What could be improved for you?

I'd like to see a more user friendly version of ScreamerNet, I had lots of problems on a recent job trying to set it up. We got there eventually but it seems a bit difficult to set up.

What spec machine(s) are you using it on at the moment?

I use a 2.8GHz Pentium with 512 megs of ram. I'm going to be updating this soon.

Are there any plug-ins you wouldn't be without?

FPrime, fi's wrinkle.

In your opinion, should LightWave 3D stay separated or become integrated?

Separated. I prefer to have the option of switching between animation and modelling menus. I think if it was integrated then it would turn into a lot of other apps which have millions of buttons and are frustrating to use.

What made you decide to make your own short film?

I studied animation and was always interested in film making. I saw Paul Berry's "The Sandman" and Tim Burton's "Nightmare Before Christmas" and was interested in the style and look of the films. I've made a few other films... most of which I gave up on in the early stages. At that time I had just started using 3D so needed more time to learn LightWave before I could make the film.

What was the inspiration?

I'd been playing around with the idea of a fable/fairytale story for a while, as I liked the dark qualities in them. It was originally called "The hob goblin". I took my main inspiration from films that had the same feel I was trying to convey, like Labyrinth, The Twilight Zone and The Nightmare Before Christmas. I'm a big fan of Tim Burton's work, the lighting and set design especially, I think that comes across in the film. I prefer more stylised approaches, as these stretch the boundaries more.

Which is your favourite Tim Burton film?

I like most of his work but I would say it would be between Edward ScissorHands and Sleepy Hollow. Again the visual style is superb, and there's one shot in Sleepy Hollow where the smoke drifts towards two torches, like two outstretched hands, and puts them out that I particularly like.

In some of the early tests for The Little Thief I was playing with the idea of having it set on a foggy day, but decided it would benefit from a darker look giving the lighting more contrast. I'm eagerly awaiting the release of the new Willy Wonka film - I think it's a perfect story for Tim Burton to direct.

How long has the "Little Thief" project taken?

It was completed between jobs, evenings and weekends. I had tried to get funding so I could put more time into it, but sometimes I think it's easier to just make it yourself. It was a hard slog but all the main work, from concept to final renders, took about 18 months.