Possibly using 60s Connery footage in a different way
Barbel
ScotlandPosts: 37,863Chief of Staff
Now, I know very little about CGI etc but I do know that it's possible (with varying degrees of success) to de-age an actor or create a CGI version (eg Peter Cushing in "Rogue One") of one.
Would it be feasible, or even possible, to use footage of Sean Connery in "Woman Of Straw" or perhaps "Marnie" and fit it in with CGI to have a young Connery in a new narrative... say, oh I don't know, a James Bond adventure?
I don't remember this coming up here before, but forgive me if it has. What got me thinking about this was seeing stills of Sir Sean in "Woman Of Straw". If one didn't know better, these (and many others) could easily be mistaken for him as 007.
Would it be feasible, or even possible, to use footage of Sean Connery in "Woman Of Straw" or perhaps "Marnie" and fit it in with CGI to have a young Connery in a new narrative... say, oh I don't know, a James Bond adventure?
I don't remember this coming up here before, but forgive me if it has. What got me thinking about this was seeing stills of Sir Sean in "Woman Of Straw". If one didn't know better, these (and many others) could easily be mistaken for him as 007.
Comments
"The spectre of defeat..."
I fear the technology will at some point be used for something profoundly unethical, such as making a porn starring "Marilyn Monroe".
It would be difficult and pose technical problems, of course. I'm wondering how difficult.
Rights may be an issue- for one thing, "Marnie" is a Hitchcock film. His family may not be happy. Still, I think it's an interesting theory.
Videos on YouTube that are amazing.
I think in a few years it will be perfectly
Possible to use a long deceased actor
In a major roll, I think there's a new film
Coming out soon with James Dean in it.
https://www.businessinsider.com/james-dean-posthumous-casting-in-new-movie-through-visual-effects-2019-11
That said, it would be interesting to see Connery inserted into OHMSS. Dunno, just a thought.
Or to make him look better in NSNA but it's still horrible as a film.
Wasn't there a car ad two decades ago with Connery de-ageing using CGI as it went on? I'll look for it.
Roger Moore 1927-2017
Connery Car Advert
Roger Moore 1927-2017
or that SNL comedian who did the Jeopardy sketches
I don't think you need to reuse footage from early movies, the ConneryBond character could be all CGI.
Maybe should be, as the choice of movements in the vintage footage would be too limiting to cover all needed movements to tell a complete story.
For example do these early Connery films include anything visually similar to him being tied in a chair and smacked with a carpet beater? if not, still need to create that content from scratch.
What's really needed is an Andy Serkis type motion actor who can persuasively imitate Connery's distinct manner of movement, and map the CGI Connery to that.
and yes actually attempting anything like this, especially so close after the real Connery's death, would be in exceptionally poor taste, even if he had remained on good terms with EON.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kamPVs-a9w
Another factor in bringing back a CGI de-aged Connery is the fact that other examples of re-using actors' likenesses- particularly Peter Cushing in Star Wars- garnered a fair bit of negative publicity in the press as it was seen to be disrespectful, i. e, in bad taste. For instance articles like this:
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/dec/21/peter-cushing-rogue-one-resurrection-cgi
"The spectre of defeat..."
Wasn't there a posthumous Peter Sellers film cobbled together in a similar manner?
1) is it technically possible
2) is it ethical, or even legal
I think we're all agreed any actual attempt to do so would be disrespectful to Connery's memory and wishes,
but the discussion of how it could be done technically is nonetheless rather interesting and I would like to see it explored further, so I say its a good idea for discussion!
Its not like Babs and Mike are going to see this thread and suddenly be inspired to use leftover Connery footage for Bond26 instead of hiring a new actor, its all theoretical.
...
Did you mean use only existing footage from Connery's early non-Bond films (and maybe some Bond outtakes) to make this theoretical film? no CGI Connery or doubles? would he be bluescreened into new backgrounds with new actors?
Would it be a Fleming adaptation somehow forced to fit existing footage, or an all-new story that could more easily match existing footage?
I'm reminded of films like Whats Up Tigerlily, where Woody Allen overdubbed a Japanese movie to tell a completely different story.
There was also an episode of the Cisco Kid that Martin Short and his friends overdubbed in a similar manner.
Or go down the Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid route...
As TP mentions above...Deep Fake would be the way to go...
Yes, that's it although I think there would have to be some use of doubles and (as limited as possible) CGI. Re doubles- Harrison Ford hurt his back during or just before "Temple Of Doom" and Vic Armstrong doubled for him a lot more than he would normally have been expected to do. Not the same thing, since Ford was and is very much alive, but it did put restrictions on what could be shot.
I don't think a Fleming adaptation would be possible within the limitations, and a new story would have to be written around what is available.
I can only imagine that Connery would have had a few choice words to say about any project to re-purpose or CGI him into another Bond flick.
When an actor is filmed performing a role their consent and intention in respect of their performance is part of an implicit contract with the audience even though - unlike in live theatre - the actor isn't actually present at the time that the audience experiences it. But if some use of an actor's image in a new project has no connection with the actor's intention (because it's a project conceived after the actor's death) then, to me, there's a hollowness in that project and it could never feel the same.
You could do a good fan film like this, a clip show. Do a trailer for OHMSS with just Connery okay it's probably been done.
Roger Moore 1927-2017
Roger Moore 1927-2017
That's a great idea, NP, better than mine- fairly easily done, and would have added to the film. Use these clips with a year subtitled underneath + other clips as appropriate leading up to his then-current appearance. Much like the John Wayne film, "The Shootist" did.
I think there is technology that could make this work. They’d have to put Connery on different sets. Woman of Straw and Marnie do not visually resemble Bond films, even if Connery looks just like Bond.
Am I the only one who wishes for the return to proper miniature work in movies? I enjoy the work of Derek Meddings and John Richardson far more than soulless CGI effects.
Agreed with that. And on a related point, in the genre of monster movies I much prefer the stop-motion animation of, say, the original King Kong to the later CGI iterations. (I'm not so sure, though, about the man-in-a-rubber suit monsters which ran amok through the miniatures during the intervening years... even when John Barry was drafted in to compose a score [for the 1976 Kong]!)
on good CGI it is amazing. Unfortunately many films try and save money
and go for cheap CGI which looks crap !! Many look like they were done
on Sony Vegas editing software.
Yes: interesting intention; depressing execution. Both Connery and OHMSS are probably both best left where they were!
As for CGI, I'd guess DAD left a lot of Bond fans prejudiced against it. But that was well after the likes of 'Terminator 2' had blown off everyone's socks!
"are they paying you enough money?!"