If I would die right now I would die happy. :)
Monday, June 21, 2010
Excerpt from the Berlin Press Con. Kristen: "I don't think Taylor ever drank beer in his life."
Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner visited Berlin in order to attend a press conference on June 18th. Thanks to Concorde we had the chance to join them!
Aside from some fun-facts, like the one that Kristen Stewart - like everyone else - used to play soccer when she was in third grade, and that Taylor Lautner, too, did like to kick around when he was younger, there of course was some info on the upcoming third part of the Saga, Eclipse, which will be released all over the world in the upcoming weeks (starting with the USA in the end of the month).
It All Begins With A Choice.
Not only is this a line of the trailer for one of this summer’s most anticipated movies, no, it is also the question that is coming up whenever a movie is in the making: Who will it be directed by? The question of whether or not it has been complicated to have a new director on board for each one of the movies, Stewart answered with a "no"While having to start over from scrap everytime, each director has been "oddly appropriate“. In Eclipse, „you have to feel the danger Bella is in“, says Stewart. And that’s exactly what David Slade has achieved – he has created a darker, sinister, scarier mood.
Has the success of the Saga been changing their lives?
Stewart says she cannot simply make a stop at Starbucks anymore when she wants a cup of coffee – that you have to make adjustments. But she also says that the success and frequent attention have not changed who she is, that she still is the same person. Lautner says about the same –"You don’t give up anything – you make adjustments. [...] When you start letting it change what you do and who you are, that’s when you get in trouble.“
And even if Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner have not changed... their characters sure have.
"Jacob’s always continually growing, as a person... he’s changing... he has sort of a split personality. Sometimes you get the old Jacob, sometimes the new.“ The books have helped him to prepare for his role – because the story they hold is, as he knows, what the fans want too.
"We have to make sure the story’s told“, so Stewart.
And what are her thoughts on Bella?
"Bella’s not as tortured in this movie. The conflict is around her, but the real decision for her at this point has been made. At this point it’s just about owning that decision, and having people respect it. [...] Basically Bella needs to become an adult. Like, in the next movie she’s going to be a wife, and a mom...“
As you all know, there’s more to Jacob Black than the obvious. We all got to meet his furry, wolfy side in New Moon. Some liked it, others did not.
"I am extremely satisfied – I love my wolf!“, says Lautner, "Actually, I was a little jealous of my wolf in this film. ‘Cause he got all the cool action-scenes and I was just off the side, watching.“
Team Edward, or Team Jacob? Or does Taylor Lautner actually prefer a trip to Switzerland?
"If I was Bella, I wouldn’t be able to choose. Just because... you have two guys, who are madly in love with you, and both of them would be fine. But they’re the complete opposites at the same time. Uhm I think... an extreme advantage Jacob has is the fact that she wouldn’t have to change for him, she could stay who she is, wouldn’t have to say goodbye to anyone... and things could just stay the same.“
"But she’s not changing who she is for Edward either!“ Stewart quickly says, after which you can hear Lautner "psssssh“-ing.
"She’s finding herself, that’s the whole point!“
But... doesn’t Stewart think it’s really selfish, the way Bella is behaving towards Jacob?
"Bella is a serious believer in the truth. And she’s always been very honest with Jacob. She’s really never led him on. [...] They really deserve to be in each other’s lives, it would be such a shame not to... and she’s trying this whole movie, this whole story, to convince him... ‚Trust me, I’m not for you, you don’t understand‘...“ And she’s right. Because Stewart describes the moment he finally finds the one he is made for like this: „‘See, I told you. And now we’re still friends, and it’s not weird.‘ – so I don’t think she’s selfish, I think she does the right thing.“
Many fans have been saying that one thing they are really looking forward to, a part of the book that really should not be missing in the movie, is the tent scene.
"It was my favorite scene as well! I’m serious“, Lautner says, laughing, "I was excited and nervous to make that scene, at the same time... just because I loved it so much. And there’s so much that needs to be told in that scene... and it was challenging for me, because... and I really mean this... it’s tough. Like I said, we had ruined plenty of takes, because we have so much fun together, and that tent scene was so tense between Edward and Jacob...“ Stewart starts laughing, and Lautner comments on her doing that everytime he mentions it. "But at the same time it’s just a really funny scene as well, so it allowed me to have some fun with it, while trying to act all tough towards Rob. So I had a lot of fun making that scene, I just hope it came across well...“
And how does one relax after such an exhausting day of filming, Taylor? With a nice bottle of beer?
