Interview with director Ang Lee that 'the next level of movie making' has opened in the movie 'Gemini Man'
The latest work by director
The feature of this work is that 'Will Smith will co-star with'young'Will Smith' in appearance, but in addition to that, when shooting a movie that was '24 frames per second' in the past. There is a point that the frame rate is set to '120 frames per second'. At the time of screening, there are '60 frames per second' and '120 frames per second' depending on the theater, which was performed in 'The Hobbit Unexpected Adventure' in 2012, which is known as an example of past high frame screenings. More than 48 frames per second. However, even though the high frame rate has not been shown since 'The Hobbit', why is 'Gemini Man' showing at '3D + in High Frame Rate (3D + in HFR)'? Was it? Following an interview with producer Jerry Bruckheimer, an interview with Ang Lee gave us the answer.
In the latter half of the article, we have posted a footage presentation at Paramount Studios, where director Will Smith starred and producer Jerry Bruckheimer took the stage. There are many stories about the technology used in this work, and it should be useful not only when watching this work but also when watching movies in the future.
Movie 'Gemini Man' official website
https://geminiman.jp/
Director Ang Lee
・ 'Geminiman' footage presentation + Q & A
◆ Interview with director Ang Lee
GIGAZINE (hereinafter, G):
At the New York Film Festival in 2012, the director said, ' I don't really understand what kind of film director I am. Some people call me a master, but the master is a different film. It feels weird to just shoot. However, I'm so curious that my career itself feels like I'm attending a film school, so how to use guns, how to ride horses, and wires. I love the process of learning what a movie needs, such as action, and I can't help it. ' Every time you shoot a new work, you will learn something, but what did you learn from 'Gemini Man'?
Director Ang Lee (hereinafter referred to as Lee):
It feels like 'next level action' and 'next level movie making' have opened. So what you can do in 3D and what you need to do to make it more immersive. In the action scene, the facial expressions and emotions of the actor who is playing can be captured finely and clearly, so it is now possible to show 'how much pain this character is feeling'. rice field. Until now, it was thought that 'action is speed', but it is no longer the case, and it is possible that 3D + in HFR felt that it was how to make it into a drama.
G:
So that's it.
Lee:
The 'how to squeeze a story', or the 'grammar of a 2D movie' up until now, has been 'manipulating' the audience using
G:
'3D Aesthetics', I see.
Lee:
Facial expressions can now be captured in great detail, so you can tell the audience 'what you are thinking at the bottom of your stomach' with just one facial expression. How the color of the face changes due to changes in body temperature, what kind of change it is when the face blushes, that is the part that leads to acting, 'What kind of acting is more subtractive? I feel that various new worlds have opened up, such as 'Is something good?', And I was attracted to it. I think we will continue to pursue this direction. I am honored to do this, and at the same time, I have the impression that it may be fate to follow this path.
G:
In 'Gemini Man', very spectacular action scenes such as the bike chase scene that can be seen only partly in the trailer will appear. What should we be careful about when creating such a high-level scene?
Lee:
In 3D, even the smallest details can be captured in the video, so sufficient frame rate and resolution are required to perform this kind of action. 'Detailed details' are parts that were previously invisible to the audience, and now that you can see all of them, it also affects how you assemble the action scene on site. I will give you.
G:
Certainly you can see the details well.
Lee:
Until now, the choreography of the action was sometimes blurred by the quick PAN, or the stroboscopic effect was rather cheated and saved, and by finely editing and cutting with montage, it gave a sense of speed. I've done it. However, the resolution is increased by this amount, and when it comes to 3D, cheating does not work. While the possibility of the media saying 'I can do this much' is high, our skill is still at the bottom (laugh), but the audience is waiting in anticipation of the upper side. In that state, we are frustrated, and sometimes we wonder, 'What are you doing, something stupid ...'.
G:
Such (laughs)
Lee:
The bike chase that I got as an example was powerful even if I took a chase at about 50 km / h, but when it comes to 3D, I'm not even surprised even if it exceeds 110 km / h. In that case, it would be a story of how to make the play to the extent that it does not kill the actor (laugh) Since it will be taken with equipment that has 1 ton, it was a fracture, but there were really dead people. I'm glad I didn't have it.
G:
Eh ... (laughs)
Lee:
Therefore, there are some parts that must be borrowed from digital power. In that direction, I think that a good movie can be made by balancing real and digital. Of course, it is possible to make it in full digital, but I think that if it is not made based on the substance, it will not be realistic.
