Dawn of the Planet of the Apes - Part 2

[DA_Champion]

Is this a lock for best CGI 2014 at the oscars?

Is there any actual competition?

Interstellar might be competition, as they're probably the first people to incorporate the Einstein-Hilbert field equations in terms of how light propagates (i.e. gravitational lensing), but I don't know if the Oscar voters care about that lol.

 

[redhawk23]

Is this a lock for best CGI 2014 at the oscars?

Is there any actual competition?

Interstellar might be competition, as they're probably the first people to incorporate the Einstein-Hilbert field equations in terms of how light propagates (i.e. gravitational lensing), but I don't know if the Oscar voters care about that lol.

You would think, but stranger things have happened, like Hugo beating Rise.

Interstellar, particularly with its release date and cast and such, may end up being considered more "Oscary" or end up with more nominations besides and win the effects awards by pure momentum alone.

 

[redhawk23]

Hmm interesting link there.

I do feel like Serkis has maybe been trying to claim more credit for his mo-cap work than he is due?

I don't deny that he's good at what he does but as the article states there really a whole team who are providing probably 50% or more of what makes the on-screen characters work.

I'm not sold that there would be a big drop in quality had someone other than Serkis been hired to mo-cap for Ceasar. I think he may simply be being hired almost for his name and cred.

While what is ultimately on screen is done by animators, it is directly referencing a performance. If you base it on a crappy performance, or upon someone who doesn't know how to act under those conditions then what you end up with isn't likely to be very good.

 

[DA_Champion]

Hugo was a legitimate choice for best special effects.

 

[redhawk23]

Hugo's a great film but it's telling that all of the awards given by the fx industry itself, Rise took home the gold.

 

[Mandon Knight]

Rise was a shoo in for best fight choegraphy until Dancing on Ice got nominated....

Edit - Joke for another thread. I realise which Rise talking about, one of these for me....

 

[the dmg]

Great film.

Everything was pretty much top notch. Loved it.

 

[BlackFox]

Off to see this today, expecting great things from all the good reviews and word of mouth.

Bring on the chimps!!

 

[terry78]

Yeah that article does have a point about it kind of being a middle finger to the animators that toiled.

 

[Kirmit]

Just saw it, really great movie, 10/10 and some of the best CG I've ever seen.

 

[BlackFox]

Very solid film, the chimps were brilliantly done and well acted, human actors did the job if not fully developed, but this was all about the Apes really.

Good film and a step up from the first as well. 8/10

 

[Bruce Malone]

While what is ultimately on screen is done by animators, it is directly referencing a performance. If you base it on a crappy performance, or upon someone who doesn't know how to act under those conditions then what you end up with isn't likely to be very good.

I agree but I'm not talking about hiring some amateur, there are many other great mo-cap actors out there these days, that profession in probably booming somewhat now due to the video game industry.

My point is I'm not sure there would be much difference between serkis and some other trained performer in that role?

A lot of the little/big impact details we see on screen like Ceasar's eyes and some of the little facial motions are being done by the animators more than the performer.

 

[Ajendo]

This movie is absolutely remarkable. Seriously, Ceasar and Koba were utterly captivating. Easily one of the best films this year.

 

[DarkKnight88]

A lot of the little/big impact details we see on screen like Ceasar's eyes and some of the little facial motions are being done by the animators more than the performer.

Not exactly. They're copying what Andy Serkis is giving them so those eyes are Andy Serkis's eyes reacting. He wasn't just some body they used. It was his voice, his eyes, his performance. They simply enhanced it. Big difference.

There's a reason Matt Reeves said that even when he was in the grey leotard before the effects were added, the movie still completely worked because of Serkis's performance.

 

[Bruce Malone]

Not exactly. They're copying what Andy Serkis is giving them so those eyes are Andy Serkis's eyes reacting. He wasn't just some body they used. It was his voice, his eyes, his performance. They simply enhanced it. Big difference.

There's a reason Matt Reeves said that even when he was in the grey leotard before the effects were added, the movie still completely worked because of Serkis's performance.

No they were not. Read the article posted in the last page with the comments from the LOTR animator who described what they did and what Andy did.

They didn't place tracker dots on andy's eyeballs, those details come from the animators. Andy brought the physical presence to the role but a lot of the minute details were the animators.

The issue is Andy saying he just uses "digital make-up" which is insulting to the work put in by the animators.

 

[Golgo-13]

The bottom-line is, no matter how good Serkis' performance was, if the cgi and animation was up to par, it would have looked like crap on film.

 

[jmc]

It's not a one side or another side thing, it's a collaborative performance, that's really what CGI characters these days are. Without the actor there's no reference to go off, without the animators the character can't exist. Both can work without the other but you'd also lose something in both cases, with the actor they'd have to be done in make up which may not look good on film, for the animator the same performance might not shine through. It's a genuine 50-50 effort from two disciplines and this is why there will never be a situation where Serkis or any other actor will be inline for awards contentions because ultimately they can't claim 100% ownership of what appears on screen.

 

[Hunter Rider]

Truth be told, I thought Koba and Maurice surpassed Caesar in regards to CG achievement. Those two genuinely looked scary-real at times.

I definitely wanted more Maurice!

 

[Hunter Rider]

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes Comes to Blu-ray in a Deluxe Bust of Caesar's Head

 

[Incrediblejeff]

I must own that.

 

[Supernova]

Truly great film for the summer and year. They looked jaw dropping at times and the scope of the film helped sell a post apocalyptic San Francisco and made me wonder at times if they actually had streets at times look like that to film. I thought the cast was solid and everyone including the apes had nice little arcs that contributed to the story.

My one negative which is small but when

Spoiler

gary oldman detonates the C4 he said he was gonna bring the tower down on the apes but when he detonated it nothing happened besides the roof collapsing a bit.

 

[Mr.?]

My one negative which is small but when

Spoiler

gary oldman detonates the C4 he said he was gonna bring the tower down on the apes but when he detonated it nothing happened besides the roof collapsing a bit.

I thought about that too but seeing it a second time

Spoiler

When Malcom arrives Oldman tells him they just started rigging the explosives so I chalk up the tower not coming down to them being stopped midway through when Malcom held them at gunpoint.

 

[Hunter Rider]

I must own that.

Ordered mine last night!

 

[ShadowBoxer]

Anyone read that prequel novel called Firestorm? I saw it in the bookstore over the weekend and heard some people say it was pretty good. It bridges the gap between Rise and Dawn of the planet of the apes and tells the story about the simian flu and how the apes flourished during 10 year time period. If anyone has read it, what do you think?

 

[Destructus86]

This is easily one of the best movies of the year. Hollywood get's it right...on occasion.