"I don’t think Taylor ever drank beer in his life!“ Stewart can only barely keep from laughing.
Aside from some fun-facts, like the one that Kristen Stewart - like everyone else - used to play soccer when she was in third grade, and that Taylor Lautner, too, did like to kick around when he was younger, there of course was some info on the upcoming third part of the Saga, Eclipse, which will be released all over the world in the upcoming weeks (starting with the USA in the end of the month).
It All Begins With A Choice.
Not only is this a line of the trailer for one of this summer’s most anticipated movies, no, it is also the question that is coming up whenever a movie is in the making: Who will it be directed by? The question of whether or not it has been complicated to have a new director on board for each one of the movies, Stewart answered with a "no"While having to start over from scrap everytime, each director has been "oddly appropriate“. In Eclipse, „you have to feel the danger Bella is in“, says Stewart. And that’s exactly what David Slade has achieved – he has created a darker, sinister, scarier mood.
Has the success of the Saga been changing their lives?
Stewart says she cannot simply make a stop at Starbucks anymore when she wants a cup of coffee – that you have to make adjustments. But she also says that the success and frequent attention have not changed who she is, that she still is the same person. Lautner says about the same –"You don’t give up anything – you make adjustments. [...] When you start letting it change what you do and who you are, that’s when you get in trouble.“
And even if Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner have not changed... their characters sure have.
"Jacob’s always continually growing, as a person... he’s changing... he has sort of a split personality. Sometimes you get the old Jacob, sometimes the new.“ The books have helped him to prepare for his role – because the story they hold is, as he knows, what the fans want too.
"We have to make sure the story’s told“, so Stewart.
And what are her thoughts on Bella?
"Bella’s not as tortured in this movie. The conflict is around her, but the real decision for her at this point has been made. At this point it’s just about owning that decision, and having people respect it. [...] Basically Bella needs to become an adult. Like, in the next movie she’s going to be a wife, and a mom...“
As you all know, there’s more to Jacob Black than the obvious. We all got to meet his furry, wolfy side in New Moon. Some liked it, others did not.
"I am extremely satisfied – I love my wolf!“, says Lautner, "Actually, I was a little jealous of my wolf in this film. ‘Cause he got all the cool action-scenes and I was just off the side, watching.“
Team Edward, or Team Jacob? Or does Taylor Lautner actually prefer a trip to Switzerland?
"If I was Bella, I wouldn’t be able to choose. Just because... you have two guys, who are madly in love with you, and both of them would be fine. But they’re the complete opposites at the same time. Uhm I think... an extreme advantage Jacob has is the fact that she wouldn’t have to change for him, she could stay who she is, wouldn’t have to say goodbye to anyone... and things could just stay the same.“
"But she’s not changing who she is for Edward either!“ Stewart quickly says, after which you can hear Lautner "psssssh“-ing.
"She’s finding herself, that’s the whole point!“
But... doesn’t Stewart think it’s really selfish, the way Bella is behaving towards Jacob?
"Bella is a serious believer in the truth. And she’s always been very honest with Jacob. She’s really never led him on. [...] They really deserve to be in each other’s lives, it would be such a shame not to... and she’s trying this whole movie, this whole story, to convince him... ‚Trust me, I’m not for you, you don’t understand‘...“ And she’s right. Because Stewart describes the moment he finally finds the one he is made for like this: „‘See, I told you. And now we’re still friends, and it’s not weird.‘ – so I don’t think she’s selfish, I think she does the right thing.“
Many fans have been saying that one thing they are really looking forward to, a part of the book that really should not be missing in the movie, is the tent scene.
"It was my favorite scene as well! I’m serious“, Lautner says, laughing, "I was excited and nervous to make that scene, at the same time... just because I loved it so much. And there’s so much that needs to be told in that scene... and it was challenging for me, because... and I really mean this... it’s tough. Like I said, we had ruined plenty of takes, because we have so much fun together, and that tent scene was so tense between Edward and Jacob...“ Stewart starts laughing, and Lautner comments on her doing that everytime he mentions it. "But at the same time it’s just a really funny scene as well, so it allowed me to have some fun with it, while trying to act all tough towards Rob. So I had a lot of fun making that scene, I just hope it came across well...“
And how does one relax after such an exhausting day of filming, Taylor? With a nice bottle of beer?
"I don’t think Taylor ever drank beer in his life!“ Stewart can only barely keep from laughing.