G:
So that's it. Thank you for talking with us in the tight schedule of coming to Japan.
◆ 'Geminiman' footage presentation + Q & A
Below is the content of the footage presentation at Paramount Studios.
Q: Q:
People sometimes think about what I would say if I could meet myself 20 years ago, but this movie seems to say exactly that.
Director Ang Lee (hereinafter referred to as Lee):
This is an action thriller I give with Will Smith and Jerry Bruckheimer. It has a little science fiction, but above all it's a human drama.
Will Smith as Henry (hereinafter referred to as Smith):
For me, this was a great project. The WETA team used my past appearances as a reference, and I was able to show off the many tragedy I had provided to the entertainment industry (laughs), but that's how I got it. I think it was good to be able to look back on the past. I was able to see 'youth vs. experience' firmly. People often ask me, 'If I could go back to the old days, when would I want to go back?', But I absolutely hate my twenties. I'm in my twenties and I'm the worst (laughs). If you're in your thirties ... I'm glad I was able to think about that.
Q: Q:
Jerry, have you had this project for a long time?
Producer Jerry Bruckheimer (hereinafter referred to as Bruckheimer):
Is it 10 or 15 years? I don't know because the back is a type that doesn't turn around. I'm always looking forward (laughs). I'm really happy to finally be able to show this to the audience. And it was a tremendous honor for me to have the involvement of these two gentlemen, the best filmmakers and the best actors. Ann and Will are extremely enthusiastic about their work. They succeeded not just because they were lucky. Not to mention being talented, we spend our time and effort generously.
Q: Q:
Please tell us about the technical aspects. I already know that digital processing can make people look younger, but are you doing something different in this work?
Lee:
I want to say that clearly. This does not 'make the actor look younger'. In this era, it is possible to show the actor's age up and down, but in this work we are creating a new character from scratch. We made 'Young Will Smith' from nothing, in the same way we remember. The problem was that Will now is much better at acting than Will at the time.
Smith:
Yes. Thanks to that, when I was playing Junior, Anne often said, 'Don't do it so well' (laughs). And I showed my old acting, 'like this' (laughs).
Lee:
For reference.
Smith:
And he said, 'Hey, you're not good at it? Do it this way' (laughs).
Lee:
This was a revolutionary technology as well as an acting challenge. And Will took it and stood up. In addition, I had to overlay this very unique story, which Will had never experienced before. Will is a big movie star, and there are other movie stars, but not everyone can do this. That's why we asked Will.
Smith:
For example, who? Can you tell me your name?
(Everyone laughs)
Lee:
It was very difficult not only to recreate Will in the 90's, but also to get him to do what the movie needed. “He” is a clone, a human, not a robot. “He” must be innocent, pure, and capable of acting with deep emotions. I personally understood the feelings of Henry, the main character. 'What would you say if you could meet yourself when you were young?' Or 'What would you think if you met yourself when you were old?' , Then how should we live? '' Does that clone have souls and emotions? If so, what is the difference from a real human? What makes a human human? ' This work explores the essence of such human beings while maintaining the form of an exciting entertainment work.
Smith:
The great thing about this work is that the 'young me' junior is not me. That's 100% digital. It's not something that was built on top of my footage, it's completely CG, just like the Lion in The Lion King. That is amazing.
Q: Q:
But you were the one who acted, right?
Smith:
Yes, I'm using my acting. The skin is CG, and it does not smooth out the wrinkles on my skin. WETA is doing something like never before.
Q: Q:
But are you here now younger than Henry in the movie?
Smith:
Ann also said, 'Can you get older?' (Laughs). When I asked, 'OK, what should I do?', He said, 'I'm getting old with hair makeup.'
Q: Q:
Jerry, the audience knows Will when he was young. Didn't it mean that it was more difficult to appoint such a person? Will released his first album in the 80's, right?
Smith:
It's 1986.
Bruckheimer:
Of course, the appointment of Will made the situation even more difficult. Many people remember when Will was a ' fresh prince.'
That alone was difficult, but Anne shot at 120 frames. That means 'I can see everything'. It would have been much easier to do it with a normal 24 frames. Then I still left it to you. This movie is like 'I'm actually watching it in front of me.' What Anne did is amazing, I have to thank Skydance and Paramount. Because he let me do something that no one was doing. It was before that the actors looked younger. But it introduces a digital character based on Will Smith's acting, which costs a lot of money. But they believed that Anne was right and they paid for it. Ann said she could, but I don't think she really knew at that time (laughs). But Anne did it. I think that this work pushed ahead with what is called a 'movie.' It is said that 'people have stopped going to the cinema', but this work offers a 'totally new theater experience'. The film maker has done something new. This is a revolutionary piece that offers something that no one has ever experienced.
