Does Ang Lee’s ‘Life Of Pi’ Movie Share TMI on the CGI?

Photo Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Based on Yann Martel’s novel of the same name, “Life Of Pi” starring Suraji Sharma is considered to be the next “Avatar” -- at least, according to TIME Magazine.

Academy Award winning director Ang Lee helms this 3D adventure-drama about a young boy who develops a connection with a fearsome Bengal Tiger after both of them survive a disaster at sea.

Does knowing that the computer-generated tiger featured this film was made to match a real one take away some of the magic of watching it for the first time? I wonder if it's unecessary for audiences to already know that the production team created a fake tiger modeled after the realistic movements and appearance of an actual tiger. Yes, that tidbit likely won’t matter once moviegoers are thrust into a world where everything seems real – thanks to 3D glasses that add to the excitement of genre films.

Photo courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox Film CorporationI’m not sure about the rest of you all, but when I go to the movies -- especially ones featuring animals or unimaginable stunts, it’s more fun to be able to at least consider the possibility that these elements were really present on sent, even if they were not. I'd rather know about all of the CGI tricks and tips after watching it.

The wow factor of having 15 artists in the Visual Effects department who worked solely on the fur for a CGI animal would be just as, if not more, fascinating to learn as part of a special features section when “Life Of Pi” is released on DVD.

People who already read the book probably won’t care either way but those of us who are being introduced to this fantasy adventure for the first time via its big screen adaptation could probably benefit from not knowing all of the intricate details that went into making the movie. It does, however, peak my curiosity -- how realistic will this tiger look? How well will the boy interact with the tiger? These are things that can only be found out by going to check out the movie and seeing for myself.

One thing's for sure -- I DO want to know whether this boy and his new tiger friend will forever remain castaways living on a boat in the sea or find a new home elsewhere. I’m also interested in finding out how the human in the story finds ways to communicate with a wild cat. 

“Life Of Pi” opens nationwide on Wednesday, November 21st. Check your local theater listings for showtimes.

 

Have YOU read “Life Of Pi” by Yann Martel?

Do YOU think “Life Of Pi” will be the next “Avatar?”

Can YOU draw a tiger by hand or on a computer?


The media and images in this sponsored post are made possible by the distributors. All opinions are my own. The Monday Movie Meme will be posted later today.

Countdown to Couch Fest #5 - Tess Martin Goes Swimming with Whales #indiefilm #2012CFF #animation

Quick, tell all of your friends...the 2012 Couch Fest Film Festival is tomorrow! I’m excited to meet and hear about the movie-loving strangers who will gather and chat about shorts all day long -- shorts they love, shorts they hate and shorts they don’t quite understand.

'The Whale Story' - Animator Stefan Gruber, Animator Webster Crowell, Director/Animator Tess Martin and actor DK PanAnimator Tess Martin’s experimental tale ‘The Whale Story’ will be representing the U.S. alongside Kumar Satkunarasa’s ‘Life and Stuff’from Europe.

In just three minutes, ‘The Whale Story’ evaluates whether a fisherman’s connection with a female humpback whale is an example of inter-species communication or a mysterious fluke.

Earlier this month, Martin told me about her hopes of opening up a wider discussion about how fascinating the ability to communicate with animals could be and how shooting birds might not be the best solution for saving a group of endangered species.

Madlab Post: What are some of the challenges that you faced while making ‘The Whale Story’ and how did you overcome them?

Tess Martin: Well, ‘The Whale Story’ was animated frame by frame on a 16x32 foot wall in a public park in Seattle. I had use of the wall and a cadre of volunteers for two days. So immediate challenges were time and sunlight. We had to move quickly, but luckily I had four experienced animators helping me, and a very patient actor, and we managed to shoot all the wide shots in those two days. 

At the end, though, it did start raining, and the paint that were re-applying to animate the whale and water movement started streaking, and we had to stop the shoot. You can still see a bit of the streaking in the film if you pay attention. I went back to the wall with the actor and filmed all the close ups the next week. You can see a time-lapse of the making of the film: WATCH HERE.

In August, authorities in Argentina launched a 100-day plan to shoot seagulls that have been attacking the whales at sea; Eenvironmentalists disagree with the plan. Do you agree with the The Authorities or The Environmentalists -- or would you try an alternative approach?

Gosh, I don't know. I'm not really an expert on this type of thing, and am not familiar with this particular situation. It sounds like there's an unusual amount of seagulls, and that this method of feeding is new to them, in which case, it makes sense to contain them to save the whales. But shooting them out of the sky sounds a little weird, and like it would cause other unintended consequences, like lots of bird carcasses.

