How was the legendary shark movie 'Mega Shark VS Giant Octopus' made? Interview with the director is open
by
' Mega Shark VS Giant Octopus ' released in 2009 is a video movie ordered by Japanese movie distribution company New Select , and as the title says, 'Giant sharks and giant octopuses such as San Francisco Bay and Tokyo Bay. It is a very large-scale monster panic movie that fights against humankind and fights against each other, and is popular not only in Japan but also in the United States. Director Jack Perez (also known as Ace Hannah), who held the megaphone in such 'Mega Shark VS Giant Octopus', is answering an interview with entertainment-related news site Polygon.
Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus: How The Asylum made it in 12 days --Polygon
https://www.polygon.com/22999975/mega-shark-vs-giant-octopus-asylum-movies-interview-jack-perez
The trailer for 'Mega Shark VS Giant Octopus' can be seen below.
'Mega Shark VS Giant Octopus' Trailer-YouTube
Q: Q:
How did you decide to shoot 'Mega Shark VS Giant Octopus'?
Director Jack Perez (hereinafter referred to as Perez):
I always go back and forth between the indie film industry and the commercial film industry in a timely manner. The production company, Asylum , was originally a distributor specializing in independent films, and also distributed my second film, The Big Empty . After that, Asylum became a company that produced only vulgar, low-budget mockbusters , and was looking for a director who could shoot movies on a tight schedule like Roger Corman . So when I didn't have the money or my job wasn't working, I was happy to jump into a weird movie project like this.
To tell the truth, I personally planned a movie with a bigger budget for a long time, and the casting was over. But, as is often the case in Hollywood, funding didn't go well. 'Oh, how do I pay the rent?' I called Asylum, 'I have no plans? I need this month's money.' Then Asylum asked, 'Can I be in charge of the script and the director and shoot within two weeks?', So I answered, 'Of course!'.
Q: Q:
How did you get started shooting 'Mega Shark VS Giant Octopus'? How do these movies start to be made?
Perez:
Originally, Asylum had a contract with another company to distribute its own movies on DVD and VHS. Then, the distribution company (New Select) that had a contract asked, 'I need a monster movie like XX vs. XX, so could you make such a work?', And Asylum accepted the request. , I entrusted it to me.
Since I was a kid, I've loved monster movies such as Ray Harryhausen 's works and ' King Kong ' and ' Godzilla '. It's very easy to pull out what's accumulated in you and reconstruct what you like into what you need.
At first, I wrote the script with the title 'Mega Shark VS Giant Squid', and in the middle I said 'No, this is an octopus', but it didn't change that much. This movie is basically a 500-foot version of ' Jaws '. After 'Jaws', there were a lot of sub-streams of shark movies, and they were well known. Also, I didn't know at that time, but there were times when the underwater battle between sharks and octopuses was actually recorded (laughs).
Also, I initially participated in the production under a pseudonym, but Asylum was a company that liked re-editing movies, so I finally gave it my real name. This movie was originally made at a very fast tempo, because if there are many production restrictions, the tempo can be increased to attract the attention of the audience without making the coarseness of acting, script, and special effects noticeable. rice field. However, Asylum often re-edits and inflates the movie to fit a specific show time. My original version of 'Mega Shark VS Giant Octopus' is also faster and more interesting, but due to the screening time, it had to be 10 to 15 minutes longer, so the scene was inflated by editing. .. So, the public version has a lot of unnecessary reaction shots and poses. It's like reading impressions that wastefully increase the space between words and double the amount of text.
Q: Q:
What did you do to achieve the project's goal of completing the film on a low budget?
Perez:
The script had to be written in two weeks, after which I made some modifications. When writing a script with this schedule, I basically calculate how many pages a day will be completed, but if it is 100 pages, I have to write at least 6 to 7 pages a day. It's crazy.
The producer of Asylum always ordered, 'I absolutely have to write the script seriously and direct it seriously.' In other words, don't be stupid, even for low-budget movies. I didn't think it was sane. If you make a movie within these extreme limits, you can't fool the audience with directing, so I tried to incorporate absurdity in every situation, such as a shark biting an airplane or the Golden Gate Bridge . am. I was hoping that people who were half-confident and skeptical would notice that 'the filmmakers are also making ridiculous things.'
