New behind-the-scenes footage from The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug reveals more about how Benedict Cumberbatch created the voice and personality of the dragon.
Dressed for motion-capture, Cumberbatch lies on a raised, carpeted platform and snarls at an unseen Biblo.
In the video, director Peter Jackson explains: “We wanted someone who would do something original, unexpected — something that was a surprise to us.”
Today, our favorite master of motion capture performance – Andy Serkis – turns 50!
Born on April 20, 1964, Mr. Serkis has long held a special place in all our hearts. The extraordinarily talented actor was originally brought in to supply the voice of Gollum in Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy. However, Andy became a much more integral part of Gollum’s creation than he could probably have ever imagined. Re-imagined through the use of motion capture technology, Gollum became much more than a digital creation. Those of us who sat in theaters on December 18, 2002, witnessed the birth of a new form of performance. What we saw was Andy, transformed into Tolkien’s iconic character. Continue reading “Happy Birthday to Andy Serkis!”