my filmmaking potential and invited me to join his company and work on this beautiful Disney movie.
The story is of our famous human protagonist, Christopher Robin, who has grown up and grown out of his childhood fantasies, only to have Winnie the Pooh blast back into his life and pull him back to the Hundred Acre Wood.
Winnie the Pooh is such a beloved character and story. What was your role in the movie?
I was hired by the lead producer to work alongside him as the creative and logistical nucleus of the project, working with the writers on the script, with the director on the vision, and being the primary liaison between the movie team and the studio brass. Bringing my filmmaking instincts to bear (pun intended) on this project, my first Disney movie, was an immediate trial by fire in the best way. This project was in a very special position, where it drew from beloved characters and an iconic world but was a wholly original story.
There was an incredible sense of responsibility for everyone in this core team, we knew we were handling something so precious to so many, and that we had to get it right. On a project this massive, when you’re at the centre of the operation, you’re called on to wear many hats (sadly not literally). There are dozens of situations a day that require your input, your approval, or even your emotional support – whatever it takes to keep everyone happy and the machine moving. And because I’m at the nucleus, the quality of work that I do, of advice I give, of suggestions I offer, of decisions I make, directly affects the quality of the finished product.
When you’re entrusted with that, knowing that audiences around the world will have a better or worse experience based on how well you do your job, you cannot help but rise to the occasion. Whether I was in development meetings with the story team, working with writers on script drafts, consulting on the logistics of the physical production, or eventually working with the director on making editing tweaks to the final movie, my north star was always to help the project find a balance between what the audience wanted to see, and what they’d be surprised to see.
Between myself and all the brilliant, talented, experienced creatives who were in the control room of this massive undertaking, the movie we finally released is something we’re all very proud of.
Can you share any fun facts from the set?
The highlight of the project was the irreplaceable element – the voice of Jim Cummings, who voices the great Winnie the Pooh himself, as well as Tigger. Jim has given voice to Pooh for decades, and we all knew that familiar sound was instrumental to the movie’s success. I think the entire team was wowed at how little guidance Jim needed to bring Pooh back to life for the big screen – the wise voice of Pooh seemed to channel through him. He’s been one with the character so long that he made it seem almost effortless, and every single person involved was awed by seeing this legendary character come to life just as we remembered him.
Another fun element was having the real stuffed animals there on set. While VFX would later bring them to life, we had the real toys on set so that VFX artists could see what their CGI versions should look like in reality. While this was a smart technical move, it had an unintended effect – the entire crew, even the actors, all felt a sense of wonder at seeing these iconic characters live in front of us in the Hundred Acre Wood. It put a little magic in the air, which stirred the inner child in everyone and inspired us all. If you get to a point on the set where you’re feeling the story’s magic affecting you before any movie magic has been used, you know you’re tapping into something special.
Has there been one particular moment in your career that you are most proud of?
From working on Disney movies to meeting my heroes, there is a lot I’m proud of, but one simple moment takes the cake, and I think it has to be this one, Christopher Robin. It was the first Disney production I had worked on, and when it was released, I brought some exclusive crew merchandise home to my parents in Australia. My mother still wears her Christopher Robin hoodie and cap every day on her daily walks. I may meet that level of achievement again, but I’ll never beat it.
This is an incredible story. Thank you for sharing it with us. What is the best way to follow you online?
Thank you! You can follow me on Instagram, or find my work at IMDb or tomgoodall.com
Our thanks to Tom Goodall for taking the time for this interview, and to Liz Rodriguez from EMR Media for helping us with the interview.
