Spielberg says he faced a great challenge making "The BFG"
"Normally technology doesn't intimidate me," Spielberg told Reuters TV. "Normally I try to be at the forefront of technology, but this time I was following it. It took me a couple of weeks to adapt and really figure out how I could best utilize the motion capture tool."
Reuters - Rarely in his career has Steven Spielberg shied away from a challenge, be it the killer animals of "Jaws" or the resurrected dinosaurs of "Jurassic Park," but when it came time to create a giant for "The BFG," the veteran director found the undertaking "very intimidating."
"Normally technology doesn't intimidate me," Spielberg told Reuters TV. "Normally I try to be at the forefront of technology, but this time I was following it. It took me a couple of weeks to adapt and really figure out how I could best utilize the motion capture tool."
"The BFG," a Walt Disney film opening this Friday in North American theaters, tells the story of Sophie, an orphan who meets the BFG, played by Oscar-winning actor Mark Rylance, brought to life through motion capture animation.
The protagonist of the film, based on the book of the same name by British author Roald Dahl, is no ordinary giant. He doesn't devour children, unlike his peers, and instead collects and creates dreams to spread them across the country under the cover of night.
"Every film based on a book brings to light something essential from the book," Rylance stated. "In filmmaking, you need experience and a plot. That's why it's very faithful to the book, but it's a different creature from the one in the book."
When Sophie, played by newcomer Ruby Barnhill, sees the Big Friendly Giant one night, he takes her back to his home in the land of giants for fear that she will reveal his secret.
The courageous girl soon becomes his friend and confidante, helping the kind and gentle giant to no longer be harassed by his larger and rude peers.
"The BFG" is the 30th film by the 69-year-old filmmaker, who has won three Oscars throughout a five-decade career that includes "Indiana Jones," "Schindler's List," and "Saving Private Ryan." Spielberg will now focus on the fifth film in the "Indiana Jones" franchise, starring Harrison Ford, which is expected to be released in 2019.
"I'm really flattered when people like my films, but I never see them the way they do," he said. "I'll never be able to enjoy my work the way other people do."
(By Sarah Mills for Reuters TV)