Andrew Li. A science-fiction veteran, Andrew has worked on films like The Core, The Chronics of Riddick and X-Men: The Last Stand, with the latter, coincidentally, being a film that the Brothers Strause also worked on in the visual effects department. Six degrees and all. Here's an excerpt:
AXP: As the setting is unique to both the Alien and Predator franchises, what kind of influences did you draw from the previous installments?
AL: For the Predator, we got a glimpse of their starship at the ending of the last AVP when we see one of their own lying dead on a Predator altar bed. We take cues from that design and ramp it up for our version of the altar bed and the Predator spacecraft. We developed our own version of the Predator alphabet which is similar to the characters that have already been established.
Al: I worked mainly on the sewer set and the predator spacecraft. Andrew drew from his experience in designing Dawn of the Dead to create the creepiness of the sewer set. We wanted to keep the sewer relatively small so that the aliens and predators would look very menacing and horrifyingly huge in the set. In fact, when the predator is standing in full costume, he is over 8 feet tall!!!
When we seen him wading through the sewer water hunting down the rogue aliens, he definitely looks VERY, VERY scary!!! For the spacecraft I built a physical model. Our very talented illustrator Rob Jensen had established the look that we wanted. We did not have a big budget for this set so we tried to put a lot of the money in the beautiful sculpted predator architecture of the ship and we used lots and lots of aluminum extrusions and pipes to fill in the rest of the set. In some ways, the detailing on the set is similar to what I did on the Virgil "earthship" on The Core. But we were careful to keep the design non-human like as well. I got a lot of inspiration from the creature and prop design work coming out of Amalgamated Dynamics Inc. We wanted to make the predator spacecraft organic and beautiful, but also very rugged and macho.
More: http://www.alienexperience.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=802
"The Strause brothers with our Oscar-winning costume designer Angus Strathie chose clothes for our teenage actors that were hip but not too stylish for a small town."
"What's unique about this Alien movie is that we finally see the Aliens invading somewhere that most people would be familiar with - small town U.S.A. In a sense, this puts the movie in the classic horror genre where some evil being is killing innocent people in places that were once considered safe. So by this measure, it was not difficult to create new and convincing settings. The Alien is an incredibly resilient character."
Oh no...
Im really looking forward to the scene where the predator is in the sewer hunting down the aliens, I cant wait. I want to see if the pred will look scary like Al said it will.
I like what he said about the Predator spacecraft, looks like were getting a predator 2 style ship, which i always loved 8), great news, im happy ;D
The references to the pains of a smaller budget and not securing locations are a bit alarming though. It also looks like the alien is going to be slap-bang in the middle of familiar earth environments...I don't think the alien is THAT resillient. Teenages, earth environments....there is a concern that this is going to feel like a b-movie slasher film. I don't know what to make of this interview, if anything, it's deflated the anticipation for me a bit. Theres a positive and a negative to any decision in a movie-on the one hand, a smaller, more horrific movie sounds good, on the other it does make me wonder if this movie is going to look a little cheap. It boils down to the acting. If youve got decent dialogue and actors, then a smaller movie will work wonders, but if you don't...then youre going to wish this movie had least had some spectacle. I'm reserving judgement until the trailer though....the sewer scene sounds like a highlight.
Budget doesn't bother me in the least, but I'll never like the idea of teenagers in the movie and 'small town USA' is always gonna irk me. They're not going to make it scary, they're playing into a tried and true cliché. I've seen way too many bad sci-fi B movies and slashe flicks to be scared by that setting any more. And Aliens in it ... nah.
I liked hearing what he had to say about the Predator ship, though. Dunno why they'd change the Pred alphabet, but so long as it isn't too drastic (IE, now we can actually read it...) shouldn't be a bother. Rigging shirts to make 'em g 'spode for bursters made me smile.
Quote from: jimmylace on May 26, 2007, 08:25:12 PM
I don't know what to make of this interview, if anything, it's deflated the anticipation for me a bit.
Same for me, I think. The stuff about the sewers and ship is cool but I can't get over the budget.
If Anderson made AvP with $40m, what's AvP2 going to be like? And where have they focussed the budget? And the Strause Brothers are visual effects guys so a lot of money needs to be spent on FX. What about everything else? I thought AvP's cast were bad, horrific acting, and AvP2 has a bunch of kids. >:(
Not happy.
The guy did say it was the smallest of them all.
...Which I honestly seriously doubt. It doesn't get much smaller than Alien or Predator. One creature, seven people, there you go.
I assumed he meant small in terms of locations.
Quote from: SiL on May 26, 2007, 08:49:18 PM
The guy did say it was the smallest of them all.
...Which I honestly seriously doubt. It doesn't get much smaller than Alien or Predator. One creature, seven people, there you go.
Yeh i guess you're right about that.But maybe he meant it in some other way,i'm not sure.I still have a pretty good feeling about this movie.
I don't think the budget is going to be drastically smaller than AvP's already small budget. I think, if anything, AvP2 maybe around 30-40 million anyhow. The budget isn't my greatest concern here- in this case, the script doesn't call for it. But like you say Darkness, it's the teenage cast that bothers me. Aliens in familiar small town USA, teenagers being chestbursted, I don't know how this movie can avoid feeling like a b-movie. If they had a stellar cast with interesting characters, then fine, a smaller movie would work, but it doesnt sound like they have that either.
Despite the horrendous acting in AvP, at the very least there was some visual spectacle to compensate for it - but a small movie & AvP quality acting? good lord.
Quote from: jimmylace on May 26, 2007, 08:54:59 PM
I don't think the budget is going to be drastically smaller than AvP's already small budget. I think, if anything, AvP2 maybe around 30-40 million anyhow.
I've been thinking $20m-$30m for a long time now.
I don't think they'd go quite that low...
no they couldn't feasibly go that low. plus budgets dont make good movies:
8/13/2004 AVP: Alien Vs. Predator 20th Century Fox $70,000,000, Domestic $80,281,096, Worldwide $171,181,096
8/6/2004 Collateral DreamWorks SKG $60,000,000 Domestic $100,170,152 Worldwide $217,670,152
8/13/2004 AVP: Alien Vs. Predator 20th Century Fox $70,000,000, Domestic $80,281,096, Worldwide $171,181,096
Ah avp budget was so big?
Anderson said they had less than what was given to Alien3, and I doubt he adjusted for inflation, meaning he had under 55mill.
im with darkness about this! is it me or does the surrounding enviroment that the film will be based on has a hint of the infamouse ''Blob'' movie back in the 80's? which i kinda liked lol!! but not Aliens or Predator!!!
QuoteThe main difference in our clothes is of course that some of them had to be rigged for our "chest-bursters" - those nasty baby Aliens that pop out of people's chests at the most inconvenient times.
So we are going to see a chestburster sequence. ;D
Andrew said he helped create a new ship. But why would they create a new ship? He mentioned the altar bed so that leaves us to believe AVP2 will start as a direct sequel involving the predalien. So wouldn't they use the same ship as in AVP? It would look wierd to see the same ship look one way in the first movie and then show the ship a bit different in the second.
Unless he is talking about the AVP2 predator's ship. But even still, why would there be an altar bed in his?
Quote from: JaredK21 on May 27, 2007, 09:47:50 PM
Andrew said he helped create a new ship. But why would they create a new ship? He mentioned the altar bed so that leaves us to believe AVP2 will start as a direct sequel involving the predalien. So wouldn't they use the same ship as in AVP? It would look wierd to see the same ship look one way in the first movie and then show the ship a bit different in the second.
Unless he is talking about the AVP2 predator's ship. But even still, why would there be an altar bed in his?
I've heard that the Strause Bros liked the Predator 2 ship, so are going in that direction in re-designing the AvP Ship. Personally I dont see why they should re-design it, the ship in AvP looked good to me... :-\
QuotePersonally I dont see why they should re-design it, the ship in AvP looked good to me...
Except it looked nothing like a Predator ship...
I suspected there would be "continuity" problems from AvP but I'm glad of that. It'll give the directors a chance to start from scratch and use the originals as their basis instead of AvP.
Anderson never gave a toss about continuity when he made AvP. A lot of people seem to forget that.
I doubt the budget should dent our hopes, the whole basis of the movie is that it is shot on location, or probably most of.... The only set so far is the sewer and the ship. One Predator suite, perhaps 3 full detailed Aliens and the rest CGI background (probably cannon fodder).
Put it in the woods, in a hospital and a showdown at the end (money shot) = AVP2
thats it really? the rest is Chest buster filler shots and Gory Human Kills.
At least thats the picture building in my head. My opinions the same, I still hope for an entertaining movie that pays tribute to the creatures.
Well, Colin said there is a really good story they have going with plot twists, which is a plus in my book. Two legends fighting it out in a midwestern town for 2 hours ain't gonna cut it, there has to be a story. I am glad the Strauses took this into realization.
This aint no Alfred Hitchcock movie though, Last time we got a twist , a newborn popped out...........nuff said! ;D
Quote from: Darkness on May 27, 2007, 10:00:31 PM
I suspected there would be "continuity" problems from AvP but I'm glad of that. It'll give the directors a chance to start from scratch and use the originals as their basis instead of AvP.
Anderson never gave a toss about continuity when he made AvP. A lot of people seem to forget that.
Exactly.
Anderson was the one who broke continuity, because he ignored the Predator 2 ship design and created a space ship that looks like it was built by humans.
Quote from: highlandpred on May 27, 2007, 10:43:13 PM
This aint no Alfred Hitchcock movie though, Last time we got a twist , a newborn popped out...........nuff said! ;D
The only problem I had with the Newborn was it's silly looking nose ;D
avoid those side shots please!
no side shot intended, hence the smiley! ;)
Newborn , nose or no nose, almost took the whole series down single handed!! ;D
Apologies, I'd love a Twist, but I can't see any major twists that would'nt cause an upset, PredAlien Rogue, Predalien Queen, Predalien that looks like a predator.......all things in my opinion that would spoil the movie.
I'd like it if they came up with a cool idea for the Aliens on Earth, can't see it though.
I liked the newborn...then again maybe because the rest of the movie was so terrible. I kind of thought the newborn was the movies only saving grace. Actually, what am I saying?
Quote from: jimmylace on May 26, 2007, 08:54:59 PM
I don't think the budget is going to be drastically smaller than AvP's already small budget. I think, if anything, AvP2 maybe around 30-40 million anyhow. The budget isn't my greatest concern here- in this case, the script doesn't call for it. But like you say Darkness, it's the teenage cast that bothers me. Aliens in familiar small town USA, teenagers being chestbursted, I don't know how this movie can avoid feeling like a b-movie. If they had a stellar cast with interesting characters, then fine, a smaller movie would work, but it doesnt sound like they have that either.
Despite the horrendous acting in AvP, at the very least there was some visual spectacle to compensate for it - but a small movie & AvP quality acting? good lord.
I don't know, Alien was, in David Giler's words, a B-movie that looked and felt like an A one... So I am still holding my judgment about the cast, which could be good actors, and budget restraints can make them be creative actually in the way they use it... So this may look bad on paper, but could be something else on screen...
Also, they might invest more on the story to make up for the small budget decisions elsewhere...
Maybe I am being overpositive about this, but I have seen it before (ALIEN) so... ;D ;)
I agree, The cast does'nt bother me, its how the Lead guy/girl takes to the stage, and of course the story.
Pitch black was on the TV the other night, made for somthing like $23 million, Total B cast, with Vin Diesel putting in a Show stealing performance. I thought that was a solid movie, but take him out of it and I'm not so sure.