One of my favorite scenes in my script is developing pheromones to lure monsters and kill each other. It's just a scene where the characters mix water and ink in a beaker, but those who understand chemistry saw this scene on YouTube and posted a comment saying 'doing science'. Such comments are posted because no knowledge of chemistry intervenes in this scene.
The following is the scene of the problem.
Mega Shark Giant Octopus lab scene --YouTube
Perez:
The only thing I can say is that if you want to make a movie called 'Mega Shark VS Giant Octopus', there really should be more scenes of the battle between Mega Shark and Giant Octopus. I wanted to spend a little more money to make something else. For example, to improve the overall tempo, add two more battle scenes instead of padding. Because what everyone wants to see is the battle between Mega Shark and Giant Octopus. But that would end up costing money, and no one wants to do that.
That's why I wrote a radical script. Knowing that the effects weren't realistic, we were asked for an idea of how a shark jumping out of the ocean would eat an airplane. The movie doesn't have to be realistic, but at least it should be fun.
Q: Q:
It seems that the movie was shot in 12 days. How did you proceed?
Perez:
I don't think it's sane. I think everyone was. It's funny, but the schedule is even shorter than originally planned. So I used every hand. I learned various techniques from my experience so far. However, you will be forced to proceed with production like hell. Do not shoot more than necessary even for one frame. I take it to cut it.
For example, there is a submarine scene in the play, but I haven't actually assembled a submarine set. At least the Asylum at that time didn't have the budget to make such a set. So how did you shoot the submarine scene? I noticed that one of the studios I was using for shooting had a sci-fi corridor set like ' Alien '. After the hit of 'Alien', there were a lot of mockbusters on the market, so that kind of set was made. So, there was a narrow corridor like a submarine with a futuristic design, so if you rent a periscope and install it, you can put on a jumper and headset like 'Chase the Red October! ' I thought that even if the part of was not a submarine but a corridor, it might be forgiven.
Q: Q:
I think the shooting was quick now, but did you have any fun memories?
Perez:
At the beginning of the movie, there is a scene where you find a whale corpse that has been shattered into pieces. I brought it from '
Q: Q:
There was a rumor that this movie was made into a 3D movie and released, but that is an unimaginable story.
Perez:
Yes, there was such a story, but it is crazy because the technology for making 3D movies costs money. But we cannot blame Asylum for being ambitious about what he wants to do. The idea of making a 3D movie is very exciting because the 3D movie boom that once happened hasn't made a big comeback yet, but if you're shooting in 3D, you're probably limited to four days.
I've been giving a lecture on movies at university for 10 years, and the students said, 'If you're trying to make a movie for the first time and you only have a budget of hundreds of thousands of yen, write what you can do with that budget.' I'm saying. Even though it's only $ 2000, I don't think I'll make a ' Raiders / Lost Ark' . However, the asylum still does not stop. 'No, I'm shooting'Jurassic Park ', but the budget is $ 1.95 (about 220 yen).'
Asylum is just the epitome of the entire film industry. Movie makers know how much their movies will make. I don't want to waste a penny to lose profits, so even if I can make a better movie with more money, if the company's purpose is to make money, then the quality, quality effect, and quality of the movie. The guaranteed number of shooting days will be sacrificed. On the other hand, if you're a movie maker, don't think that way, but think, 'Let me do it again. If you give me another hour, I can make the movie even better.'
There is rarely a chance to make any movie. Generally, there is a 2-3 year gap between movies. So any opportunity is an opportunity, regardless of constraints or stories. Either face it professionally, or face it as if you had bitten a worm. Therefore, especially in the limited time of 12 days, I am always conscious of 'let's make as good as possible'.
You can purchase a DVD of 'Mega Shark VS Giant Octopus' at Amazon.co.jp. The price is 909 yen including tax at the time of writing the article. It is also distributed on Amazon Prime Video, and the HD (high definition) version can be rented for 406 yen including tax.
Amazon | Mega Shark VS Giant Octopus [DVD] | Movie
Amazon.co.jp: Watch Mega Shark vs Giant Octopus (dubbed version) | Prime Video
Amazon.co.jp: Watch Mega Shark vs Giant Octopus (subtitled version) | Prime Video
Related Posts:
