Interview with Battle Angel Concept Artist James Clyne

[Rindain]

I just posted an interview with James Clyne about his work on Battle Angel and Avatar:
http://marketsaw.blogspot.com/2009/04/c ... talks.html

Seems like they are definitely exploring the multiple incarnations of Alita throughout the series (which is great news to me), as well as the sports (motorball and/or the coliseum fights).

[moooV]

Let's hope that mr.C won't screw brilliant designs on screen.

[Rindain]

Let's hope that mr.C won't screw brilliant designs on screen.

This is promising: he spent over a year working full time on designing Alita's various incarnations.

James Clyne: For Battle I was asked to focus in on the character design, primarily Alita herself. I'd say the first year was spent entirely on the mechanics behind her many incarnations.

Also:

James Clyne: Because my job was spent mostly developing Alita herself, I'd say the most challenging part was to find a way to successfully blend Kishiro's Anime style with a photo-real look. Jim certainly wanted to retain the look, the soul, of the book's illustrations, but also wanted to step up the visual landscape into something never seen before on film, which in a way, if you can pull it off, is also the most rewarding.

And Mark Goerner (another of the artists working on the movie designs):

Mark Goerner: With Battle Angel, there was an underlying consensus from our small crew that Alita needed to retain her inherent style and subtle personality as well as that of most of the secondary characters. Key sets and technology represented in the architecture and robotics were also seen as essential.

I'm confident they will nail this.

[Dharko]

The movie is real [and possibly trilogy]....

A dream come true

[moooV]

The movie is real [and possibly trilogy]....

A dream come true

As I've already said in another thread, it would be better that this movie isn't made at all.
It's better to have nothing, than a screwed up movie. And a possibility of that is high (mr.C), even if designer work is brilliant.

[Dharko]

Well, considering that :

- The director is who made classics like Alien, Terminator, Titanic [one of the most popular - not for that the best - movies ever].

- The designers have a lot of experience in other previous great movies.

- The "photorealistic" special effects they will use have never been seen before, because are top in new technology.

- Weta [the same that created Gollum for LOTR] will make the "final touch" to the movie.

- The director has been preparing the project for years, is not something sudden of yesterday.

- This is not a garbage like Dragon Ball Evolution [for example].

Given these conditions, I´ll pay for watch Gally in the cinema.

The only thing I worry about, is that Gally is never gonnabe a jewel for some few ones again.

[hepar]

I´ll pay for watch Gally in the cinema.

Will you pay to watch Gunnm in IMAX? Cuz film will be made to be seen in 3D and on 9-floor-high bedsheet.

[Dharko]

I correct then:

Given these conditions, I´ll pay for watch Gally in any place

ok now

[Rindain]

Yeah, my mind boggles at how awesome Cameron's Gally (or, more accurately, multiple incarnations of Gally) will look on screen.

Battle Angel in terms of complexity would be equal or greater than Avatar (imagine the task of designing hundreds of photorealistic, scientifically feasible cyborg characters, all with moving parts. And of course Alita herself would have to be unlike any character ever seen. Basically, I would expect nothing less than Cameron and his team pretty much inventing a real cyborg, down to the smallest screw or synthetic, nano-based muscle fiber.

I can't wait to see what Cameron does with higher frame rates, too. Battle Angel, which its emphasis on lightning fast, insane cyborg action, would be the perfect showcase for 48 fps.

[Sergio Nova]

Well, considering that :

- The director is who made classics like Alien, Terminator, Titanic [one of the most popular - not for that the best - movies ever].

No, Alien, a film, was made by Ridley Scott. Cameron made Aliens, a movie - and cinephiles do differentiate films and movies.
From the director who made Piranhas II, I can expect any sort of trash.
As to Titanic, that is not cinema, sorry, but only a cash register.

In short, I am really aprehensive about the result. As Int12Ah said, the best solution would be to have no film at all.

[zhek]

The movie is real [and possibly trilogy]....

A dream come true

As I've already said in another thread, it would be better that this movie isn't made at all.
It's better to have nothing, than a screwed up movie. And a possibility of that is high (mr.C), even if designer work is brilliant.

Just don't watch it, if it's so bad that BAA is being filmatized. Personally I look forward to this a great deal, it's easy to disassociate it with the manga if it turns out bad (as I already do with the pretty terrible OVA)

[moooV]

The movie is real [and possibly trilogy]....

