Very excited to report that a movie I worked on has received an Oscar: RANGO won for 2011 Best Animated Feature Film!

I was the Production Supervisor on the movie, which as an animated film, bears some explanation. Unlike most animated films with the actors recording their lines in a sound booth, we brought all the actors together for a month of shooting on a sound stage at Universal Studios. We filmed them with three video cameras, minimal wardrobe, props and set dressing, acting with each other, or as the director, Gore Verbinski, likes to say, “Reacting with other.”

The shoot was dubbed “Emotion Capture”, a riff on the more common motion capture process, and its intention was to yield a depth of acting and emotional realism that is often lacking in animated films. The effort seems to have paid off.

For a fun behind-the-scenes look at how this “Emotion Capture” shoot went, check out this video on YouTube.

For me, it was a great opportunity to work on a big Hollywood film with an A-list cast and crew, as usually I work on independent films. The experience was very rewarding and I hope to repeat the process for future animated films who see the value in doing their own “Emotion Capture” shoot.

While I wasn’t at the Oscars ceremony when the awards were handed out, and Hollywood wouldn’t make any fuss over the Production Supervisor on the film, I have received a bit of recognition in Southern Oregon for my role in the production. Here’s a smattering of newspaper articles and TV news about me.

KOBI-5
KDRV-12
Mail Tribune