Interview with David Slade, Wyck Godfrey and Melissa Rosenberg
IESB has a new interview with David Slade, Wyck Godfrey and Melissa Rosenberg.
At a press conference to promote the upcoming release of the film, director David Slade, screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg and producer Wyck Godfrey talked about exploring the characters and the mythology more deeply in Eclipse. As the one responsible for writing the adaptations, Melissa Rosenberg also gave some insight as to what fans can expect from a two-part Breaking Dawn.
Q: David, what did you do to prepare for Eclipse? How did you bring your own style to the film?
David: There’s a cinematic vocabulary to each of these films, and it doesn’t come from that much premeditation. It comes from seeing the film in my head before we go out and make it, and being very clear about that and planning it, and then it’s about what’s right for the scene and the character. I believe the most interesting thing to look at, in the world, is the human face. That is why I tend to be a little closer to human faces than maybe other directors will be.
Wyck: When David was first talking to us about the movie, he had said that, by letting the background fall out of focus and really focus on the characters, in the dangerous scenes, it creates a heightened sense of anxiety. You feel like you don’t really know what’s back there. And, in the romantic scenes, it creates an incredible sense of intimacy. You really feel like you sense these two people in that world. And, I really think that was effective.
David: With close-ups come selective focus, and it is to focus the viewer and point them in a direction. In a sense, you get a close-up, which has very little amount of focus in it, but you’ll see medium shots and wider shots that will bring the audience’s attention to a specific place that is completely intentional.
Q: Why should someone go see Eclipse?
David: If there’s nothing worth seeing on TV, and you’ve not got any plans, I think we’ve got six or seven decapitations. If there’s nothing much going on that night, it’s a good night out, as long as there’s nothing else on, or any other movies you want to see. No. Being serious, I think it’s the most mature book, and I think we made the most mature film. Certainly, there’s a great deal of romance in the film, but there’s also other things. Vengeance is a very big theme in the film. Our action sequences are built out of character, so they’re not just events. They’re built out of a need to get to a place. And, I think it’s a film for everyone.
Q: David, you were working with a ready-made cast for Eclipse. How did you help establish what would be expected of their characters for this film?
David: What I did was see each one of the actors, individually. We had one-on-one meetings. The first time, I would just listen to everything they told me about their characters and everything they thought about their characters. Then, we’d meet again and talk about the script, also one-on-one. Then, we’d meet a third time and a fourth time. By that time, we were talking about all the ideas that we were incorporating into that character and story. And then, the final stage was to go into an ensemble rehearsal, where all the actors came together, and we didn’t talk about character anymore. We talked about content and story. That was how I chose to go about it.
Q: Melissa, how difficult was it to adapt this novel into a two-hour movie?
Melissa: To begin with, it took me by surprise because I actually thought this would be the easiest adaptation, since there’s so much conflict in it, and you have this huge battle that you’re building toward. But then, once I got into it and was actually breaking the story, I realized that all of that happened in the third act. So then, it was about looking at what was going on in the first two acts, other than conversation, leading up to the third act. What I found was that, in a movie, we can cut away to another perspective, but in the book, it’s all Bella’s perspective. So, it actually ended up being the most fun to write, in the end, after I got over the incredible disappointment that it wasn’t going to be easy, as if anything ever is.
Q: David, were there any expectations for you to maintain the style and tone of the first two films?
David: You know, I think the only thing that really was expressed to me was continuity. Different films are expected when there are different directors per film with different visions for the film. I was given a great deal of freedom, in terms of the aesthetics. I inherited the sets, but I went into the kitchen set and we made it bigger, and we went into Bella’s room and made it four feet wider because I was going to shoot with a different lens than the way they shot before. So, the answer is that I was given freedom, only just to respect what had come before. There were no mandates.
Wyck: I think, if anything, one of the chief reasons we hired David was for his visual style, and that it was different from the first two films. He had really worked with young actresses and gotten performances out of them that were incredible, and we felt he understood them. Something we’ve always wanted was for each director to bring his own individual style.
David: I tried not to focus too much on the other two films. I tried to just keep this one in my mind, and people like Wyck were there to give me a nudge, if I was doing something that was going to invalidate something or cross a line, which hardly ever happened, really.
Wyck: Every now and then, he’d have Edward walk through the sunlight and we’d be like, “Oh, wait, he has to sparkle.”
David: Let me tell you, the sunlight was our biggest enemy in Vancouver. We had the sunniest time. Every day, we’d spend more time in the sun than we did in the rain.