'The Whale Story' - Animator Britta Johnson, Animator Amanda Moore, Animator Webster Crowell, Director/Animator Tess Martin and Animator Stefan Gruber.Do you have any goals for ‘The Whale Story’ with regards to reach or audience impact?

I'm hoping that as many people as possible see the film, whether in festivals, or online, and are inspired by the story. I think of it as a starting point for conversation about animal consciousness, and human-animal communication. How can we know for sure whether the whale was saying thank you? Is it possible to ever really know for sure what an animal is thinking? What about our pets, the animals we feel we know very well? How different would the world be if we could communicate effortlessly with other species?

If you could only protect one group of endangered species, which animal would it be?

I look at the animal kingdom from the perspective of a fascinated layman, and thankfully, I do not have the power to make such a decision. I have my favorite animals, of course - I've always liked cats and felines, but I also find whales and other water creatures so fascinating precisely because their environment is so different from ours. But asking which species you would save is like asking which of your children you would save - obviously, you would just try to save all of them.

The Whale Story is playing tomorrow, Saturday, November 10^th at the 2012 Couch Fest Film Festival. Check the “Attend” tab on the festival’s website for showtimes.

Can YOU communicate well with your pets?

This post is a continuation of my Countdown to Couch Fest campaign -- a selection of brief, yet, randomly outrageous and sometimes insightful interviews that I conducted with many of the directors behind the films playing at this year's Couch Fest lineup and will be publishing semi-daily between the regularly scheduled Monday Movie Meme and King Dong programs until Saturday, November 10, 2012!

Countdown to Couch Fest #4 - Quebec’s own Martin Thibaudeau Conquers Prudes, Extreme Sports in 48-hour Film #2012CFF #indiefilm

Seattle, WA is shaping up to be among the busiest of Couch Fest 2012 locations -- prepped and ready to showcase everything this film festival has to offer. One of the things that I like about Seattle’s lineups are the fact that there are multiple showtimes at each location. 

l-r 'Parachute' director Martin Thibaudeau, cinematographer François Gamache, actor Louis Tremblay and actress Christine Beaulieu.

So, those of you who are in the area can really pack in most, if not all, of the short films by traveling from one house to another. Of all the shorts playing in Seattle, I highly recommend watching ‘Parachute,’ a movie Couch Fest describes as being about a couple that discovers a particular parachuting club where you probably won't die.  

I recently spoke with Canadian filmmaker Martin Thibaudeau who wrote, directed and produced this six-minute comedy -- in France.

Thanks to Thibaudeau, I found another example of how good movies CAN be made in less than 48 hours and why it serves the human race well to get out of our comfort zone, for that is where adventure rests.

Madlab Post: Is this movie more about facing fears in general, or is it about the vulnerability that couples face when trying to salvage something that they could possibly lose?

Martin Thibaudeau: I hope people will interpret the film in their own way, but in my mind, it's about prudence versus temerity, comfort versus adventure. Two ways of life, two qualities that oppose themselves in our minds all the time. How do they affect our relationships? What effects do they have on our happiness, on our survival?! Which is better?

It's also about bad customer service ;-) 

Have you ever been in a parachute?

I've never done parachuting. I'd like to try it but it's not on top of my priority list. There is something trendy about these extreme sports, isn't there?

'Parachute' director Martin ThibaudeauCan you tell me something that I don't know about the making of this film?

It was shot in the Trouville, France Short film festival by a French and Quebec (Canada) volunteer cast and crew -- in one day and screened in front of the festival audience 48 hours later. The young French actress [Kenza Laala] playing the parachute company reception girl was doing her debut in this film. It was her first shoot. Not bad eh!  

What is more valuable to human beings -- security & peace of mind or adventure?

I personally identify more with adventure but I also indulge in some security and peace of mind. We all need both. It's a question of dosage.
 

PARACHUTE is playing on Saturday, November 10th at the 2012 Couch Fest Film Festival. Check the Couch Fest website’s “Attend” section to find showtimes in your area.

What is the most adventurous activity that YOU have ever participated in?

 

This post is a continuation of my Countdown to Couchfest campaign -- a selection of brief, yet, randomly outrageous and sometimes insightful interviews that I conducted with many of the directors behind the films playing at this year's Couch Fest lineup and will be publishing semi-daily between the regularly scheduled Monday Movie Meme and King Dong programs until Saturday, November 10, 2012!