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Look! A monkey!
Posted by Mike Sugarbaker at 4:39 pm on 4/5/2005
I have no idea how many people are aware of the KongIsKing.net feed of Production Diaries - basically, a bunch of behind-the-scenes video clips from Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson’s King Kong remake, being released online while production is happening. This is very canny, of course - release the kind of images that most films frantically treat as “leaks” and try to contain, and the kind of backstage goofiness that people like me slurp up with a spoon when it comes out on collectors’ DVDs, and you work fans into a frenzy while at least keeping the flow of information off of your set controllable.
Of course, it helps that films are more and more digital these days - if all the good parts are in a computer, you have no sets to protect from cameras. All you need to do for security is lock down the studio net connection, and frisk your animators for USB thumb drives.
People who are afraid of “spoiling” themselves with these clips are A) overestimating the visual interest of blue screens, and B) forgetting how Peter Jackson makes movies. It does not matter whether you see the New York set or glimpse some composited jungle tableaus. Jackson is the best mainstream filmmaker today at earning the grandeur of his effects and visuals emotionally, and it’s interesting to note that almost none of the Production Diaries contain any actors doing anything emotional in character. Even as post-production fires up and we actually (maybe) get to see the title character, I don’t think we’ll be shown anything that spoils the movie. Jackson knows what his real money shots are.
(Dude, they are totally making out after hours.)