File puptcrit/puptcrit.0506, message 266


From: =?iso-8859-1?Q?Mathieu_Ren=E9?= <creaturiste-AT-magma.ca>
To: <puptcrit-driftline.org-AT-lists.driftline.org>,
Date: Sun, 26 Jun 2005 23:48:05 -0400
Cc: 
Subject: [Puptcrit] CGI Yoda + technology issues


Hi all.
A friend took me to see the latest Star Wars movie "Revenge of the Sith".
The visual and sound effects were marvelous, while the story wasn't up to my expectations. My friend and I agree, the scenario could have been so much better. A good movie is fille dwith suspense, and encourages the mind of the espectator to speculate,to wonder, to try to guess.
In this one, they hand you the pre-digested answers one by one.

The dialogues were often weak(with some totally unreal and cliche repetitions). The actors themselves did a marvelous job with what they were given to play.
Nathalie Portman brought life and interest to the Padme character who could have easily been just a non speaking prop to explain the birth of Leah and Luke later. Still it was as if they were trying to say: once you are pregnant, you become iddle.

Well, in retrospect I had a good entertaining time, I laughed a few times (as much at the little funny moments as at the nonsense going on with the film itself). The action scenes and scenery were awesome on the big screen at the theatre.


Back to puppetry...
I was amazed at what they did with Yoda. He looked and moved great. People inside the film seemed to agree. In the army Yoda was leading, there was a thank with his portrait on it.

Was he done with motion capture? Some? I can't see where they could find a monkey with THAT much agility and martial art moves to fit a motion capture suit and stay in it. What banana in the world is worth this?

I still prefer the puppet Yoda from the first three movies (now episodes 4,5,6). He looked more real, of course.
Funny, all the CGI yoda versions from the newer movies seem older and more weak than the original puppet.

However, I don't see how they could have puppetised the battle scenes. I think I would have prefered a mix. Puppet Yoda + CGI for the special scenes.

With the technology and budget available, I was expecting a better mix of actual material VS CGI for the characters, scenery, and atmospheric effects.
When people in suits would have been quite easy (a scene with two "storm troopers" coming behind Yoda comes to mind), they still went for the computer graphics and the all-too-smooth movements. They have probably a hundred suits such as these.

There is a trap in using technology for just the "bling" and the "wow" of it. I've fallen in it myself too many times, and I suspect I will again,yet hopefully less so. Nothing like a new tool, or the promise of a revolutionary technique, to get me all excited. Then the fun is over when I find out it isn't really that revolutionary, or that it won't work for the specific application.

Since I started building puppets, I've started to understand the necessity of making things simple. Why use a computer controlled mecanical arm when a simple rod can be attached, and manipulated directly by a puppeteer?
Also, I found out from trial and error, that although technology should always be explored, its applications (and pending consequences) should be well pondered before carrying them out..


How do you feel about this?
-Is this a passing craze with humans, to use technology(wether it works or not) because it's just so cool, or do you think it will stay this way?
-Will puppeteers always have a spot in Culture and entertainment, or are they going to have to buy shares of entertainment companies, to ensure that their olden days' puppet endeavours are shown as reruns late nights...
Will there be a movie starring puppets anytime soon?






Mathieu René Créaturiste
Marionnettes, Masques, Etcetera...
Puppets, Masks, Etcetera...
creaturiste-AT-magma.ca
www.creaturiste.com
(514) 274-8027
  ----- Original Message -----
  From: morningbuffalo2002
  To: PuppetCafe-AT-yahoogroups.com
  Sent: Sunday, June 26, 2005 10:03 PM
  Subject: [PuppetCafe] Re: Paul Winchell


  Wow. I remember the Winchell-Mahoney show with Jerry Mahoney and
  Knucklehead Smiff. Did you also know he was a pioneer in heart transplant
  surgery? He invented the artificial heart.






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