Just under a month ago over on our Planet of the Apes site we featured the article "The Imaginarium - The Future of Performance Capture" detailing Andy Serkis and his word-reknowned performance capture facility known as "The Imaginarium", which as well as being able to supply filmmakers with world leading performance capture facilities, can also consult with filmmakers and actors on how to best maximise the technology for their projects. It is in this latter capacity that the Imaginarium and Serkis have been employed by Marvel Studios for the upcoming superhero ensemble sequel, Avengers: Age of Ultron.
For 2012's Avengers actor Mark Ruffalo portrayed both Dr. Bruce Banner and the Hulk, performing as the latter with the use of motion and performance capture (as pictured above). For the sequel director Joss Whedon asked that Serkis, whom has recieved worldwide recognition for his performances as Gollum (The Lord of the Rings trilogy), King Kong and Caesar (Rise/Dawn of the Planet of the Apes), be brought onboard to help Ruffalo push the performance of the Hulk beyond the audiences wildest dreams. Serkis elaborated on his duties for the Avengers sequel in a recent interview with Daily Beast, confirming (somewhat) the rumor that he is also to play a role in the eagerly anticipated movie.
“The difference for Mark [Ruffalo] this time around is that the Imaginarium, which is our performance-capture studio in London that’s providing all the performance capture for the Avengers movie, is providing education. Previously, he would’ve walked onto a set and you’ve got Thor and all the other characters in their costumes looking magnificent, and then you’d have Mark in a grey motion-capture suit playing this enormous character, so it’s about giving the actor the right atmosphere and credibility for the performance, which we did in a number of ways. We had to educate the director that the actor owns the role, and what you get on the set is what you should be aiming to put into your cut as the final performance—with the rendering coming later on.”
“Also, we worked with Mark in really grounding him and playing with the digital avatar before going on set so he could see himself as the Hulk before going onscreen, and we put weights and inhibitors on him to give him the sense that his arms were these big, giant wrecking balls, and so that his biceps wouldn’t intersect with his body. We equipped him. We also gave him a sound system and pitch-modulated his voice so you could hear the enormous Hulk roar coming out of these speakers, so the crew would go, 'Jesus! That’s Hulk on set!' It gives Mark the sense of feeling better, and if he feels better, then he’ll be more comfortable in the performance.”
When asked if he will be performing the performance/motion capture for uber-villain Thanos, to be voiced by Josh Brolin, Serkis reluctanty replied...
“Um…I’d have to deny that character at this point. But I am playing a character. I was really thrilled that Whedon asked me to be involved. It’s fantastic. I’ve had a ball working with them, both as performance capture consultant through the Imaginarium, but also being asked to be in it. I can’t say anything more!”
Article Published:
2014-07-14 12:45:21