It seems that Clive Orphen, who plays Clay, is taking a break with the director.
Smith:
Can you guys applaud Anne?
(All applause
Smith:
That's how I was born completely digital. Would you like him to work in the future?
(Everyone laughs)
Smith:
'I have a role to be fat. Do you.'
(Everyone laughs)
Q: Q:
What was it like to act under this new technology?
Smith:
It was pretty scary. You can't hide what you can hide with 24 frames. Moreover, it is a 3D camera. In other words, the camera is so close that you can see the pores. No deception works. Never before has such a difficult situation. We first shot the Henry part. At that time, another actor played the role of junior, and I was able to act against someone. I asked the actor to do 'what I wouldn't do' in addition to what I was likely to do. He came to the scene after learning my past acting well. After doing that, I was on the side of playing junior. In that shoot, my acting was the material for motion capture, so I wore a helmet and acted with a small camera right in front of my face.
Lee:
I would like to say that too. The actor says, 'This shows everything, so it's scary,' but that means showing the person, the moment, the moment. When you do it this way, you shouldn't act. You have to really feel and react. So this time, I changed the way of directing so that the actors really feel that way. If you act, it will be 'that kind of shape'. The reward was great, and on the day of shooting, Will felt and moved from the bottom of his heart. He showed me mature, complicated and subtle things.
Smith:
'Maturity' is very difficult for me, though.
(Everyone laughs)
Lee:
I have to feel it from the bottom of my heart. No matter how many times you take, each time.
Q: Q:
I understand the emotional part, but what about the fighting scene?
Smith:
It was a big plus to know that the junior's face was CG. I did Henry when shooting the fighting scene, and the stuntman did the junior. Even there, because it was shot in an unusual frame, juniors can punch unusually, and the face will change to digital later, so in this work there is even a scene where the fist hits the face and the face is distorted. ..
Lee:
It seems that the audience feels 'painful' when they are beaten.
Smith:
You can see the real collision at a close distance. You should never have seen this in a movie. At least in the movie I made, this wasn't the case. The level of CG is really great, and I can make realistic faces, so this is possible.
Q: Q:
Looking at the footage, I noticed that the mirror often came out.
Lee:
It's done intentionally. At the beginning of the movie, there is a line saying 'I'm not good at seeing myself in the mirror', which is a metaphor. Wrap it. So it came out naturally, but only the first one does it. I'm persistent if I do more than that (laughs)
Smith:
'My worst nightmare is in me.' 'It's me who makes the biggest enemy.' 'The hardest and most painful thing is created by some kind in me.' I really like that concept.
Bruckheimer:
That concept is also the best in action, isn't it? Junior is trying to kill Henry, but Henry is trying to save him. I'm trying to prevent Junior from becoming like Henry. Henry isn't happy with what's happening now.
Q: Q:
Jerry, you worked with us early in Will's career. How was it like to reassemble now? Has the relationship between the two changed?
Bruckheimer:
We're still in a talkative relationship (laughs)
Smith:
Yes, I'm still talking (laughs). We have made 5 movies together. The first work is '
Q: Q:
How do you think Jerry and Will have grown up as actors?
Bruckheimer:
Will was originally a rap musician, and from there he entered the acting path. It has a personality that fascinates people, and that personality is revealed outside. That has pushed his career forward. Will has put the utmost effort into improving his acting skills. Every time I appear in a movie, I'm showing a better performance than before. This work shows him the best performance of his career. After all, it's a 'dual role'. Will really cried in the scene you saw when the 23-year-old junior was crying. That is an acting that deserves an Oscar. And it was Oscar who pulled it out. Thanks to the production, I can't pull it out without my ability. It's great to see Will grow up like that. He has continued to provide entertainment to the audience. At
Smith:
Thank you Jerry. I should have said something a little better (laughs).
