I’m getting a lot of feedback from people about my Doom commentary today. They’re forwarding me on to behind the scenes reports that indicate that many of the monsters we’ll see on screen are, in fact, NOT CGI and are actually complicated costumes, puppetry and animatronics.
As taken from GameSpy.com…
One of the ironies of the DOOM movie is that, for a film based on a video game, there’s a concerted effort to use real sets and live characters, rather than relying too heavily on green screens and CGI. On our visit, we had a chance to visit several different sets: a reception area, your standard-issue corridors and hallways, a science lab, an excavation dig and a large portal chamber…
Almost as surreal is getting to see one of the creatures in action – in this case, we’re seeing a sequence with the Hellknight (bring referred to here as the Baron). Once again, this isn’t being done with CGI — it’s a real guy in a real costume. It’s not a cheesy rubber outfit, either; it’s an elaborate setup with all sorts of motors in the face to control the creature’s expressions.
Color me surprised! I wouldn’t have figured the producers of the film to be in synch with my concerns with the blow-em-up fare, but considering the marketing I’ve seen for the movie, I think my original assessment was valid.
Literally every trailer, commercial or photo I’ve seen for Doom seems to feature some kind of CGI gimmickry. That footage in conjunction with the fantastic, impossible creatures in the Doom monster gallery would lead one to believe the creature shop would choose CGI over practical effects. Getting that initial taste and not feeling particularly attracted to the project, I didn’t take the time to dig deeper and learn that it is Stan Winston’s studio who is behind the monster creation.
For those of you who don’t know Stan Winston, you can see his trademark for character design all over films like The Terminator, Predator, Aliens, Edward Scissorhands and Jurrasic Park. The guy has serious pedigree.
Does this mean that I’m more likely to see Doom this weekend? Probably not. But in light of these facts, I think it’s earned a little more respect.