It just takes one person to break through and pull you in, hopefully somone will step up.
I bloody well hope it aint rogue...cos...that'd suck.
Quote from: Darkness on May 27, 2007, 10:00:31 PM
QuotePersonally I dont see why they should re-design it, the ship in AvP looked good to me...
Except it looked nothing like a Predator ship...
I suspected there would be "continuity" problems from AvP but I'm glad of that. It'll give the directors a chance to start from scratch and use the originals as their basis instead of AvP.
Anderson never gave a toss about continuity when he made AvP. A lot of people seem to forget that.
But changing yet AGAIN the design of the ship may increase the problem because of the old 'suspension of disbelief' crap... ;D
It will instil confusion when we see AVP then AVP2 and the interiors and exteriors of the ship don't match... likes and dislikes aside... ESPECIALLY if fans dislike the changes done in AVP2 by the time they see it...
Despite we liking or disliking AVP, it is out there now, and if they are doing a direct sequel, they should stick to what was done visually in terms of the spaceship design because to me, it will be like changing Sigourney with some other actress from Alien to Aliens, or to use a real MOVIE example, replacing Jodie Foster with Julianne Moore from 'Silence of the Lambs' to 'Hannibal'...
I liked the AVP design, taking into account that the various Predator ships will diverge architecturally from one to the next, but I agree that it looks nothing like a Predator ship (though we have to admit, all we saw from the Pred ship in the first Predator was as it passed by at the beginning, and the rear of it in Predator 2... which were different from Predator to Predator 2...The best glimpse we got was in the AVP2 game so...
So the best shot of the ship we got was actually in a PC game which I don't know if it was just a programmer's design or was based on actual modelisations of the Predator 2 movie... If there is a model, can you post a link to it...? Thanks a million... ;)
but who said it was the AVP ship they were re-doing? did they quote this, or just "we re re-designing the ship"?
I think they are talking about our hunters ship(the new pred), to change the first one just does'nt make sense.
They could keep the look of the ship from AvP on the outside, but they can change the inside all they want as we only see inside the back of the ship in the first one...
not sure, doesn't the guy mention a model of some sort, and a stage setting, I dont think the first AVP had any of these, and if it did, i doubt it would need re-designed? (well since the guy mentions "low budget" about 5 times)
It also poses the question, if it is the new Ship, why the Alter? perhaps a clue to the new plot... :-\
Quote from: highlandpred on May 28, 2007, 11:04:26 PM
not sure, doesn't the guy mention a model of some sort, and a stage setting, I dont think the first AVP had any of these, and if it did, i doubt it would need re-designed? (well since the guy mentions "low budget" about 5 times)
It also poses the question, if it is the new Ship, why the Alter? perhaps a clue to the new plot... :-\
Changes were done to match our visual style, as well as to bring design elements closer to the way they were in the originals (Alien, Aliens, Predator, and Predator2).
But then continuity goes out the window....
Because obviously the Predator ships in AvP, and Predator 2 are all different designs.....
Oh..wait.. continuity already when out the window when AvP was made.... . :(
:D
Colin, what did the Fox people think of the rough cut ?
I'm just going to accept the new designs, i won't argue with that.
Quote from: Colin_Strause on May 29, 2007, 03:32:50 AM
Changes were done to match our visual style, as well as to bring design elements closer to the way they were in the originals (Alien, Aliens, Predator, and Predator2).
So why keep the Aliens looking mostly like from
Alien Resurrection and
AvP? Actually going back to the
Aliens design - Outside of simply removing the cowl - would've been a nice change.
I think theres got to be levels of diplomacy when it comes to the direction of ADI's work. Thats how ADI want to make the aliens look these days; of course many fans prefered the detail biomechanical look, but then again..many ppl on here prefer the aliens design to alien. (which I dont)
Whilst a redesigned ship creates some contunity issues...it perversely restores continuity with the originals. You might think that 2 wrongs dont make a right, but Id disagree. Anderson botched up the predators in many ways; I dont think he really understood their appeal. Good to see a more tribal ship make a reappearance.