Wyck: No one likes to hear that you’re not shooting because it’s sunny.
David: It would have been perfect for any other movie.
Q: Can you talk about the decision to replace Rachelle Lefevre with Bryce Dallas Howard?
Wyck: It all happened really quickly. Rachelle became unavailable three weeks into shooting, and we had to react very quickly. Bryce was somebody that early on, even from Twilight, had been on a list and was unavailable. We were up against it and had to pick quickly, and were really fortunate that we sent Bryce the script immediately and she decided she wanted to do it. So, the process of replacing Rachelle and finding the right actress was actually smooth because Bryce was the first person we went to and she said yes.
David: One of the slight misconceptions about these films is that they’re these giant, huge-budget blockbusters. These films are made more like independent films, so our schedule is so tight. We shot this film in about 50 days. Most action movies are shot in double or triple that. We had a schedule that had been put together like a jigsaw puzzle, so we basically had no other choice.
Q: Melissa, do you get intimidated having Stephenie Meyer so involved?
Melissa: Regarding Stephenie, I’m really grateful she’s able to spend the kind of time on set that she does. She and I are the people on the page and we see things in a way that I hope is valuable to the director and the producers.
Q: Are you on the set during shooting?
Melissa: Because I’ve been juggling Dexter and Twilight for all this time, and have gone right from one Twilight to the next, I’ve been unavailable to be on set and, frankly, I don’t know if I could have been much use. If David needed a rewrite, I’d get a phone call.
Wyck: Also, Melissa and Stephanie work so closely together in the outlining and script stage that, by the time we’re shooting, there aren’t really any surprises. And, if anything comes up, Stephenie can answer questions that we have that aren’t in her books, like, “Would that character ever do this?,” and she’s like, “No, that character was born in 1702.” She rattles it off and it really just fills out the screenplay.
David: She has all of these backstories for everybody. I remember Melissa and I getting on the phone with her about Riley and the cave because we had no idea, and we said, “What is all this?” And, Stephenie was like, “Well, it’s obvious. This is how it happens.” We wouldn’t have known, but she knew because she’d written the story in her head.
Q: What is the most important aspect of the adaptation process?
David: I think sticking to the emotional character arc was the most important thing, yet we had so much story to tell and it was a great story. I think the hardest thing was combining those things and figuring out what the hell we were going to cut. The Jasper story is a movie in itself, and we wanted to have all the salient points, but not detract from the main story, and still pay respect to the source material. It’s the dichotomy between such great content and story, and how you shave off.
Wyck: The genius of Melissa Rosenberg is that she’s able to distill a book down to its essential qualities. In each movie, she’s done an amazing job of that. And, Stephenie can go, “I really think you’re going to miss this, if we don’t have it.” It’s a back and forth of figuring out how to accommodate some of those scenes. We’ve been able to distill the film down to its emotional essentials.
David: I hate to use the word dichotomy twice, between this film and the last, in terms of vampires, but what was so attractive to me about the Twilight films, after doing the horrific film I’d done before (30 Days of Night), is what Stephenie had done was so cleverly package all that is so dangerous and sexy into this purity, and then surrounded it with family and make it acceptable.
Q: How was it to do the Jasper and Rosalie flashbacks?
David: They were great fun to do. Eclipse has these great backstories. It was great to do a Western, a ‘30s period piece, a 1600's historical piece and a contemporary film, all at once.
Wyck: It was also great to see Rosalie and Jasper as human.
David: One of the horse-riding sequences had to be shot with a second unit because I wasn’t available, and I was like, “How do we get his face here?” People had to know he was human because the rest of it was going to be nighttime and I wanted people to see Jasper’s face as human. It was important.
Q: David, what were the specific changes you wanted to make, going into the film?
David: With Edward, I really wanted to make sure this character was dangerous. In the last movie, he had played a different character arc, but in this movie, I wanted to bring out the carnivore in him. That had to come throughout the film, and he hadn’t really done that so much. That was the main thing. I tried to look at every scene, with that in mind. Underlying everything is danger. That was the intention.
Q: Do you have any special features or extras planned for the DVD?
Wyck: There’s the nude scene we shot that wasn’t in the book. No. I don’t know. With any film, you go through the process of editing it down to its fighting weight and, ultimately, you’re going to have some scenes that didn’t end up in the movie.
David: There were a number of scenes which just felt excessive, in terms of beating the same story, but some of them were really nice.
