“”Aquaman” Cast News, “Narnia” DVD Goes Inside Making Of Special FX!”
By Arlene R. Weiss © Copyright February 22, 2006
Zap2it.com reports that actor, Ving Rhames, has joined the cast of the new “Smallville” spin off television series pilot for, “Aquaman”. The series, also the creation of “Smallville” Co-creators Al Gough and Miles Millar, will be part of the new CW Television Network, which combines both the former WB and UPN Television Networks.
Rhames, who is best known for his work in such box office movie hits as the “Mission Impossible” film franchise, (now about to release its 3rd installment!), and “Pulp Fiction”, will definitely bring some esteemed acting chops and cred to the new, upstart “Aquaman” pilot.
Rhames will be portraying the character of McCaffery, who tends to a lighthouse and is a guiding figure to actor, Will Toale’s, character, A.C. Curry (aka “Aquaman”).
Zap2it.com also reports that “Aquaman” may be getting a romantic leading lady, in the form of additional, new cast member, former Miss Universe, Denise Quinones, who portrays the character of an as yet, unnamed, Navy Pilot.
“The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe”, which will be released on DVD April 4, 2006, according to Zap2it.com, includes an in depth, “making of” bonus featurette discussing how the extraordinary special visual effects (nominated for an Academy Award), were created for the film.
Bill Westenhofer of the special effects crew, Rhythm & Hues, as well as Director Andrew Adamson give a great analysis of how the many fantasy animals, including centaurs and fauns were brought to life via a combination of watching live animal motions, CGI effects, and “human actors with prosthetic makeup effects wearing lime green tights” (the green tights act like green and blue screen imaging so computers can then form and fill in the rest of the animal).
Focus is given, in particular, to the special effects creation of “Narnia” star and story guiding light and centerpiece, the noble, Aslan the Lion.
For Aslan, Westenhofer tells Zap2it.com that indeed, “We went to an animal training facility. We were actually in a cage…just a few feet from a lion….with a high definition camera.” Westenhofer’s crew examined the movements of actual lions in film footage and how their muscles move.
For Aslan’s regal facial expressions, since the maned majestic figure’s voice had not yet been cast (venerable actor, Liam Neeson was subsequently brought in to fill out Aslan’s voice, and thus, Aslan’s nobility), Westenhofer says that “for inspiration, we went to actor, Gregory Peck from “To Kill A Mockingbird” (one of our Favorite, most meaningful, timeless, classic films, and film characters, EVER!).”
Westenhofer goes on, telling Zap2it.com that, “The Atticus Finch character had some of the same regal qualities that we wanted. We took traits of Gregory Peck from that movie and then took our Aslan facial rig and….built our library of shapes.”
(We whole heartedly AGREE! PERFECT choice, Bill! FYI! The American Film Institute rated Peck’s Academy Award winning performance as Atticus Finch the NUMBER ONE HERO in cinema, of all time!!!!)
The effects crew also utilized a puppet, a human stand in, and even a mechanical bull type lion, all to realize Aslan as realistically life like as possible and to imbue him with as much warmth, majesty, and nobility of character as possible.
For more on the making of “Narnia’s” special visual effects go to the 2nd Zap2it.com link below, or just buy the “Narnia” DVD! You KNOW you want to! Only a few more weeks until April 4th!
Sources:
http://tv.zap2it.com/tveditorial/tve_main/1,1002,2711001191,00.html
http://www.zap2it.com/movies/news/story/0,1259,---27850,00.html
Muse News And Micro Muse February 22, 2006
By Arlene R. Weiss © Copyright February 22, 2006
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