Comments on: San Daikaiju Chikyu Saidai no Kessen (1964)/Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster (1965), Part 1: Statistics and Background http://www.dimfuture.net/wordpress/2007/07/16/san-daikaiju-chikyu-saidai-no-kessen-1964ghidorah-the-three-headed-monster-1965-part-1-statistics-and-background/ life, time and waste Thu, 08 Jan 2009 22:05:56 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: Craig http://www.dimfuture.net/wordpress/2007/07/16/san-daikaiju-chikyu-saidai-no-kessen-1964ghidorah-the-three-headed-monster-1965-part-1-statistics-and-background/comment-page-1/#comment-4636 Craig Wed, 18 Jul 2007 03:29:39 +0000 http://www.dimfuture.net/wordpress/2007/07/16/san-daikaiju-chikyu-saidai-no-kessen-1964ghidorah-the-three-headed-monster-1965-part-1-statistics-and-background/#comment-4636 Uh, sorry if I'm a bit long-winded. Uh, sorry if I’m a bit long-winded.

]]> By: Craig http://www.dimfuture.net/wordpress/2007/07/16/san-daikaiju-chikyu-saidai-no-kessen-1964ghidorah-the-three-headed-monster-1965-part-1-statistics-and-background/comment-page-1/#comment-4635 Craig Wed, 18 Jul 2007 03:28:57 +0000 http://www.dimfuture.net/wordpress/2007/07/16/san-daikaiju-chikyu-saidai-no-kessen-1964ghidorah-the-three-headed-monster-1965-part-1-statistics-and-background/#comment-4635 There are, to be sure, high levels of productivity in each of the major Asian film centers. Japan is usually one of the slower countries (relatively speaking), but the trend of having a single production crew working on two or three films at once was common in Hong Kong, and in Taiwan there are actors who averaged 70 films per year for a decade. I have a few flicks by a terrific Taiwanese director, Lee Tso Nam, and in one of them, the last sequence suddenly, inexplicably, takes place in a totally new set with a psychedelic sunset matte painting in the background. Later, I found another film where there are several scenes filmed on the same sound stage with the same painting in the back. Looks like Lee got a bit harried, and had to tear down one of his sets to make way for another, but still needed to shoot the climactic battle for the first film. In Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Korea, some really interesting skill sets evolved from the time pressures. Directors were expected to keep shot lists in their heads (often for multiple simultaneous productions, or for five or six episodes of a TV series), and cinematographers and set dressers were often expected to quickly recreate the feel of an environment that was in use a few days ago in order to grab a pick-up shot. (See Moon Warriors, and note that practically every shot of Maggie Cheung was a pick-up shot; she was almost never on set while the other actors were working.) There was also the legendary "in-camera" editing. In Hollywood, directors often cover a scene with two or three cameras for long shots, close-ups, or over-the-shoulder shots of dialog. The alternative is to play the scene several times, at least one take for each camera position. In East Asia, one camera operator would jump around between all of the different angles, and the actors would have to freeze between shots. If anything was out of focus, there was no backup angle to revert to. I regret that I don't know to what extent any of these techniques carried over to Japan. Kurosawa was infamous in the business for taking as long as he needed to get the shots he wanted, but I gather he was very much an exception. Likewise, Jackie Chan would have been truly notorious for dispensing with the notion of "on schedule" during his early directorial efforts, had they not all been huge box office hits. Still, I have mad respect for a crew that can turn up the tempo on a monster movie. Setting up even a single effect shot with a couple of actors in suits, dozens of models, flames... It could easily stretch to a full day. Watch the "making of" features for Matrix or LotR to get an idea how long a contemporary studio takes to put together their big effects sequences. Expectations have risen, but they also have years of experience and far more advanced technologies to rely upon. There are, to be sure, high levels of productivity in each of the major Asian film centers. Japan is usually one of the slower countries (relatively speaking), but the trend of having a single production crew working on two or three films at once was common in Hong Kong, and in Taiwan there are actors who averaged 70 films per year for a decade. I have a few flicks by a terrific Taiwanese director, Lee Tso Nam, and in one of them, the last sequence suddenly, inexplicably, takes place in a totally new set with a psychedelic sunset matte painting in the background. Later, I found another film where there are several scenes filmed on the same sound stage with the same painting in the back. Looks like Lee got a bit harried, and had to tear down one of his sets to make way for another, but still needed to shoot the climactic battle for the first film. In Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Korea, some really interesting skill sets evolved from the time pressures. Directors were expected to keep shot lists in their heads (often for multiple simultaneous productions, or for five or six episodes of a TV series), and cinematographers and set dressers were often expected to quickly recreate the feel of an environment that was in use a few days ago in order to grab a pick-up shot. (See Moon Warriors, and note that practically every shot of Maggie Cheung was a pick-up shot; she was almost never on set while the other actors were working.) There was also the legendary “in-camera” editing. In Hollywood, directors often cover a scene with two or three cameras for long shots, close-ups, or over-the-shoulder shots of dialog. The alternative is to play the scene several times, at least one take for each camera position. In East Asia, one camera operator would jump around between all of the different angles, and the actors would have to freeze between shots. If anything was out of focus, there was no backup angle to revert to. I regret that I don’t know to what extent any of these techniques carried over to Japan. Kurosawa was infamous in the business for taking as long as he needed to get the shots he wanted, but I gather he was very much an exception. Likewise, Jackie Chan would have been truly notorious for dispensing with the notion of “on schedule” during his early directorial efforts, had they not all been huge box office hits.