Wyck: There was a great scene with Angela (Christian Serratos) and Bella (Kristen Stewart) that is really just two girls talking about guy troubles. It’s really, really sweet, but it took place in a section of the movie that we really had to cut.
David: What happens is that the film has its own momentum from the script. When you start going, by the time you hit the third act, you’re just blasting along, and that scene just came to a stop. But, it’s a beautiful scene that’s beautifully performed, and it’ll be a nice little bonus for fans of the book.
Wyck: I think there’s going to be a lot of classic behind-the-scenes stuff, where you’re going to get to see how we did most of the action and stunts in the movie, and a lot of the CG process. That stuff will flesh out the experience for audiences that do like to go behind the camera and see how it’s all done.
Melissa: It’s interesting, when I did the first Twilight movie, I actually wrote it before it was cast. I was writing in a vacuum, and it actually had a lot of humor in it. And then, we realized, as we got it on actors, that it just wasn’t appropriate. But, now the actors are more comfortable with it and I think the story lends itself to that. Wyck actually came up with the best line in the movie, “Does he own a shirt?” There’s a confidence level in the storytelling now.
Wyck: There’s a comfort level that people have with each other. When you first meet someone, sometimes you’re less able to go to the comedic place than you are when you’ve known each other for a while. And, as an audience member, you want to experience the progression of the characters, as well as appreciate when they are starting to be easier with each other and more casual in the face of heightened drama, which Eclipse certainly has.
David: You look at the performances before, and you look at someone like Billy Burke, and Billy can improvise. Everyone else can tell me what they want to change and we can talk about it, but Billy just has natural comic timing. All those expressions he has, you have to capitalize on that.
Q: Melissa, how is Dexter going?
Melissa: I finally had to leave, after the fourth season, because I couldn’t do Breaking Dawn and Dexter, at the same time. It was very sad to do that. It was the best TV experience of my career.
Q: Are you not still on as a producer, in some capacity?
Melissa: No, I had to bail out, and they were gracious enough to let me out. Someone else is running the show.
Q: What do you think of them bringing Julie Benz back for one scene, even though Rita is dead?
Melissa: Oh, it must be a flashback, or something like that. I have no idea.
Q: Do you miss it?
Melissa: I already do miss it. All my friends were going back into the writer’s room in February, and I was home working on Breaking Dawn, going, “Aww.”
Q: Did that give you empathy for Stephenie, seeing your characters get passed on to someone else?
Melissa: Absolutely! But, coming up in television, when you’re a staff writer, you have the experience of people taking your material and rewriting it. There’s not a writer alive who feels like their own draft isn’t better.
Q: What will be the biggest challenge of splitting the movies for Breaking Dawn?
Melissa: They’re very dense with mythology. There are a lot of characters and a lot of detail, and it’s just really about who you choose to pull forward. It was a lot of the same stuff that I had to do with Twilight.
Q: Are there more backstories to come?
Melissa: There are more backstories to come, and there is an expansion of the mythology. All these different characters are being introduced, and Stephenie has developed a really intricate mythology that is very detailed, which is why it’s so much fun to play in her world.
Q: Some people have said that Breaking Dawn is unfilmable and not as good a book as the others. How do you approach it to make it work?
Melissa: I believe it is filmable and I believe there is a great story to be told in that. It was a very bold move, what Stephenie did and where she took her characters. She had them grow up, get married and have children, and had Bella realize ultimate potential of becoming a vampire. It was a very bold move. I think it lost some of the audience who wanted to continue the fantasies and the desire. Now, she’s got it all, so what do you do with it? It’s a very different kind of movie and a different kind of story. There’s definitely material enough for two movies, but for the first time, there is also a little breathing room. There’s room to explore a little bit and to expand. I’m excited about that.
Q: What do you think is the appeal of this series?
Melissa: I think it taps in so deeply to desire. First of all, you’re coming in from Bella’s point of view, who is the every girl. We can identify with her. She’s the every person. And then, you make her the most desirable human being on the face of the earth, and there’s a vicarious excitement to that. There’s a fantasy element to it. And, we all have had those experiences in our lives of that first love. That’s certainly attractive.
See entire article here.
At a press conference to promote the upcoming release of the film, director David Slade, screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg and producer Wyck Godfrey talked about exploring the characters and the mythology more deeply in Eclipse. As the one responsible for writing the adaptations, Melissa Rosenberg also gave some insight as to what fans can expect from a two-part Breaking Dawn.
