Film Review of Monster House

You are not mistaken! The monster house is not about a lovely monster breaking into the human world. It's a family animated horror movie. For an animated film that is always warm, it is different. Producer Robert Zemeckis also brought the same real-life capture animation technology to the film in the 2004 Christmas animated film Polar Express. Sony Image Studio (making visual effects for Spider-Man) turned real-life performances into realistic animations.

Remarkably, compared with the Polar Express in 2004, Monster House has improved a whole level in vision and hearing. When every character comes out, you can feel their "acting skills". Every movement and expression of the character is so vivid that it clearly conveys the emotions that the director wants to express. Especially in grotesque houses, emotions such as happiness, worry and anger can be vividly expressed by square houses, which can't help but amaze people.

Once again, the Colombian company found a novel and interesting theme, and packaged it into an animated film of young and old Xian Yi with advanced computer special effects technology. Maybe you had this experience when you were young. Many uninhabited houses that have been in disrepair for a long time look so gloomy, or you once imagined that it is a monster, bloodily devouring anyone who comes near it as their own food. This is the story of this film. Three children found a mysterious house. It is said that no one who goes in is spared. The protagonist of the film is three seemingly weak children who accidentally enter the house and start fighting with various monsters.

It is the talented people who are full of imagination and business creativity who advise the Colombian company. Robert Zaimis, who has created many classic children's films, and Steven Allan Spielberg, a frequent visitor to the Hollywood power list and a famous director, were the first to think of this exciting hilarious story.

It is a great test for director Jill Kane to make this seemingly bizarre story more convincing. This fledgling young man just graduated from the University of Los Angeles, but at the university level, he was already a well-known filmmaker, and once won the spotlight award from the University Art Institute for a short film combining real people and animation. It is these achievements that make Spielberg feel at ease to give him this big production.

There is no lack of star effect in animated films. Before Shark Gang, the voice star image was integrated into the animated characters. This time, Sony's Imageworks animation works strive to create a more distinctive picture for the film. The film was still in intensive post-production from August 30, 2004 to the beginning of 20 13, showing the meticulous work.

In addition to excellent pictures, according to the production practice of animated films, the production company invited many powerful stars to join the behind-the-scenes dubbing work, including Steve Bussemee, a veteran of American performing arts, Maggie Runhall, the sister of famous actress and actress Jake Gyllenhaal, and Joan, a young actress who was recognized for Napoleon the Great in 2005.

★ The largest manufacturer

From the time travel of Back to the Future series, to the combination of many Disney cartoon characters and real people in Roger Rabbit, to the ingenious grafting of historical moments in Forrest Gump, and to the exploration of new directions in film production, the world's first animated film Polar Express was filmed with the computer special effects technology of "performance capture". This series of visual innovations can not be separated from a heavyweight behind-the-scenes pusher. What's more worth mentioning is that the great directors Steven Allan Spielberg and Zan Mikis are also mentors in their career development. The films directed by the latter, such as Back to the Future and Who Framed Roger Rabbit, are all produced by the former. Twenty-eight years after the live-action animation Who Framed Roger Rabbit came out, Zan Mikis and Spielberg once again joined forces as producers to help gill Curnane, a cutting-edge director, get on the horse and launch the latest 3D masterpiece Monster House.

★ Performance capture

The last film Polar Express, directed by Monster House and Robert Zan Mikis, used the same performance capture technology. The so-called performance capture is actually very similar to the widely used motion capture technology, except that the former can completely capture the actors' body movements and even facial expressions. Combining real-life images with computer animation can make animated characters look more like real people and enrich the film in three-dimensional effect and color level. Actors can also freely integrate into different roles and combine with roles of different identities. Therefore, Tom Hanks can play five different roles in Polar Express, including conductor, Santa Claus, tramp, seven-year-old child and his father. Similarly, when filming "Monster House", in a narrow performance space of 20 feet by 20 feet, actors must also wear a "dynamic image capture suit" similar to a diving suit, which is inlaid with dozens of diamond-shaped plastic electronic sensors, and even the actor's face is pasted with about 150 ~ 200 sensors, including eyes, eyebrows, lips, cheeks, chin and head. Because the opponent in the film does not appear in reality, the actors on the scene have to use their imagination, fantasize about the scene when the story happens and play in the air. Compared with other animation works, the actors who participate in the performance of Monster House naturally have a lot of hard work. Every day, they arrive at the studio a few hours before the start of work, and patiently and meticulously put on "moving image capture clothes".

★ Sony image

Speaking of the technical upgrade from "motion capture" to "performance capture", we have to mention the behind-the-scenes special effects team of the film-Sony Pictures)image works Inc, as a pioneer in CG special effects field, its studio was established in 1992, which uses computer-driven digital images to expand opportunities for filmmakers and create revolutionary visual effects for audiences, so it won many awards in the industry. Elf 2. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, The Legend of Narnia and other special effects blockbusters are his masterpieces. Through Polar Express, the studio developed a breakthrough proprietary technology-"Performance Capture" technology system. Some film critics even think that from the technical level of shooting, it can be compared with the technological breakthrough of film from silence to sound or from black and white to color, and its role will have a far-reaching impact on the film industry. Thanks to the technical support developed by Polar Express, "Monster House" was successfully produced, and Sony Image Studio was responsible for the whole process of special effects management, which naturally contributed.

Comment: Playing is technology.

"Some wary Harry Potter fans will notice that the script of this film shamelessly embezzles the personality characteristics of three young protagonists written by JK Rowling as the trio images in the film: the DJ with more realistic black hair is Harry, the stubborn Jod is Ron, and their new alliance-a little clever red-haired Jenny is Hermione." In a film review, someone threw out the above judgment. If there are similarities, is it a coincidence, or is Dan Harmon, the screenwriter, at his wit's end and pursuing the doctrine of taking things? I believe the answer can only be different opinions, but you can easily draw your own conclusions by looking at the title used when the film started-"Ze Mikis/Spielberg Motion Capture Project".

Zan Mikis and Spielberg both think so. It doesn't matter if the role is set. The monster house is just playing with technology. They think that most Hollywood animations are based on "cute humanized animals", but these elements are always divorced from reality, so it is difficult to integrate the theme into real life. Moreover, they are temporarily limited to 2D level by technology, because 2D animation technology is difficult to create character animation. On the contrary, it is easier to create a more realistic animation world by using the technology of "action/performance capture", and even many different "surreal" elements can be added to the "real world", such as the strange house with life and walking in the film.

Many people (especially children) always have many different crazy ideas in their heads. Zan Mikis and Spielberg hope to make good use of this technology, add different "surreal" elements to real life, make all fantasies that have always been regarded as unconstrained style become a part of reality, make the impossible possible and expand the real world. Compared with the real characters in Polar Express, the characters in Monster House are more cartoon-like and the target audience is more clear. In addition, the organic integration of family comedy and haunted house adventure, I believe that the box office performance of the film will also be good.