20+ Secrets From Iconic Movies That Were Way Ahead Of Their Time

There are films that we want to see millions of times simply because they are so well produced. The characters are interesting. The plot, intriguing. We don’t even remember that much of what you see is due to special effects and extensive work behind the camera.

We, from awesome.club, we find out what went on behind the scenes of some iconic fantasy films to learn how these films were created. At the end of the post, we will also show how the universe of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them🇧🇷 Follow!

The film broke paradigms in the world of cinema because it was shot in 48 frames per second (fps) — concept called cadence. Until that moment, it was running at a maximum of 24 fps. The big difference for the public is that the image would look more “realistic” and “sharp”. However, most cinemas could not reproduce the film at this pace for technical reasons. Therefore, it was necessary to format the film again to 24 fps.

Initially, the movie should contain only two parts🇧🇷 Plans, however, changed throughout the process: there was a “hole” in the story, as if the dots weren’t all connected. So they recorded one more part and put it in the middle. The first two sequels then became the 1st and 3rd parts of the film. Thats how The Hobbit became a trilogy.

It was filmed in various locations across New Zealand and also in pavilions. City Dale was created especially for the film: a complex of buildings with movable foundations so that the set could be moved from one place to another. After the second part of the trilogy, the team had to completely destroy it.

Gollum and Smaug were created through the technology of motion capture (“moving footage”). The actors used sensors, which fixed the mime and movements. The program then created the 3D model. And so Benedict Cumberbatch struggled, crawled and jumped for the “magic” to be created. In preparing for the role, he studied the mannerisms and habits of iguanas and lizards at London Zoo. Watch the video of how it was all done. The actor said: “I tried not only to voice, but to play Smaug.” The director further commented: “I did not even see sherlock, didn’t know he was famous. I was just delighted with the voice of the actor”🇧🇷

Audio director David Farmer looked for that “terrible dragon growl” everywhere. Finally, he recorded the screams of the hungry pigs he had on his farm and added his daughter’s screams to the sound. He changed, of course, the timbre and speed of sound so that it sounded more like a dragon’s growl. This mixture, then, was the version that entered the trilogy.

That giant moose, ridden by the king of the forest elves, Thranduil, was played by a horse, which curiously was called “Moose”. By the way, actor Lee Pace (Thranduil) was two years younger than his “son of the scene” Légolas, played by actor Orlando Bloom.

The creators of the feature used a particular mechanism to create the illusion that the actors had different heights: recording the same scene in two sets different at the same time. in one of setsfor example, the “hobbit” would be filmed while — next to it — “Gandalf” would be recorded in a set with green background. The actors had to act in real time. The difference is that the camera would be closer to the magician, thus increasing his stature.🇧🇷 Then the images would be merged to make it look like the characters were in the same environment.

Ian McKellen (Gandalf) was so irritated by the situation of playing opposite the “Gnomes” from a distance that he exclaimed: “I didn’t become an actor to lend myself to that!” The microphone was on and the entire team listened to their complaints. So they decided to take gifts and cards with positive messages to cheer him up.

The scale of production was overwhelming. Only for the movie The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug more than 800 elf ears were made; 752 wigs; 263 beards; and about 800 guns. This is all for both the actors and their stunt doubles. Richard Armitage (Thorin) has grown a long, handsome beard in order to avoid wearing the dummy.

Since Lord of the Rings audiovisual technology has advanced a lot and now, the makeup of magical creatures has become much easier. Constant retouching is no longer necessary: ​​waterproof, heat and fire resistant products are used. The most time-consuming make-up was for the dwarf Bombur (2h30), while the fastest was for Kili (30 min).

The director recorded almost daily behind the scenes of the filming. Thanks to this, the audience was able to follow many interesting and funny moments.

Many accessories were created from a 3D printer: sword hilts, helmets, belts and up to 48 prostheses – used daily in the characters’ makeup (fake noses, ears and feet for the dwarves).

At the end of the recordings, director Peter Jackson admitted that it was very tiring: “Actually, I don’t really like recording films”, he commented, “I like writing scripts and editing the finished material more”.