Q: David, what did you do to prepare for Eclipse? How did you bring your own style to the film?
David: There’s a cinematic vocabulary to each of these films, and it doesn’t come from that much premeditation. It comes from seeing the film in my head before we go out and make it, and being very clear about that and planning it, and then it’s about what’s right for the scene and the character. I believe the most interesting thing to look at, in the world, is the human face. That is why I tend to be a little closer to human faces than maybe other directors will be.
Wyck: When David was first talking to us about the movie, he had said that, by letting the background fall out of focus and really focus on the characters, in the dangerous scenes, it creates a heightened sense of anxiety. You feel like you don’t really know what’s back there. And, in the romantic scenes, it creates an incredible sense of intimacy. You really feel like you sense these two people in that world. And, I really think that was effective.
David: With close-ups come selective focus, and it is to focus the viewer and point them in a direction. In a sense, you get a close-up, which has very little amount of focus in it, but you’ll see medium shots and wider shots that will bring the audience’s attention to a specific place that is completely intentional.
Q: Why should someone go see Eclipse?
David: If there’s nothing worth seeing on TV, and you’ve not got any plans, I think we’ve got six or seven decapitations. If there’s nothing much going on that night, it’s a good night out, as long as there’s nothing else on, or any other movies you want to see. No. Being serious, I think it’s the most mature book, and I think we made the most mature film. Certainly, there’s a great deal of romance in the film, but there’s also other things. Vengeance is a very big theme in the film. Our action sequences are built out of character, so they’re not just events. They’re built out of a need to get to a place. And, I think it’s a film for everyone.
Q: David, you were working with a ready-made cast for Eclipse. How did you help establish what would be expected of their characters for this film?
David: What I did was see each one of the actors, individually. We had one-on-one meetings. The first time, I would just listen to everything they told me about their characters and everything they thought about their characters. Then, we’d meet again and talk about the script, also one-on-one. Then, we’d meet a third time and a fourth time. By that time, we were talking about all the ideas that we were incorporating into that character and story. And then, the final stage was to go into an ensemble rehearsal, where all the actors came together, and we didn’t talk about character anymore. We talked about content and story. That was how I chose to go about it.
Q: Melissa, how difficult was it to adapt this novel into a two-hour movie?
Melissa: To begin with, it took me by surprise because I actually thought this would be the easiest adaptation, since there’s so much conflict in it, and you have this huge battle that you’re building toward. But then, once I got into it and was actually breaking the story, I realized that all of that happened in the third act. So then, it was about looking at what was going on in the first two acts, other than conversation, leading up to the third act. What I found was that, in a movie, we can cut away to another perspective, but in the book, it’s all Bella’s perspective. So, it actually ended up being the most fun to write, in the end, after I got over the incredible disappointment that it wasn’t going to be easy, as if anything ever is.
Q: David, were there any expectations for you to maintain the style and tone of the first two films?
David: You know, I think the only thing that really was expressed to me was continuity. Different films are expected when there are different directors per film with different visions for the film. I was given a great deal of freedom, in terms of the aesthetics. I inherited the sets, but I went into the kitchen set and we made it bigger, and we went into Bella’s room and made it four feet wider because I was going to shoot with a different lens than the way they shot before. So, the answer is that I was given freedom, only just to respect what had come before. There were no mandates.
Wyck: I think, if anything, one of the chief reasons we hired David was for his visual style, and that it was different from the first two films. He had really worked with young actresses and gotten performances out of them that were incredible, and we felt he understood them. Something we’ve always wanted was for each director to bring his own individual style.
David: I tried not to focus too much on the other two films. I tried to just keep this one in my mind, and people like Wyck were there to give me a nudge, if I was doing something that was going to invalidate something or cross a line, which hardly ever happened, really.
Wyck: Every now and then, he’d have Edward walk through the sunlight and we’d be like, “Oh, wait, he has to sparkle.”
David: Let me tell you, the sunlight was our biggest enemy in Vancouver. We had the sunniest time. Every day, we’d spend more time in the sun than we did in the rain.
Wyck: No one likes to hear that you’re not shooting because it’s sunny.
David: It would have been perfect for any other movie.
Q: Can you talk about the decision to replace Rachelle Lefevre with Bryce Dallas Howard?
Wyck: It all happened really quickly. Rachelle became unavailable three weeks into shooting, and we had to react very quickly. Bryce was somebody that early on, even from Twilight, had been on a list and was unavailable. We were up against it and had to pick quickly, and were really fortunate that we sent Bryce the script immediately and she decided she wanted to do it. So, the process of replacing Rachelle and finding the right actress was actually smooth because Bryce was the first person we went to and she said yes.