Q: Q:
Ann, you're good at detailed human dramas, but at the same time you've made great action movies like '
Lee:
Whatever you mix, it's the human story that moves people's hearts. The audience may vary from older women to younger boys, but they are all human. This movie doesn't look like that on the surface, but in the back it tells a deep story that we don't usually talk about. It's an escape movie, but it tells the truth. The first thing I care about is whether to grab my heart. Even if I make something that doesn't move my heart, it's just a fake. It's not difficult to pretend that. Making a movie is all about pretending to be a movie. However, 'pretending' cannot move people's hearts. I really sympathized with Henry. And Will Smith will do it for you. The leading actor is a handsome version of the director (laughs). 'What would I do if I could meet myself when I was young?' I repeated to Will. This is a reflection of my own heart. That's why emotions become real. It's a work of this genre, and dramatic events happen one after another in the story, but when I make any movie, I feel most relieved when I'm convinced that I understand this. However, half a year ago, I didn't know if I could do it. I hope you are satisfied with the footage now. I hope you feel the credibility and heart of this story. There is no reliable way to make a movie successful. And there is no promise that 'mixing this with this will work'. It is important to feel it, and it is important to continue to feel it. Just believe it and make it happen.
Q: Q:
What kind of contribution did the cinematographer
Lee:
When I first tried 3D in 'Life of Pai', I felt it was a new language. It's a new revolution, and it shows a new illusion. Dion is a good cinematographer, and filmography shows that he has a lot of experience in digital cinema. He is also a person who gives very beautiful lighting. In this work, I asked him, 'I want you to try different lighting than usual.' I wanted to rethink the definition of beauty so that juniors look more realistic. In this work, where the lighting comes from is very complicated, and the way the light hits is very delicate. It was very difficult and we made a lot of effort. I hope you all find it beautiful.
Q: Q:
In the footage you showed me earlier, Will said, 'It's the role that can be played now.' Can you tell us a little more about it?
Smith:
As Anne said earlier, this story is very personal to him. When we started talking about this work, he mainly talked about it. He tried to tell me what he wanted to say through this film. If I were 23, I wouldn't have understood what he was saying. For me, this is a great time to visit. It's time for me to look back on my life. What kind of person are you and what have you done so far? What would you say if you saw yourself trying to follow the same path when you were young? Isn't it a chance to avoid doing what I regret in the future? That was something I couldn't sympathize with when I was 23.
Q: Q:
Ann, you also challenged the high frame rate in your previous work, Billy Lynn's Eternal Day. However, I think the reaction of the audience was complicated. Do you think the audience is more ready to accept this time? And Will, does this work also speak of criticism of the government and businesses?
Lee:
It was rather my side that changed my posture. It was my first time in 'Billy Lynn's Eternal Day', so I hadn't mastered the high frame rate yet. In doing that, I'm throwing away much of what I knew before. It's like switching to a new religion. I'm proud of 'Billy Lynn's Eternal Day,' but when I got one answer, I was like 10 new questions. I'm starting 'Geminiman' from what I already know. I've learned it myself, and all the crew are willing to do this well. Besides, this work is completely fiction. I wanted to make this work look so beautiful, so I went all the way to Colombia. We've also changed the way we illuminate so that we can tell the story of this fiction more effectively and give this fantasy a reality. In other words, I took the opposite approach to the previous work. It was my mission this time to 'discover the vivid beauty of digital cinema.' In addition, this time the world's best movie star helped me with that. It costs money, but the producers and the company all supported me. It took a lot of research and trial and error. I hope you all accept this. And other film makers may follow suit. This is an exciting new area. It's also a way to remind the audience to go to the cinema instead of staying at home and watching something on a TV screen or iPhone. I believe it gives the audience a special experience. So I will continue to challenge.
Smith:
It's an answer to my question, but this work doesn't talk much about government or politics. It talks about human arrogance, the madness of humans trying to become God and trying to control nature with their own hands.
Q: Q:
Who would compare Henry and Jr. to rap musicians?
Smith:
Henry would be
Q: Q:
Is the junior 2 packs ?
Smith:
No, 2 packs are smart. Juniors are more stupid (laughs). Is the junior arrogant and a little mixed with Lil Wayne?
Q: Q:
I have a question about acting. When we were children, we were told that 'boys don't cry', but there are many scenes where men cry in this work. In that kind of scene, what do you use to bring yourself there?
Smith:
The first time I got into an emotional scene was at The Fresh Prince of Bel Air . At that time, James Avery was a solid acting coach. One of the things he taught me was, 'No one wants to cry, so if you cry in the scene, you lose credibility. The audience is shaken when you hold back from tears. That is. He told me to bring my emotions to the last minute before the scene. And when the scene starts, don't cry. I use that technique. When I bring that feeling, I use the help of music. I don't know why, but the effective one is ' Adagio for Strings '. That song makes me very emotional. Also, Henry is a very thinker, so I tried to turn my head when performing. Doing so will give your eyes a lively feel. That's why, even before the scene started, I paid attention to various things and started to use my head. For example, how many people are in this room and how many emergency exits are there? Henry is a person who is always paying attention to various movements.