I like the Alien design best, but at this rate the chances of us ever seeing that again are sweet FA...
I have a feeling we will see random scriptures and alienesque designs on the predator ship, ala predator 2 :)
Also lots of fog!!
The continuity between the ships was a concern for me, but whatever...i'll just assume the ship changes its interior randomly?? lol. (If the ships we see are supposed to be the same).
Quote from: Colin_Strause on May 29, 2007, 03:32:50 AM
Quote from: highlandpred on May 28, 2007, 11:04:26 PM
not sure, doesn't the guy mention a model of some sort, and a stage setting, I dont think the first AVP had any of these, and if it did, i doubt it would need re-designed? (well since the guy mentions "low budget" about 5 times)
It also poses the question, if it is the new Ship, why the Alter? perhaps a clue to the new plot... :-\
Changes were done to match our visual style, as well as to bring design elements closer to the way they were in the originals (Alien, Aliens, Predator, and Predator2).
I understand the Visual style part, put you can style change your visual style without altering the actual elements/props invoved. lighting, tone and your camera style perhaps, to change the actual material goes against the grain a little. However, I'm all for out with the old and in with the new!
I Suppose you guys are at a sort of "disadvantage" with this being the first Proper follow on (ie the movies are tied by what happened in the previous instalment, unlike Alien, Aliens, Predator, Predator 2)
Quote from: highlandpred on May 29, 2007, 09:29:50 AM
Quote from: Colin_Strause on May 29, 2007, 03:32:50 AM
Quote from: highlandpred on May 28, 2007, 11:04:26 PM
not sure, doesn't the guy mention a model of some sort, and a stage setting, I dont think the first AVP had any of these, and if it did, i doubt it would need re-designed? (well since the guy mentions "low budget" about 5 times)
It also poses the question, if it is the new Ship, why the Alter? perhaps a clue to the new plot... :-\
Changes were done to match our visual style, as well as to bring design elements closer to the way they were in the originals (Alien, Aliens, Predator, and Predator2).
I understand the Visual style part, put you can style change your visual style without altering the actual elements/props invoved. lighting, tone and your camera style perhaps, to change the actual material goes against the grain a little. However, I'm all for out with the old and in with the new!
I Suppose you guys are at a sort of "disadvantage" with this being the first Proper follow on (ie the movies are tied by what happened in the previous instalment, unlike Alien, Aliens, Predator, Predator 2)
Agreed... It is a tricky affair to do a direct sequel when the original has some controversial bits that need to be present iin the sequel...
From my moviegoing experience, I never liked departures, visual or otherwise, regarding the source material, namely, the original... Whenever I saw a different actor portraying a beloved character, or a decor that departed too much from the original I had seen, it made a bump on my SoD, therefore, cut my involvement on the movie...
When we go see AVP2, we will subconsciouly establish comparisons and procure familiar settings whenever we see the new Altar in the Predator ship the same way the cryotubes in Alien3 looked so different from the Aliens ones... Did you notice that when you saw A3 for the first time...?
I did, because my mind, in the first viewing, is like a sponge...I absorb everything and reflect later... But nowadays, I find myself boring myself to death at theatres with the latest batch of SFX movies... :(
I hope AVP2 brings back that 'sponge' joy...! :D :D ;)
Why is there any mention of continuity problems?
Remember, that last spaceship design did not replace the others. It was shown stowing them below the hull, acting as a mothership carrier. This could very easily be one of those which either acted in an escape pod role or went on its business, only to have things go wrong when it did so.
After all, a hunting trip back to Earth on one of those smaller ships would make sense, yes? Perhaps the Predalien stows away aboard it?
Or maybe, as I always thought, that Predator body was not ignored... It was placed in a stasis field to allow them access to a Predalien. They might as well use it if they can do, instead of incinerating it, right?
