After the release of the CGI-fueled Rise of the Planet of the Apes there was a wave of Internet buzz that actor/motion-capture artist Andy Serkis deserves an Oscar nomination for breathing an undeniable gravity and soul into the character of Caesar. This computer-animated chimpanzee who was almost human was created in conjunction with Serkis' motion-captured performance, one that was not aided with the use of costumes, yet not hindered by the motion capture dots affixed to his body to register his every move. Yet, as our own Katey Rich pointed out , the Academy is sure to ignore Serkis as a possible Oscar contender just as they did for his work in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, where he played the creepy and cryptic obsessive Gollum. And as Katey predicted, his Oscar buzz has since died as more traditional actors have garnered the spotlight from the Golden Globes and BAFTAs.
Now as the Oscar announcements draw near, leave it to the guys at Funny or Die to remind us of Serkis and his pioneer performance work with a new comedy short called, "The Future of CGI." Here comedians Paul Scheer (The League) and Rob Huebel (The Descendants) display their GCI-specific acting skills, while interviews with blockbuster directors Michael Bay and Jon Favreau explain how these performers are so crucial to the evolution of moviemaking. The ever-cool Ray Liotta is also on board to illustrate the particular skill set these performances require.
While on the surface this short may seem to mock Serkis' work, I think it's actually meant to blow up the misconception and prejudices many have of motion-capture. Obviously it's not enough to take the shape of a creature. For the motion-capture-based animation to prove as affecting as it has in The Lord of the Rings, King Kong, and Rise of the Planet of the Apes there has to be a connection and embodiment of the character one's portraying. If not, you get The Polar Express.
