^{Credit: Tuna Tartare (Miyu Distribution)}

The year is 3036 A.D., and trash has inherited the Earth. Among the population is Tuna Tartare, an expired can of fish who runs a karaoke bar. That’s the setup for director Lena Greene’s animated short, which has qualified for Oscar consideration. Tuna Tartare finds the titular character reflecting on her past as the world reaches the end of an era with the death of the last human. Cartoon Contender spoke with Greene about writing original music for a “trashy karaoke musical,” making a splash with watercolors, and more!

^{Credit: Lena Greene}

Q: Of all the pieces of trash to make your star character, why an expired can of tuna? 

LE: Tuna salad is one of the most embarrassing things to eat in public. It’s smelly and deeply uncool. My moms would always pack me tuna salad sandwiches for lunch in elementary school, and the bread would get all soggy, but I loved it anyway. Despite its shortcomings, people eat tuna all the time! I realized that was exactly the character I wanted to write about, someone a little embarrassing to love, but deeply lovable nonetheless. What if a can of tuna wanted to be seen, instead of hiding away as a secret snack? Also, the can lent itself really well to Tuna’s leotard/superhero outfit design, with the little can lid acting as a cape. I wanted a leading lady who could really ~pop out!~ of her outfit. 

Q: It’s not surprising that you were a character designer on Smiling Friends Season 3, as the world of Tuna Tartare has a similar visual flair and unpredictable nature. How did your work on that show prepare you to make this film?

LE: I actually worked on Smiling Friends after Tuna Tartare! I got the offer while I was finishing post-production on the film, so the timing worked out perfectly. But yes, I agree that there's a lot of room for play in the character designs of both Tuna Tartare and Smiling Friends. I love characters who are exaggerated, grotesque, and a little ugly, but somehow still lovable. I think that's something both worlds have in common.

Q: What influenced you to tell this story with watercolors?

LE: Even from the earliest scripts and storyboards for Tuna Tartare, I knew I wanted a watercolor-painted nightmare sequence. Something really textured and different from the rest of the film, which was primarily animated in Adobe Animate and Photoshop. I love the look of watercolor, and I felt like it would best encapsulate how Tuna feels like her life is melting away before her eyes. She’s washed up! The nightmare watercolor scene used 100 watercolor paintings. They were painted over a week with the help of my friends and my fiancé’s family.

^{Credit: Tuna Tartare (Miyu Distribution)}

Q: The film is billed as a “trashy karaoke musical,” although the songs are original. What was it like collaborating with talents like Laurence Olivier Award winner Lesli Margherita, Alex Parrish, and Henry Kaye?

LE: So that was a huge debate when my best friend and co-writer Alessandra Clark and I were writing the scripts. Karaoke is a form of recycling, turning an existing song into something new, which we loved. However, early on in the scriptwriting process, we learned how challenging and expensive it would be to get the rights to any of the songs we wanted to use. It was basically impossible for a low-budget indie short. However, what started as a roadblock turned into a blessing, because then we had to make our own songs, and in doing so, were able to use the songs to further the plot of the story along, as musicals do. Also, since Tuna Tartare is set in the year 3036, we imagined that there would be plenty of new songs made, which could technically be considered karaoke songs. 

Alex Parrish is a genius songwriter and composer with a musical theater background. I came to him with rough ideas for "Wastin' Away" and "Mitten Man Inside My Can," and everything clicked into place after just a few meetings. Lesli Margherita is a superstar and nailed the singing on the first take. Henry Kaye is one of my oldest friends and a musician, and I knew he would have the perfect jingle for when Susan comes out of a tree to save the day. 

Q: Although you voice Tuna Tartare, Lesli Margherita performs songs like “Mitten Man Inside My Can.” This isn’t uncommon for animated musicals, but was dividing Tuna’s speaking and singing voice between two people always the plan?

LE: The plan was for Lesli to voice all of Tuna’s parts (she sings “Wastin’ Away” and “Mitten Man Inside My Can,” as well as voicing “Hot Successful Tuna” and “Failed Gross Tuna”). However, we ended up making so many changes to Tuna’s lines after her initial recordings, and honestly didn’t have the budget to have her record again. I had been doing all of Tuna’s lines in the animatics myself, and it was easier for me to just carry on with Tuna. I had a very deep connection to the character (Tuna is me in 30 years), so it felt fitting in the end. 

Q: Were there any songs written for the film that ultimately didn’t make the cut?

LE: No songs fully written and produced, but many ideas for other songs. If I make more Tuna, Susan will definitely have a purse song. 

Q: I got Rocky Horror and RuPaul Lip Sync battle vibes watching Tuna Tartare. Is it safe to say the film had heavy drag influence? 

LE: Oh yes, totally safe to say that! One of Tuna’s major influences is Divine. 

^{Credit: Tuna Tartare (Miyu Distribution)}

Q: Tuna Tartare has qualified for Oscar consideration through theatrical exhibition. Have you had any screenings with the audience singing along?

LE: I have not! But one day when the film is online, and people can learn the words to the songs, I would absolutely love to have a screening where the audience can sing along. Miyu Distributions is organizing a screening in Paris this December featuring musical films from their catalog, so maybe someone will sing along to Tuna there! I am planning on putting Mitten Man Inside my Can on Spotify this month. 

Q: Is there a deeper significance to the year 3036 A.D… or is it just a random number? 

LE: I think it was from an original idea I had for the opening song, where the lyrics were “the year is 3036 and everything is shit.” I liked it because it rhymed, but then it just sort of stuck.

Nick Spake is the Author of Bright & Shiny: A History of Animation at Award Shows Volumes 1, 2, and 3. Available Now!