Fan Fare
Entertainment behind the scenes
Directors direct via email and iChat
Two movies — one complete and one in the works — have underlined how technology is changing the way films are made.
Wes Anderson partly directed his animated “Fantastic Mr. Fox” using a computer, streaming images from multiple animation sets live on to a screen in front of him, allowing him to guide animators from another room, town, or, more often, country. That guidance often came in the form of emails, something which did not endear the film maker to some of the animators, according to a recent piece in the L.A. Times. George Clooney provided the voice of Mr. Fox, and London’s Three Mills Studios carried out the paintstaking, old-fashioned stop-motion animation.
Meanwhile, Peter Jackson used iChat to co-direct the upcoming, big-budget feature “The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn”. Actor Nick Frost, who plays Thomson in the film, said Jackson would be linked up live to the U.S. set from New Zealand, from where he would add to Steven Spielberg’s pearls of wisdom on set. “It was weird”, was his description of the experience. The blockbuster will feature motion capture technology, producing the kind of effect seen in “The Polar Express”.
According to Hollywood trade publications, while Spielberg was on set for just over 30 days, Jackson will have spent the best part of 18 months converting the data into an animation movie by the time it hits theatres some time in 2011. The balance has led some to question whether Jackson should be given the directorial credit rather than Spielberg. It also raises the possibility of more and more movie makers spending less and less time on set, particularly where animation is concerned.
Pick a favorite Indiana Jones scene.
As whip-wielding adventurer Indiana Jones storms back into movie theaters after a 19-year hiatus in “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull”, fans of the intrepid archaeologist played by Harrison Ford were asked in a survey by Blockbuster video to name their favorite scenes from his previous three movies. These came out tops:
1. Running from the Boulder (“Raiders of the Lost Ark”) — 75%. An overwhelming three out of four surveyed chose this scene with Indiana Jones running from a boulder in a booby-trapped temple as essential Indy material.
Cannes Fare 5 – There’s no business like…
Highlights from day 5 of the Cannes film festival: “Indiana Jones” reviews and a little about the film market.
Cannes Fare – Indy’s premiere
Highlights from Day 4, and the premiere of “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull”