David: One of the slight misconceptions about these films is that they’re these giant, huge-budget blockbusters. These films are made more like independent films, so our schedule is so tight. We shot this film in about 50 days. Most action movies are shot in double or triple that. We had a schedule that had been put together like a jigsaw puzzle, so we basically had no other choice.
Q: Melissa, do you get intimidated having Stephenie Meyer so involved?
Melissa: Regarding Stephenie, I’m really grateful she’s able to spend the kind of time on set that she does. She and I are the people on the page and we see things in a way that I hope is valuable to the director and the producers.
Q: Are you on the set during shooting?
Melissa: Because I’ve been juggling Dexter and Twilight for all this time, and have gone right from one Twilight to the next, I’ve been unavailable to be on set and, frankly, I don’t know if I could have been much use. If David needed a rewrite, I’d get a phone call.
Wyck: Also, Melissa and Stephanie work so closely together in the outlining and script stage that, by the time we’re shooting, there aren’t really any surprises. And, if anything comes up, Stephenie can answer questions that we have that aren’t in her books, like, “Would that character ever do this?,” and she’s like, “No, that character was born in 1702.” She rattles it off and it really just fills out the screenplay.
David: She has all of these backstories for everybody. I remember Melissa and I getting on the phone with her about Riley and the cave because we had no idea, and we said, “What is all this?” And, Stephenie was like, “Well, it’s obvious. This is how it happens.” We wouldn’t have known, but she knew because she’d written the story in her head.
Q: What is the most important aspect of the adaptation process?
David: I think sticking to the emotional character arc was the most important thing, yet we had so much story to tell and it was a great story. I think the hardest thing was combining those things and figuring out what the hell we were going to cut. The Jasper story is a movie in itself, and we wanted to have all the salient points, but not detract from the main story, and still pay respect to the source material. It’s the dichotomy between such great content and story, and how you shave off.
Wyck: The genius of Melissa Rosenberg is that she’s able to distill a book down to its essential qualities. In each movie, she’s done an amazing job of that. And, Stephenie can go, “I really think you’re going to miss this, if we don’t have it.” It’s a back and forth of figuring out how to accommodate some of those scenes. We’ve been able to distill the film down to its emotional essentials.
David: I hate to use the word dichotomy twice, between this film and the last, in terms of vampires, but what was so attractive to me about the Twilight films, after doing the horrific film I’d done before (30 Days of Night), is what Stephenie had done was so cleverly package all that is so dangerous and sexy into this purity, and then surrounded it with family and make it acceptable.
Q: How was it to do the Jasper and Rosalie flashbacks?
David: They were great fun to do. Eclipse has these great backstories. It was great to do a Western, a ‘30s period piece, a 1600's historical piece and a contemporary film, all at once.
Wyck: It was also great to see Rosalie and Jasper as human.
David: One of the horse-riding sequences had to be shot with a second unit because I wasn’t available, and I was like, “How do we get his face here?” People had to know he was human because the rest of it was going to be nighttime and I wanted people to see Jasper’s face as human. It was important.
Q: David, what were the specific changes you wanted to make, going into the film?
David: With Edward, I really wanted to make sure this character was dangerous. In the last movie, he had played a different character arc, but in this movie, I wanted to bring out the carnivore in him. That had to come throughout the film, and he hadn’t really done that so much. That was the main thing. I tried to look at every scene, with that in mind. Underlying everything is danger. That was the intention.
Q: Do you have any special features or extras planned for the DVD?
Wyck: There’s the nude scene we shot that wasn’t in the book. No. I don’t know. With any film, you go through the process of editing it down to its fighting weight and, ultimately, you’re going to have some scenes that didn’t end up in the movie.
David: There were a number of scenes which just felt excessive, in terms of beating the same story, but some of them were really nice.
Wyck: There was a great scene with Angela (Christian Serratos) and Bella (Kristen Stewart) that is really just two girls talking about guy troubles. It’s really, really sweet, but it took place in a section of the movie that we really had to cut.
David: What happens is that the film has its own momentum from the script. When you start going, by the time you hit the third act, you’re just blasting along, and that scene just came to a stop. But, it’s a beautiful scene that’s beautifully performed, and it’ll be a nice little bonus for fans of the book.