A dream come true

As I've already said in another thread, it would be better that this movie isn't made at all.
It's better to have nothing, than a screwed up movie. And a possibility of that is high (mr.C), even if designer work is brilliant.

Just don't watch it, if it's so bad that BAA is being filmatized. Personally I look forward to this a great deal, it's easy to disassociate it with the manga if it turns out bad (as I already do with the pretty terrible OVA)

Problem is not in me. I won't die if it turns out bad.
Problem is (and it has been already discussed): if movie turns out trash, whole manga would be discredited. Everyone will be like "I've seen the movie based on this manga and it sucks, so this manga sucks".
I don't want to explain it 101th time.

Read this thread to the end:
http://www.rippersanime.com/Forum/viewt ... t=25#p3411

[Sergio Nova]

As I've already said in another thread, it would be better that this movie isn't made at all.
It's better to have nothing, than a screwed up movie. And a possibility of that is high (mr.C), even if designer work is brilliant.

At least in this specific case we both have the same opinion.

[zhek]

I've read that thread before and TBH I don't care at all what people think about the franchise, as long as I can enjoy it.

[Sergio Nova]

I've read that thread before and TBH I don't care at all what people think about the franchise, as long as I can enjoy it.

Be happy!

[Dharko]

I´m sorry, but I already chose my side, I want the movie, not only because I´m very sure it is not gonna be a mess like other projects based in anime or manga, is for the logistic & human support that I feel about J.Cameron´s team, We should at less grateful that any1 wish to make the movie with all the new available technologies and take 5 years of pre-production.

I don´t defend the director, I dont care him, I defend the quality of the movie, if you wanna make Gunnm, you must make it with the best you have, and this guy gives me that trust.
plus still, is clear that "Avatar" will be the previous "test" before the final perfect product.

Hey! we have 3 years to fight about it yet

PD: Yes, is "Aliens", space military, JC´s marks registered.

Xau.

[Cailon]

Movie-realizations of comics where often blockbusters, but now, most comics are exploited. Realizing manga was just the next step. Do you know, which plans already exist, laying on someones desk?
A life action movie for: Alita (of course), Akira, Cowboy Bebob, Dragon Ball (already done), 20th Century Boys (done, at least in Japan but planned for a US-remake), Neon Genesis Evangelion, Afro Samurai, Ghost in the Shell, Astro Boy, Kite, Speed Racer (done), Death Note, Monster, Blame! (at least CGI movie), Ninja Scroll, Full Metal Panic.

Its just a matter of time and as not every comic-adaption was that bad, the filmmakers will also learn to do quite good manga-adaptions. If Alita'll be good or bad, well nobody knows that before the first trailer comes out, at least I won't judge before that...

[litchi master]

Death note has already been done in Japan and two movies were made, from what I have read about it, it's not bad though the 3D characters seem a bit out of place.
As for Dragon Ball it sucks balls like shit!!! I don't say that because I am a Dragon ball fan, because 5min after the movie starts you forget that what you are beholding has anything to do with dragon ball (the only thing reminding you being the use of the names) you are just dumbstruck watching a big load of crap. I wouldn't even want that for a 3rd rate holiday afternoon action TV flick on cable tv. it's a real shame, a potential multi million making licence ransacked like that makes me fear the worst for BAA.
Oddly enough it is because of James Cameron that I keep a bit of hope in the project, personnaly Aliens is one of my favourite movies if not the one I like best. and yeah Titanic may not be worth all the media coverage that was done at the time but the movie is good enough. and he was not involved in the terminator sequels after the second one, which means he was intelligent enough to figure out that what was coming would be bad and he was not mistaken, because terminator 3 sucks.
So I tend to trust him, at least we know he's got the money to back a serious project, so if it fails we'll know that it will not be for lack of dough. I, for one, am not expecting a great movie( I know as a fan that it is not possible to adapt something as rich as Gunnm without missing something and any liberties taken may land off being betrayals to fans like us) but at least I wish for something better than the OVA, which I think is not asking too much.
Let us wait for the trailers, to make a better idea.

[moooV]

A key word is "adaptation". That's already a betrayal of fans by itself.

[sater]

Good or bad, i'll be watching this movie in theaters everyday.