[Interview Exclusive] Tom CJ Brown Discusses His New Film ‘Christopher At Sea’ And The Time And Effort That Went Into Getting It Made

Christopher At Sea is an erotic and operatic drama that tells the story of Christopher, who embarks as a passenger onboard a cargo ship. While experiencing the doldrums of life at sea, Christopher begins to question not only his sexuality, but his entire existence as fantasy blurs with his reality. Christopher At Sea premiered at the Venice Film Festival in September.

Writer and director Tom CJ Brown sat down to discuss his personal connection to the film and its main character, the dedication it took to completing the film, and the message that he hopes viewers of the film take home.

Matthew Swigonski: The art style in Christopher At Sea is incredible. Can you talk about the production timeline and how the visual of the film came together?

Tom Brown: The full timeline of the film took 7 years. The first 3 or 4 years I spent writing the script and raising the money. And then there were 3 years of production, the first year being me just doing the storyboard. And for that I booked myself onto a cargo ship. I knew I wanted an element of realism for the film that I wouldn’t be able to get by just Googling images of a cargo ship. I kinda used this 21 day stretch [aboard the cargo ship] to take reference photos and I also, I was still writing the story so I could add a little bit of that realism to what life is really like on board.

MS: Can you talk more about how that life on board the cargo ship helped develop the aesthetic of the film?

TB: From the pictures I took for reference I mapped out locations, and even when I was on board I would look at a room and figure out shots. And then I took those pictures into CG [Computer Generated] to help with the storyboarding and find those shots. I think the sweater may have been the reason why it took a year of the schedule and many, many dollars over budget [laughs] because I wanted the sweater to be very flowing and give a sense of the air on the ship. So every single drawing of that sweater is kind of different. And that comes from my illustration style where I use a lot of the curves and fabric to give a sense of richness to it. We kinda took that illustration style and that was the inspiration for the lineup. And the rest of it we really wanted a painterly style of animation so we used TVPaint. And that animation took 2 years.

MS: Did you ever have any doubts over the 7 year production that the whole thing would come together?

TB: [laughs] Everyday, mate. I think one of the biggest problems was getting the money. And when we finished the animation residency and we hadn’t even finished the tiedown phase I was like “Oh my God, what are we going to do? I think it was just the sheer amount of work. It was quite demanding on the crew, I think.

MS: Christopher At Sea tells a very self contained story, yet the world you built inside this short still feels massive beyond what we see. Can you help us dive more into the mind of Christopher? What he’s thinking?

TB: Sure. In this story I really wanted to write a kind of love story because I’d watch a lot of animation and the way that romance is kind of portrayed in animation is a very kinda white straight male ideal of what romance should be of just seeing someone you like and pursuing them. And that person not having agency as to what happens. So I was inspired to write a kind of love story that I had experienced with love and desire. Setting those wheels into motion, the story took on a bigger element of my coming out experience. The kind of questioning of what those feelings are and why you have those desires. Really it’s about Christopher finding his truth and he does that through these strange fantasies and him acting out of them in a mostly one-sided way. That fantasy scene I think, is really important because that moment where Christopher can indulge in his desires but he still doesn’t indulge in his desire with someone.

MS: What is one takeaway you wish for anyone that sees this film?

TB: Even though the dual ending of the narrative could be seen as tragic, what I really want to do is leave people with a sense of hope. The message that I’m trying to get to people is that to be happy, you have to live your truth, you know?

MS: Do you have a larger goal in mind for the distribution of the film? Do you have a dream for it?

TB: My dream for it was always to premier at Venice. So we’ve done that already [laughs] but that was kind of my goal that we were aiming for. Looking to the future, this is the introductory piece to the character of Christopher. At the moment I’m developing a feature length sequel. Christopher At Sea is about Christopher finding his truth, the feature film is about him living it. I’m really excited about that.

MS: So if Christopher At Sea took 7 years to make, I hope the feature length sequel doesn’t take 28 years.

TB: [laughs] Well I’m going to make it in Unreal Engine, so I’m going to work with motion capture, to capture the performances live with dancers and actors. So I feel it will take a little less time.

MS: What are your thoughts about animation as a way to tell your stories? Do you feel like you are able to get away with more artistic liberties as opposed to a live action production?

TB: The great thing about animation is that you can do anything, you know? So there are scenes in the film, particularly the fantasy sequences, that kind of elevate us out of this live action trope of animation that depicts more of this everyday life. Even though in live action you can find a way to create those fantasy sequences, by using animation and illustration, you can really push those boundaries of Christopher walking that line of fantasy and distortion, to really get that sense across. That was something I was really excited to expand on within the film. Animation gives you an amazing freedom to create images from your own imagination and put them on the screen in a way that the physical world would never be able to replicate.

MS: Do you feel like your work in advertising has helped hone your ability as a filmmaker?

TB: Yeah, I think for sure it has because everyday I am refining my skills in storytelling, like in the way I can use art and animation. And I also think it’s given me such a sure hand in working with a team in expressing how I want something done. Even when I’m making a commercial about something I wouldn’t be particularly interested in, I’ve always tried to find a way of experimenting with ideas within that construct. And I’ve definitely brought in those ideas while working on this film.

MS: You worked with Richard E. Grant on Teeth, how was that experience?

TB: What a glorious man! He was so amazing at his job. Honestly, he did 2 readthroughs and we were like “damn, I think we got it!” because he’s so good and so charming. We just had a lot of fun with him, trying things that were a little more dramatic with reads for different lines. I’ve always been a big fan of his. I think at least 40 percent of my persona is based on Withnail and I. So working with him was like a big dream. I didn’t think we’d be able to get him, but all you have to do is ask. Sometimes people say yes.

MS: It’s amazing how some actors are able to convey such emotion with just their voice. Can you talk about the voice actors for Christopher At Sea?

TB: Christopher is played by Jocelyn Si. I found him actually through reading The Gay Times, a UK LGBTQ+ publication. I saw an interview with him and he had this sweet and bashful demeanor. He was kind of exactly the sort of person I wanted for Christopher. His performance was soft and delicate. It was really fun working with him. Andrew Isar, we found him through a casting agency because we were specifically looking for a French, black, queer actor who could sing. He has such a nice, deep and sexy voice that he was perfect for [the role of Valentin]

MS: The musical score plays a big part in the film, can you talk about that?

TB: The music in the film uses Schubert’s song cycle “Die schöne Müllerin” and the reason why I gravitated towards that piece of music was because of the final song [in the cycle]. That is a song that even though the melody is kind of morose…it was a hopeful and loving song that was meant to raise the audience out of the misery of the situation and into a place of hope.

MS: What are some of your favorite animated shorts?

TB: Achilles by Barry Purves was the film that set me off into the world of animation and wanting to be an animator. I think when I saw it I should have realized I was gay [laughs] but instead I thought “oh I want to be an animator!” I also loved the films by Joanna Quinn, she was a big inspiration to me as a student and she’s kind of my animation mother/mentor now. I have big respect for her.

MS: Do you want Christopher At Sea to be known as a great LBGTQ+ film, or just simply as a great film?

TB: Obviously I’d love it to be enjoyed by my community. Really, I just made this film for me so I don’t really mind so much what happens. Although I didn’t necessarily make this film for a straight audience, a lot of themes in the film are universal, so I do think it has a broader appeal than just the LGBTQ+ community. But I’d be very happy if it became an LGBTQ+ champion film.