Brian Henson update on JHC's theatrical sequels

[movielad]

Unfortunately I'm not keen on sequels. I'm particularly less impressed with the Dark Crystal and Fraggle Rock movies too. I've a nasty feeling that with most of these projects, the visual effects are going to get in the way of telling a decent story. It always seems to be the case in these things that 'papa's got a brand new spanking renderfarm and workstations that can do anything'. VFX companies these days are almost factory-producing work for film and television. That's not to say there's no artistic involvement in it - there is, but the number of people and facilities working on any one project has substantially increased!

For example, when they made the Dark Crystal it was all-on art, with only a small crew, and all the time it was being inventive. Likewise for Labryinth. That for me was true art! The work that went into those productions felt as though people really loved doing what they're doing. You couldn't buy off the shelf puppets or animatronic components. Even the optical processes had an element of artistry and skill in them.

I'm beginning to find that puppeteers wearing blue/green suits and those against green screen and being composited out of the frame is becoming increasingly boring. It's been done hundreds of times before. I hate green screen and blue screen stuff. It's more about post-production these days than actual filming! We might as well ditch the puppets for the Dark Crystal sequel and animate everything to save money on the camera and blue screen hire!

Besides which, I would prefer to remember and re-watch the original stuff rather than have the Henson organisation spend the money and potentially make things worse. I don't wish to sound like a pesimist in this regard, but I found their original movies and programming such as MirrorMask to be infinitely superior to anything they've tried to follow up with their previous projects.

Sometimes I'd prefer things to be left alone and let us remember the characters for what they were and not trying to re-do, re-imagine or milk the franchise for all it's worth simply because the technology has improved or that they think they can do something original with it again.

I want the Henson organisation to go back to being creative and inventive - but not to rehash old concepts again just because the technology can allow them do so.

M.

 

[Marky]

Sometimes I'd prefer things to be left alone and let us remember the characters for what they were and not trying to re-do, re-imagine or milk the franchise for all it's worth simply because the technology has improved or that they think they can do something original with it again.

I want the Henson organisation to go back to being creative and inventive - but not to rehash old concepts again just because the technology can allow them do so.

M.

So is this basically an anti-technology rant? I mean on one hand you say you want it left alone, then you're saying that you want them to go back to being creative.

Technology is just a tool. Much of today's effects tools are is still in relative infancy. I hear what you're saying to some extent (I'm an old school Star Wars fan), and I think you mean this; a good story and talent (performance and direction) should come first.

 

[movielad]

So is this basically an anti-technology rant? I mean on one hand you say you want it left alone, then you're saying that you want them to go back to being creative.

Yeah, actually pretty much. Computers can do great things, but the CG industry is pretty much doing the same thing over and over again. This is why I think Jim Henson's Creature Shop in London failed - it was trying to match what other Soho/London based FX houses were doing and ultimately the market became too croweded and competitive and something had to be done. That said, what JHCS had and what other FX houses didn't was a decent animatronics/model shop along with emerging realtime CG character generation. But everybody pretty much goes down the CG route these days all far too easily.

Technology is just a tool. Much of today's effects tools are is still in relative infancy. I hear what you're saying to some extent (I'm an old school Star Wars fan), and I think you mean this; a good story and talent (performance and direction) should come first.

CG tools are improving in leaps and bounds. We're capable of some amazing stuff these days - particularly character animation. The problem is that because it's getting all too samey, I think that CG artists need to be let loose a bit more to do their own things (like MirrorMask - Dave McKean's approach was fantastic!). More physical effects are appreciated too.

M.