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Oleander Took
Rivendell
Oct 7 2012, 7:58pm
Post #1 of 66
(4740 views)
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Benedict Cumberbatch on The Necromancer
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Seems we can finally confirm that he will be both giving him his voice AND Mo-capping him.
Yesterday he had an interview at The 2012 Cheltenham Literature Festival about Sherlock and he talked briefly about several other works including The Hobbit.
According to Sherlockology's (main Sherlock fan website) report this is what he said:
"- First news that Benedict has performed motion capture for The Necromancer in The Hobbit trilogy - previously it was only stated that he was voicing the character.
This emerged from an expression of his frustration that most media outlets report that he is only providing the voice for Smaug the dragon in the films, whereas he will actually portray the entire physical onscreen performance for the gigantic creature through motion capture, which he performed during an intense couple of days of work in New Zealand earlier in the year."
Source http://www.sherlockology.com/...am-festival-07102012
This interview was recorded by Sky Arts, no airing date though
"There is nothing like looking, if you want to find something."
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Carne
Tol Eressea
Oct 7 2012, 8:01pm
Post #2 of 66
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Guess he's either out or plays another role.
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DanielLB
Immortal
Oct 7 2012, 8:03pm
Post #3 of 66
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I thought it was common knowledge he was mo-capping Smaug?
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He said an interview a while back about slinking across the floor? I'll try and dig it up. Strange he got "frustrated".
Want Hobbit Movie News? Hobbit Headlines of the Week!
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Faenoriel
Tol Eressea
Oct 7 2012, 8:09pm
Post #4 of 66
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It is among us, but media only mentions the voice acting part.
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"...Benedict Cumberbatch, who will voice Smaug the dragon in the Hobbit, a prequel to the Lord of the Rings trilogy..." etc etc. It annoys me too. Seems like Benny will have to fight for his full credit, just like Andy has had to.
But every word you say today
Gets twisted 'round some other way
And they'll hurt you if they think you've lied
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Faenoriel
Tol Eressea
Oct 7 2012, 8:10pm
Post #5 of 66
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Perhaps they re-learned you can't separate the body and the voice?
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No sense to make two different actors act the same character, if it doesn't serve any story/artistic purpose.
But every word you say today
Gets twisted 'round some other way
And they'll hurt you if they think you've lied
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Oleander Took
Rivendell
Oct 7 2012, 8:20pm
Post #7 of 66
(2280 views)
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Just last week i saw a couple of articles where they had just learnt he was in The Hobbit. Just last week.... Hope he gets a proper promotion for DoS
"There is nothing like looking, if you want to find something."
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jtarkey
Rohan
Oct 7 2012, 8:24pm
Post #8 of 66
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I still don't really understand why they would have him mo-cap Smaug. I understand the benefits of doing it if you're creating a creature with a human form (King Kong, Gollum). But a Dragon? How is that supposed to help make the dragon more realistic? I remember watching the special features on Jurassic Park, and they studied the ways birds and different animals move in order to get the dinosaurs right. Seemed to work pretty well.
I'm sure I'm just ignorant as to how this sort of thing works, I'm just interested to see how they'll do it. Will Smaug have four long and slender limbs like a person?
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Fardragon
Rohan
Oct 7 2012, 8:48pm
Post #10 of 66
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Now, that's so old, I don't think it was actually mo-capped, the animators just matched the CGI dragon to the actor's face. But that dragon is still physically recognisable as Sean Connnery.
A Far Dragon is the best kind...
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Silverlode
Forum Admin
/ Moderator
Oct 7 2012, 9:48pm
Post #11 of 66
(2139 views)
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We dubbed them "neekerbreekers"
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during the run-up to the LOTR films, because poorly-researched articles were everywhere. What do they do when they can't get Hobbit? 
Silverlode
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Baggins Babe
Registered User
Oct 7 2012, 10:00pm
Post #12 of 66
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There was a newspaper article last December....
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....which said that Peter Jackson (and Ian McKellen) were so impressed with Benedict's audition tape that it was decided to do it as motion capture rather than just the voice. Apparently he had been studying snakes and komodo dragons at London Zoo and "....went a little reptile on it..."
I can't wait!
"It was said to me by Elrond Halfelven that I should find friendship upon the way, secret and unlooked for. To have found it turns evil to great good."
***************************************
I used to have a handle on life - but it fell off.
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Captain Salt
Tol Eressea
Oct 7 2012, 10:09pm
Post #13 of 66
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Lees probably had the part until they got a better known actor...
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After cutting half of his performance as Ugluk from the theatrical edition (and wasn't he originally supposed to survive to be one of the Uruk-Hai fighting Eowyn in the glittering caves?), that would seem quite crappy if true.
I hope they've at least given him another role, which is possible given all the cast reshuffling.
My Top 5 Wish List for "The Hobbit"
5. Legolas will surf down Smaug's neck
4. Bilbo will be revealed to a Robot
3. Naked PJ cameo as Ghan-Buri-Ghan
2. Use of not only 3D, but smell-o-vision, plus the inclusion of axes coming out of the seats and poking the audience when appropriate
1. Not only keep the claim that Thorin & Co. ran amok in Mirkwood "molesting people", but depict said incident in vivid detail!!!!!
(This post was edited by Captain Salt on Oct 7 2012, 10:10pm)
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Elenorflower
Gondor
Oct 7 2012, 10:25pm
Post #14 of 66
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I think its weird that a human could mo-cap for a dragon, surely the movements are completely different? Last time I met a dragon he was not flapping about in a long overcoat with the collar turned up. and secondly Cumberbutch gives his snippy soundbites to the press about how much he hasnt a cluuuuuuuue whats going on, and now he is all of a sudden 'frustrated' when they dont get their facts straight. hmmmmmm! poor luvvy.