Still, I have mad respect for a crew that can turn up the tempo on a monster movie. Setting up even a single effect shot with a couple of actors in suits, dozens of models, flames… It could easily stretch to a full day. Watch the “making of” features for Matrix or LotR to get an idea how long a contemporary studio takes to put together their big effects sequences. Expectations have risen, but they also have years of experience and far more advanced technologies to rely upon.

]]> By: Reverend Matt http://www.dimfuture.net/wordpress/2007/07/16/san-daikaiju-chikyu-saidai-no-kessen-1964ghidorah-the-three-headed-monster-1965-part-1-statistics-and-background/comment-page-1/#comment-4631 Reverend Matt Tue, 17 Jul 2007 23:39:33 +0000 http://www.dimfuture.net/wordpress/2007/07/16/san-daikaiju-chikyu-saidai-no-kessen-1964ghidorah-the-three-headed-monster-1965-part-1-statistics-and-background/#comment-4631 Ah! Very good, then. As I say, I don't know much about Corman. Ah! Very good, then. As I say, I don’t know much about Corman.

]]> By: Tyrell http://www.dimfuture.net/wordpress/2007/07/16/san-daikaiju-chikyu-saidai-no-kessen-1964ghidorah-the-three-headed-monster-1965-part-1-statistics-and-background/comment-page-1/#comment-4630 Tyrell Tue, 17 Jul 2007 20:37:14 +0000 http://www.dimfuture.net/wordpress/2007/07/16/san-daikaiju-chikyu-saidai-no-kessen-1964ghidorah-the-three-headed-monster-1965-part-1-statistics-and-background/#comment-4630 I was more referencing his ability to make movies in a quick fashion, not to the quality of those films or influence by the studio. Using the same sets, production crews and cast was also common move by him. I was more referencing his ability to make movies in a quick fashion, not to the quality of those films or influence by the studio. Using the same sets, production crews and cast was also common move by him.

]]> By: Reverend Matt http://www.dimfuture.net/wordpress/2007/07/16/san-daikaiju-chikyu-saidai-no-kessen-1964ghidorah-the-three-headed-monster-1965-part-1-statistics-and-background/comment-page-1/#comment-4629 Reverend Matt Tue, 17 Jul 2007 12:03:17 +0000 http://www.dimfuture.net/wordpress/2007/07/16/san-daikaiju-chikyu-saidai-no-kessen-1964ghidorah-the-three-headed-monster-1965-part-1-statistics-and-background/#comment-4629 I did gape wide, yes! I'm in a couple of other Godzilla titles, too! ("Kessen" means roughly "battle" in Japanese.) Tyrell: I don't know much about Corman, but part of my point here is that Honda did as he was told by the studio system, in spite of his own opinions. Which is the opposite of Corman, yes? He did churn out the product, true, but I don't think that's too uncommon in Asian cinema. Craig? I did gape wide, yes! I’m in a couple of other Godzilla titles, too! (”Kessen” means roughly “battle” in Japanese.)

Tyrell: I don’t know much about Corman, but part of my point here is that Honda did as he was told by the studio system, in spite of his own opinions. Which is the opposite of Corman, yes? He did churn out the product, true, but I don’t think that’s too uncommon in Asian cinema. Craig?

]]> By: smoonn http://www.dimfuture.net/wordpress/2007/07/16/san-daikaiju-chikyu-saidai-no-kessen-1964ghidorah-the-three-headed-monster-1965-part-1-statistics-and-background/comment-page-1/#comment-4625 smoonn Tue, 17 Jul 2007 00:18:53 +0000 http://www.dimfuture.net/wordpress/2007/07/16/san-daikaiju-chikyu-saidai-no-kessen-1964ghidorah-the-three-headed-monster-1965-part-1-statistics-and-background/#comment-4625 Hey, Rev. Your NAME is in the MOVIE TITLE! Did you squeal like a little girl the first time you saw that? Hey, Rev. Your NAME is in the MOVIE TITLE! Did you squeal like a little girl the first time you saw that?

]]> By: Tyrell http://www.dimfuture.net/wordpress/2007/07/16/san-daikaiju-chikyu-saidai-no-kessen-1964ghidorah-the-three-headed-monster-1965-part-1-statistics-and-background/comment-page-1/#comment-4624 Tyrell Mon, 16 Jul 2007 23:56:28 +0000 http://www.dimfuture.net/wordpress/2007/07/16/san-daikaiju-chikyu-saidai-no-kessen-1964ghidorah-the-three-headed-monster-1965-part-1-statistics-and-background/#comment-4624 So was Honda like the Roger Corman of Japan? So was Honda like the Roger Corman of Japan?

]]> By: Dan http://www.dimfuture.net/wordpress/2007/07/16/san-daikaiju-chikyu-saidai-no-kessen-1964ghidorah-the-three-headed-monster-1965-part-1-statistics-and-background/comment-page-1/#comment-4623 Dan Mon, 16 Jul 2007 21:48:16 +0000 http://www.dimfuture.net/wordpress/2007/07/16/san-daikaiju-chikyu-saidai-no-kessen-1964ghidorah-the-three-headed-monster-1965-part-1-statistics-and-background/#comment-4623 Awesome poster. Awesome poster.

]]>