Andy Serkis Mo-Cap Tim Buttner of Marketslaw recently interviewed Andy Serkis at at CinemaCon.

Read on to learn Andy’s thoughts on Dwan of the Planet of the Apes, his new role directing The Jungle Book, his involvement in Animal Farm and whether the Oscars need a category specifically for actors in performance capture roles.


Tim: First, I want to congratulate you on The Jungle Book.

Andy: Oh, yes.

Tim: Got to ask, is it going to be 3D?

Andy: I would think at this point in time it is safe to say that it will be 3D.

Tim: Is it going to be native?

Andy: That is also a good question. It is still early days so I haven’t got a definitive answer for that.

Tim: Moving on to Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, it was shot with 3ality Rigs, which you shot with on The Hobbit. You were the Second Unit Director, and this time you were acting with them. Was there any kind of difference for you working with the 3ality Rigs as an actor versus being behind the scenes?

Andy: I mean 3ality are fantastic rigs. They are incredible to work with. They’re fantastic in the field and, of course, one of the things about Dawn of the Planet of the Apes was that we were shooting nearly every single scene on location. And they worked seamlessly. So they were great to work with, for sure, and I remember that from working with them on The Hobbit. They are very good to work with on the field. It’s tough working with 3D in the field, and you need all the help that you can get. And 3ality, certainly, a great brand.

Tim: Yeah they are great. I’ve gotten to visit their headquarters and seen the awesome things they’re doing, especially with their image processors.

Andy: Yeah, exactly. Yeah, I mean, it’s terrific. And, Michael Seresin is the D.O.P on Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, and obviously Matt Reeves directing, and it was all very much shot in natural light. There’s a real sense that these apes do exist, and it was not going for overly melodramatic lighting. It was very real. Everything was shot with vérité style, so it needed that support from the 3D, you know, so I think it works. I’ve seen a cut and it looks extraordinary.

Tim: That’s awesome. I didn’t get a chance to see it in 3D earlier when they showed us the clips…

Andy: Right… right.

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