:)
Quote from: Xenomorphine on May 29, 2007, 02:26:43 PM
Why is there any mention of continuity problems?
Remember, that last spaceship design did not replace the others. It was shown stowing them below the hull, acting as a mothership carrier. This could very easily be one of those which either acted in an escape pod role or went on its business, only to have things go wrong when it did so.
After all, a hunting trip back to Earth on one of those smaller ships would make sense, yes? Perhaps the Predalien stows away aboard it?
Or maybe, as I always thought, that Predator body was not ignored... It was placed in a stasis field to allow them access to a Predalien. They might as well use it if they can do, instead of incinerating it, right?
:)
Colin started it when he mentioned the word 'changes'... We all shivered and trembled and started screaming ... ;D ;)
Actually, the change in designs is a minor continuity problem, not a BIG one... In my mind, in terms of repeated decors in Sequels, the original and the sequel or sequels should feel as one, meaning that, for example, in this case, the ship's exterior should be the same one, but inside it could be explored in a different way, on different parts of the ship, but in a way that could be an extension, more than a 'correction' of what we have seen before in AVP... Build on it, but not change it dramatically and drastically...
I say this because there is a chance we might not like the changes and then where would we be..? ???
I admire, though, the courage of the brothers in risking to do changes that could very easily backfire on them... in this day and age of flavourless sequels, they are taking risks which is always refreshing, wouldn't you say...? ;)
yeah, Agreed I'm all for the Changed ship, I did'nt like the AVP ship anyway, looked too Human (on the inside) for me.
Xenomorphine - theres mention of problems because if the ship takes off from Earth Looking like Example A then Comes back looking like Example B a few hours later, everyones gona be like, what the?! ;D
Unless of Course we're talking about a different time frame (ie not directly After AVP) in which case, there goes the "crashed ship" theory........
Quote from: highlandpred on May 29, 2007, 04:02:50 PM
yeah, Agreed I'm all for the Changed ship, I did'nt like the AVP ship anyway, looked too Human (on the inside) for me.
Xenomorphine - theres mention of problems because if the ship takes off from Earth Looking like Example A then Comes back looking like Example B a few hours later, everyones gona be like, what the?! ;D
Unless of Course we're talking about a different time frame (ie not directly After AVP) in which case, there goes the "crashed ship" theory........
But like I said, that very same ship iincluded the older ones hanging off the underside of the hull. What's wrong with one of those bringing anything back? Why would that present continuity problems in any way? It did carry them.
It's like saying that because a pilot sailed away on an aircraft carrier, it's impossible for him to fly to another base on an F-18. Heh... :)
Plausible, only if the predalien is any good with ship controls ;) ;D
There will be a good explination, i just hope that since theres guys out there making thousands of $$$ for writing scripts and screen plays, they come up with something not that my Granny could have guessed at...
Quote from: jimmylace on May 26, 2007, 08:25:12 PM
The references to the pains of a smaller budget and not securing locations are a bit alarming though. It also looks like the alien is going to be slap-bang in the middle of familiar earth environments...I don't think the alien is THAT resillient. Teenages, earth environments....there is a concern that this is going to feel like a b-movie slasher film. I don't know what to make of this interview, if anything, it's deflated the anticipation for me a bit. Theres a positive and a negative to any decision in a movie-on the one hand, a smaller, more horrific movie sounds good, on the other it does make me wonder if this movie is going to look a little cheap. It boils down to the acting. If youve got decent dialogue and actors, then a smaller movie will work wonders, but if you don't...then youre going to wish this movie had least had some spectacle. I'm reserving judgement until the trailer though....the sewer scene sounds like a highlight.
I WAS RIGHT ON THE f**kING MONEY.
Sometimes it's easier to be a cynic, though. But frankly, looking back at some of my optmistic posts about AVPR, is kind of embarassing. :-\
You're not alone.