Q: Q:
I have a question for Will and Anne. What kind of experience did you have when you worked together for the first time this time? Also, what expectations did you have for each other before you actually worked?
Smith:
Actors and movie stars are not the same. One of the differences is that movie stars 'carry the movie on their backs.' A movie star is something that everyone says, 'Relax because it's okay. I'll make it a big hit on the first weekend of the release.' But when I work with a director like Ang Lee, I'm just an actor and free from the burden. It's very comfortable. He knows everything in the field, and when he gets home, he only has to think about the character. It's very free and opens up possibilities for performance. Besides, you can learn a lot. I've been hoping to work with Anne for about 10 years now. He is a very high level artist. That's what he wants to say today, isn't it? It was a great honor to be able to switch off a movie star at this time of my career with such a wonderful artist.
Lee:
It was a lot of pressure for the world's biggest movie star to ask me 'what do you want me to do?' Every morning (laughs). However, there was a lot of other pressure, so it gradually faded. And after all, 'artist vs. artist'. I respect him as an artist. Will is an artist and the biggest movie star in the world. That is not something that everyone can do. It's not difficult to say 'I want to make him look as cool as possible in a movie', and he knows how to do it, so it's easy. However, in this work, he dares to abandon his aura as a movie star and reveal the contents. A part of the essence of human beings that is no different from anyone else. There are so many people in LA alone, but he is just one of them. What's more, he believed in this new technology that even film directors are still unfamiliar with. That's how he hit the essence against my essence. The collaboration in this work was such an experience. We spent a lot of time working and there was trust among us. It's very valuable. We got rid of anxiety and did our best for each.
Smith:
Yes, there was trust. In 'Gemini Man,' Anne took me out of the safe path of a movie star. Literally using the word 'deviate'. It was a great experience. In this movie, I intentionally have gray hair, but that's also the case. I left myself to the director without thinking about what I would look like or how the scene would look. It was a wonderful experience at this time of my career.
Q: Q:
I think that digitally created human characters also appeared in the 2002 'Scorpion King'. Of course, technology has made great strides in the meantime, but will the time come when human actors are no longer needed?
Smith:
This technology allows actors to have their own alter ego, but there is no 'era when actors are no longer needed.' The most important thing is the human heart and soul. The 'beauty unique to humans', such as the mistakes made by humans and the cracking of voice, can only be done by humans. But it's exciting to see more on the screen with this technology. I wonder if the time will come when the digital version of myself will appear in romantic comedies instead of science fiction. 'That day' seems to come.
Lee:
My answer is simple. 'Juniors cost twice as much as Will Smith.'
(Everyone laughs)
Lee:
And Will Smith is easier. All you have to do is tell him 'do that' and 'do this next time'. Juniors are very hard. Many artists make trial and error in doing things like humans. I call them 'artists' rather than 'technicians'. When you hear 'technology,' you tend to imagine explosion scenes and monsters, but to make a junior look like a human, you need the best artistic flair and skill. The 'Junior Speaking Scene' that I gave OK three days ago was ordered a year ago. Hundreds of artists took a year to create it. Still, I wondered, 'Does the audience feel real?' It's that difficult. It's more difficult and more expensive than a raw actor. I think that in the future, the cost will be lower and more people will use this technology. It was impossible to tell the story of this work a while ago. In the old days, I would have just given Will's son. He should have done hair makeup and made him play the clone. But using this technology is closer to what I've always wanted. So I welcome this art format.
Bruckheimer:
This is just a new tool to add to the filmmaker's toolbox. It's one of the ways to get the audience into the story. The technology Anne created will be part of his legacy as a filmmaker. About a year and a half ago, when I visited his office, I remember seeing a photo of an old camera on the wall. What we are doing in this work is such an evolution that monochrome has become color. There is no blurring in this work like when watching the action in 24 frames. It's as if you're actually looking at it right in front of you, and at first you may feel a little unfamiliar, but you'll soon get into it.
'Gemini Man', which incorporates the latest technology generously and may feel the guideline of '3D' in the future, is on the national road show from October 25, 2019 (Friday).
'Geminiman' book notice-YouTube
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