Monday, June 28, 2010

Gore Verbinski's Rango

The director of live-action blockbusters rolls out his first animated feature next year. But what do the magical words "animated feature" mean?

... [T]he most interesting thing about this new project is that Industrial Light & Magic will be doing the animation using “cutting edge techniques” that Verbinski has said, “will allow us to capture and translate every aspect of Johnny’s performance, using it to drive the computer-generated character in a way that has yet to be seen in an animated feature.” ...

Anybody know what "cutting edge techniques" point to? Slash Film seems to think the words actually enfold our old friends rotoscope and motion capture.

But that couldn't be right, could it? Most of the knowledgeable understand that even the most comprehensive motion capture has those computer operators we're privileged to call "animators" at the back end of the pipeline, molding and tweaking the raw data into the performances we finally see up there on the silver screen.

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

That sounds more like marketing talk. The teaser should give us clues about the style.

fred ferdman said...

prolly just some dude named Kevin.

Anonymous said...

It's like when Zemeckis tried to brand the motion capture that he was doing as "performance capture". It's pure marketing speak.

Ernie Uszniewicz said...

I heard they're using black-market hoverboards.

Anonymous said...

i heard the body suit they wear is called an Avatard...

Anonymous said...

The teaser should give us clues about the style.

...What, you mean, vague, smug, and almost contemptuously disregarding of the audience? ;)

(Yeah, yeah, I know, ooo, the fans are supposed to be all intrigued, and rush to start the viral Internet hype on YouTube hoping to figure it out--
I, however, would point to similar difficulties setting audiences on fire over "Despicable Me", and say, guys...call the audience dim, but the Cool Ambiguity stuff doesn't always WORK.)

Anonymous said...

I've seen some of the footage for this film. It is not amazing. The animation is "awkward" in it's translation, and very unappealing from a design point of view. Detailed beyond belief, with little restraint or clear visual direction. I call it like I see it. I'll be surprised if this goes anywhere.

Anonymous said...

ooh, the anonymous insider with only bad things to say.

Again, bad employee, or bad friend of an employee. Take it with a grain of salt.

Anonymous said...

How and where did you see some of the footage?

Marlo Pinochle said...

He probably saw it at his boyfriend's apartment.

Anonymous said...

http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/paramount/rango/

i think this looks great IMHO.

Anonymous said...

Definitely not mocapped. Looks fun.

Itll be interesting if they try to spin this as mocap....

Locall said...

Doesn't look all that new and special...
I do agree a bit with the details... I think it looks too good, which makes it a bit unapealing to me :S

Anonymous said...

The detail is distracting---as if they know there's no real entertainment value in watching zombie iguanas for an hour and a half. The film is so badly designed, it makes Christmas Carol from last year look almost BRILLIANT.

Anonymous said...

I just saw the trailer. It's yet another talking animal movie, only this time, it's ugly.

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