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Lieutenant of Dol Guldur
Gondor
Oct 7 2012, 10:30pm
Post #15 of 66
(2200 views)
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If "Benedict has performed motion capture for The Necromancer in The Hobbit trilogy"... and it seems to be that way, we will see a kind of physical appearance of Sauron in The Hobbit. That meens he'll be there "in person" not just a spirit without a body. We'll not just hear his voice, we actually will see him and that makes it interesting. Great news!!
I also think it is kind of strange that Smaug and Sauron are played and voiced by the same guy. I love Benedict! He's a great actor and has a great voice, and sure he got the parts because of his voice BUT Smaug and Sauron won't have the same voice what means, that either Saurons or Smaugs voice by Cumberbatch will be highly changed. Question: Why didn't they just took another actor? Or are they going to have a similar voice and that's why one actor plays both parts? Or is Sauron going to speak with Smaugs voice to frighten/unsettle his enemies?
"There is only one Lord of the Ring, only one who can bend it to his will. And he does not share power."
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Lacrimae Rerum
Grey Havens
Oct 7 2012, 10:35pm
Post #16 of 66
(2180 views)
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Visible isn't necessarily physical
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It may be worth making the point.
I'm not sure the fact he is voicing two characters tells us any more than that.
LR
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Elenorflower
Gondor
Oct 7 2012, 10:40pm
Post #17 of 66
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it wont be visible. if its visible it has to be physical or its just spooky. 
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stoutfiles
Rohan
Oct 7 2012, 10:52pm
Post #18 of 66
(2083 views)
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John Rhys-Davies voiced Gimli and Treebeard
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And it was fine. I'm pretty critical about some things I've seen so far, but the voice acting is the least of my concerns. The Necromancer and Smaug will not sound the same, they will make alterations.
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Lacrimae Rerum
Grey Havens
Oct 7 2012, 10:59pm
Post #19 of 66
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Why does visible have to be "physical" (in the sense of possessing a physical body)?
There are several of Tolkien's characters who would not conform to this idea, at least in their trilogy film portrayals (Nazgul - both in the shadow world and ME, Sauron, Army of the Dead)
LR
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Oleander Took
Rivendell
Oct 7 2012, 11:27pm
Post #20 of 66
(2186 views)
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From http://www.benedictcumberbatch.co.uk/benedict-cumberbatch-and-louise-brealey-discuss-sherlock-at-cheltenham-literary-festival/
"On playing Smaug. Does it get really hot and sweaty in the motion capture suit?
It does, it does it’s a brilliant thing to do. Motion Capture is the most ridiculously fun thing to do as an actor. You’re utterly utterly free to do what you want as an actor especially as I’m a reptile and not a mammal and so there are things that aren’t quite possible such as a tail and wings. It was such good fun. It was just as good fun as doing the voice.
What is so frustrating is some publicist who wanted to get my business in the US released this thing saying that I was voicing Smaug and it’s followed me around everywhere. I’m doing the movements! I worked for two days solid doing the motion capture for those scenes and I’m voicing it as well. And I did the motion capture for the Necromancer as well."
"There is nothing like looking, if you want to find something."
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EyeRock
Bree
Oct 7 2012, 11:34pm
Post #21 of 66
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The banshees in avatar (also done by weta) were motion-captured by Terry Notary; the Hobbit's movement choreographer.
They do not capture the motions of a tail, wings or an elongated neck which will be added and animated later on, but the weight, physical expression and energy of the actor serves as a base for the rest of the animation process and helps the animators giving soul to the final character or creature we see on screen.
The trained body of an actor is capable of extraordinary feats, and creatures that are motion-captured benefits greatly from the sense of gravity the performers give them.
WHile watching Rise of the Planet of the Apes it astounded me how the apes that were 100% key-frame animated looked so much faker than the ones played by actors.
I am maybe a bit biased as I have a huge passion for this use of technology and physical acting, but I have no doubt that a mo-capped Smaug will look ten times better than a fully animated one.
(This post was edited by EyeRock on Oct 7 2012, 11:38pm)
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Elenorflower
Gondor
Oct 7 2012, 11:46pm
Post #22 of 66
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having a body, but physically visible, even the Nazgul needed physical robes to take shape otherwise they were invisible.
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Otaku-sempai
Immortal
Oct 8 2012, 12:25am
Post #23 of 66
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Nathaniel Lees voicing Necromancer?
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Cumberbatch isn't clear about whether he is acually voicing the Necromancer. Perhaps he is only doing motion capture for that role with Lees providing the Necromancer's voice.
'Thus spake Ioreth, wise-woman of Gondor: The hands of the king are the hands of a healer, and so shall the rightful king be known.' - Gandalf the White
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Ziggy Stardust
Gondor
Oct 8 2012, 1:05am
Post #24 of 66
(1974 views)
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it's because, despite them both being reptiles, dinosaurs and dragons are very different. It would make sense to study birds and animals for dinosaurs. But dragons are majestic, fantastic and glorious. To have the dragon mo-capped makes sense because he will move in a more glorious and, for want of a better word, graceful way, something dinosaurs don't do.
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Ziggy Stardust
Gondor
Oct 8 2012, 1:09am
Post #25 of 66
(1981 views)
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they will probably use a vocoder to make the voices sounds different. Smaug might have a more rumbly sound, and the Necromancer might have a hissy and ethereal and eerie sound to the voice.
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