Yesterday, Jameson Cult Film Club launched their new series of film screenings. Spielberg’s classic JAWS was the first film out and the Greenwich Yacht Club was appropriately re-named Amity Island for the evening. Jameson went all out to create a great atmosphere for the outdoor screening and the JAWS experience started as soon as the long walk down the pier did. A frazzled American man was looking for his dog Pippin, and as some helped him search for his friend, others caught on to the jig and broke the news that unfortunately Pippin was not coming back any time soon and had been lost to the big white shark.
Jameson made the big announcement that motion capture legend and actor Andy Serkis has joined as film-curator for the film club. We got to sit down with the newly announced man himself, and although THE HOBBIT questions were strictly forbidden, it did not stop Serkis from spilling enough to keep us satisfied until its release in December. He told us his new gig came after Jameson approached him and asked if he could join. Being a big film buff he could not pass on the opportunity, and JAWS was one of his personal picks for the series. His fascination for JAWS started when he sneaked into a screening as a young man and was enthralled by the film from it’s very first frame. Since then Serkis has had the fortune to work with JAWS director Steven Speilberg in last year’s THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN:THE SECRET OF THE UNICORN.
The animatronics of JAWS is one reason he’s fascinated by the film, and when asked what technology he would use if he made JAWS now, Serkis explains a combination of animatronics and his specialty, motion caption, would be his pick. Serkis is considered the motion caption master and is now branching out, directing the second unit of THE HOBBIT. And although FREEZING TIME was expected to be his directorial debut, he reveals that there are two other secret projects that will be released before, and announced shortly.
Andy Serkis and Jonathan Cavendish (BRIDGET JONES, CROUPIER) set up performance caption company ‘The Imaginarium’, where characters are brought to life through motion capture, and many international films are already using their services within performance caption. Serkis also discussed the development of performance capture and explains that ‘technology has become more transparent’. The ten years that have passed since Gollum’s first appearance on the big screen has brought on a great development within motion capture technology. Serkis explains the technology as being in a point where it now is “another way of catching an actors performance” and not at all as alien to people as it was during production of THE LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy. Back then Serkis had to shoot every scene twice, while current technology has allowed him to shoot his scenes as Gollum in THE HOBBIT only once and while truly interacting with the other characters. We leave Serkis with a question of who he would play in a JAWS re-make, although it would not be too surprising if he replied “the white shark” thanks to his past portrayal of gorillas, corrupt hobbits and apes, he himself thinks the part of Quint would be too irresistible – especially because of his attention-catching scene with the nails down the blackboard.
If future Jameson screenings are anything like last nights then you can’t afford missing out. Next screening will take place in Liverpool, and future films include Coppola’s BRAM STOKERS DRACULA and THE TERMINATOR. For all the details, visit their website.