James Cameron wrote the script even before filming for Titanic in 1994. It was 80 pages that started this tremendous success story. To write it, he was inspired by science fiction books he had read since he was a child. The plan was: filming would begin in mid-1997 so that the film would be released in the early 2000s. The director, however, decided that technologies were not yet advanced enough to reproduce all the fantasies he had in his head. So he decided to wait. For how long? For as long as it took. Cameron’s film release was inspired by Peter Jackson — after he released Lord of the Rings🇧🇷 As a result, the film consists of 60% computerized elements and 40% real action. The creation of the Na’vi alien culture — as well as their language — was accomplished with the help of linguist Paul Frommer. The language consists of 1000 words: own inventions and a mixture of Polynesian, African languages ​​and dialects of the Maori people of New Zealand. For two years, the design team deliberated on what the Na’vi people would look like, which wasn’t easy: “We created creatures that looked like cats and humanoids, but with a human face.” The color blue was chosen because of a dream that the director’s mother had: “My mother dreamed of a 3.5 meter blue woman, and I found the idea interesting”. Zoë Saldaña (Neytiri) recalled her first reaction when she saw the final result: “I couldn’t believe it when I saw my version in blue. I had no words to express what I was feeling. It was something between the fascinating and the fantastic and, at the same time, it looked like me”.

It is worth noting that all the technology possible and available at that time was used for the production of the feature. The director saw the actors’ digital copies in two projections and could change the virtual environment according to his preferences in real time. Motion capture technology and actors’ mimes were also used — as well as special programs for reproducing landscapes and battle scenes. after the casting, James Cameron took his entire team to Hawaii to get a feel for what it was like to be in a rainforest. They could thus rehearse under conditions similar to those of Pandora. The actors also had to learn their character’s specific skills: shooting firearms; bow and arrow; horseback riding. And, of course, they learned the Na’vi language. Landscapes and scenery were inspired by real locations. Some locations are from Zhangjiajie National Park in China. And others, from the Gulf of Mexico, for example.

The film’s love stories were based on stories from the director’s own films. Jake and Neytiri’s relationship was mirrored in the famous couple Jack and Rose — passengers from Titanic🇧🇷 They come from different cultures and social backgrounds and cannot be together in any way. But, we know, that love is stronger than all obstacles. On the film’s official Twitter page emerged footage from the original film in the form of concept art. “Not only will you return to Pandora, but you will be able to explore new parts of the world,” reads one of the tweets. The main characters (Jake and Neytiri) will have two sons and a daughter. Avatar: The Way of Water it is expected to be released on December 17, 2021. But since the release date has already been extended three times, we can only hope that it will be finalized as soon as possible.

Angelina Jolie was the first and only candidate for the lead role. “Maleficent has a slightly seductive evil, and Angelina was the perfect choice. She brought something special to the character, something that was already classic.”, commented director Robert Stromber. Six different headdresses were made, representing the different seasons. Daily makeup took about three hours. “We looked for horns that would hold well but not get in the way when walking. Finally, we decided to use my hair to tie them in the best way”, said the actress. Initially, the makeup artists created prostheses for the character’s forehead and chin, but the result was too “diabolical”. Maleficent was too cartoonish and, therefore, they chose to create the illusion with only makeup.

At the actress’s request, the makeup artists added not only pointed ears, but also pronounced cheekbones — all with the help of latex and glue. They also made the character’s nose thicker and her canines sharper. “I’m playing a creature — who should look like one — and not just have a pretty face.”, said the actress. Angelina spent 70 days in this makeup — about 16 hours a day. The application process can be seen in this video.

About 2,000 costumes were created from scratch. The main character’s attire was crafted in the Gothic style—feminine and elegant, but also majestic and suited to the film’s atmosphere.

3 children of the couple Angelina and Brad Pitt participated in the film. The youngest, Vivienne Jolie-Pitt, played little Aurora. “On the first day of shooting, she needed to catch a butterfly, but she didn’t want to. I had to train at home. I don’t want them to become actors. I just want them to enjoy what they decide to do with their lives in the future,” shared the actress.

The character’s voice was found naturally: “She read stories to the children with different voices. Once they said: ‘Mother, what a strange voice, why do you speak like that?’ Then they asked me to repeat it. And so I kept this mysterious and very interesting voice…