Directing Creatures - Alec Gillis

 

Notes:

 

- What is a creature character? Different from a creature in that a creature is not usually developed beyond a force of evil. Its only purpose is to kill/destroy etc - like Jaws. Avatar - you care for the Na'vi and their plight. Predator toyed with its victim. Frankenstein, King Kong have that sympathy in their plight

- Start with a back story. Defines what your creature is and is not. Limitations are as important as abilities. Predator has a lot of abilities - anymore would be muddy and overcrowded

- If you're character is an actor in a makeup, its the same as directing a person - but include comfort

- Directing an animatronic suit is different. \

- Block scenes beforehand without the suit so they can plan ahead and not have the taxation of the suit

- People tending to the comfort of the performers

- Queen Alien from AVP had 10 puppeteers

- Break down facial functions and assign them to individuals

- CGI creates factory films - a lot look similar and lack the realistic differences

- Nature does the work instead of phoney compositing

- Acting is reacting and reacting to a real creature is more realistic

- You'll get a more realistic creature from practical. GCI will give you greater control over the dynamics

- Embracing limitations; 'we can do anything with CGI'. Just because you can do anything doesn't mean you should. CGI erases all limits. Effects have overtaken reality like loss of gravity.....Games don't need reality but movies need the element of reality no matter how styalised. 

- Lead puppeteer directs. 

- Directors notes translated into puppeteers and so it translates for the actors

- Performing vs weighlifting; be sensitive to your actors comfort. non-binding, light and non-restrictive suits as possible. Be sensitive to their needs when directing. Animatronics should exert maximum performance results 

- Interface with the production team. As the director/lead puppeteer, communicate your needs, early and often. Let people help you. Read the production to know who you should be talking to. 

- Working with the director, how much help do you want? Know when to assert yourself and when to back off. 

- Blocking the scene, important even at the stage of storyboarding. Where are the cables going to be run? Whats doable? Manageing expectations

- Animatronic suits don't ways look great from every angle. 

- Multiple cameras are fine but they shouldnt be a replacement for a second unit

- Its in the second unit that the creature stuff will come to life. 

- Frame out your weaknesses; sometimes the animatronic suits arent great from certain angles so we try and frame those weaknesses out. (Alien is guy in jeans from the waist down). Get the DP on your side

- Layering the shot; creating perspective. Things that pass through in the foreground..... Make the viewer feel involved in the action. Voyeuristic. Jurassic Park (leaves mask dinosaurs eating people). 

- Camera techniques that give an odd sense of dynamic that doesnt need CGI. Throw in fast motion to give creature a weird locomotion. 

-Lighting; relates to the character and the function that the creature serves. Havey backlighting can outline the character without giving away detail. What scares us most is what we don't see. 

- Flashing lighting

- Lenses; wide angle create exaggerated perspective. Low angle will exaggerate size and high angle will diminish. 

- Naturalistic vs theatrical behaviour; Golem is very theatrical (loud and overexxagerated) Avatar is more natural. Style of character. Look at animal reference for large creature. Expression. 

- Hitting the pose. 

- Manageing the puppeteering station; its an orchestra working together and rehearsing

- Isolation of movement; check the function before each shot. Isolate each movement and run through it. 

- Build your library; of moves. Can record them and play them back. Build a library in the brains of your team. Sympathetic look, angry, peaceful etc.... Transition between them in an organic way!

- The director''s personality; what kind of director do i want to be? Have a healthy mix. Use humour to bring the best out in people. Have fun

 

Gillis, A. n.d. Directing Creatures. [DVD] USA