Wyck: I think there’s going to be a lot of classic behind-the-scenes stuff, where you’re going to get to see how we did most of the action and stunts in the movie, and a lot of the CG process. That stuff will flesh out the experience for audiences that do like to go behind the camera and see how it’s all done.
Melissa: It’s interesting, when I did the first Twilight movie, I actually wrote it before it was cast. I was writing in a vacuum, and it actually had a lot of humor in it. And then, we realized, as we got it on actors, that it just wasn’t appropriate. But, now the actors are more comfortable with it and I think the story lends itself to that. Wyck actually came up with the best line in the movie, “Does he own a shirt?” There’s a confidence level in the storytelling now.
Wyck: There’s a comfort level that people have with each other. When you first meet someone, sometimes you’re less able to go to the comedic place than you are when you’ve known each other for a while. And, as an audience member, you want to experience the progression of the characters, as well as appreciate when they are starting to be easier with each other and more casual in the face of heightened drama, which Eclipse certainly has.
David: You look at the performances before, and you look at someone like Billy Burke, and Billy can improvise. Everyone else can tell me what they want to change and we can talk about it, but Billy just has natural comic timing. All those expressions he has, you have to capitalize on that.
Q: Melissa, how is Dexter going?
Melissa: I finally had to leave, after the fourth season, because I couldn’t do Breaking Dawn and Dexter, at the same time. It was very sad to do that. It was the best TV experience of my career.
Q: Are you not still on as a producer, in some capacity?
Melissa: No, I had to bail out, and they were gracious enough to let me out. Someone else is running the show.
Q: What do you think of them bringing Julie Benz back for one scene, even though Rita is dead?
Melissa: Oh, it must be a flashback, or something like that. I have no idea.
Q: Do you miss it?
Melissa: I already do miss it. All my friends were going back into the writer’s room in February, and I was home working on Breaking Dawn, going, “Aww.”
Q: Did that give you empathy for Stephenie, seeing your characters get passed on to someone else?
Melissa: Absolutely! But, coming up in television, when you’re a staff writer, you have the experience of people taking your material and rewriting it. There’s not a writer alive who feels like their own draft isn’t better.
Q: What will be the biggest challenge of splitting the movies for Breaking Dawn?
Melissa: They’re very dense with mythology. There are a lot of characters and a lot of detail, and it’s just really about who you choose to pull forward. It was a lot of the same stuff that I had to do with Twilight.
Q: Are there more backstories to come?
Melissa: There are more backstories to come, and there is an expansion of the mythology. All these different characters are being introduced, and Stephenie has developed a really intricate mythology that is very detailed, which is why it’s so much fun to play in her world.
Q: Some people have said that Breaking Dawn is unfilmable and not as good a book as the others. How do you approach it to make it work?
Melissa: I believe it is filmable and I believe there is a great story to be told in that. It was a very bold move, what Stephenie did and where she took her characters. She had them grow up, get married and have children, and had Bella realize ultimate potential of becoming a vampire. It was a very bold move. I think it lost some of the audience who wanted to continue the fantasies and the desire. Now, she’s got it all, so what do you do with it? It’s a very different kind of movie and a different kind of story. There’s definitely material enough for two movies, but for the first time, there is also a little breathing room. There’s room to explore a little bit and to expand. I’m excited about that.
Q: What do you think is the appeal of this series?
Melissa: I think it taps in so deeply to desire. First of all, you’re coming in from Bella’s point of view, who is the every girl. We can identify with her. She’s the every person. And then, you make her the most desirable human being on the face of the earth, and there’s a vicarious excitement to that. There’s a fantasy element to it. And, we all have had those experiences in our lives of that first love. That’s certainly attractive.
See entire article here.
A Fan Encounter With the Pattinsons Outside Leno (RobSten)
"FYI, my friends met them outside jay leno and they signed autographs for them! ha ha ha! They actually signed their names like celebrities, and laughed about it. Supposedly, the were really nice and adorable. My friend said, “Rob won’t talk about his girlfriend to the media. Will you at least tell us what you think about her?” and his mom said “If his lips are sealed, mine are sealed” and laughed. Then she said “do you think she’s a good actress at least?” and his mom said “yes, she’s very talented” My friend didn’t mention Kristen by name, so notice how his mom knew exactly who she was talking about!!!! Unless she’s talking about some other actress, but I don’t think so!"
Eclipse Review
Eclipse is the best of the three so far, by far.
I could say so much but here are just a few notes... I want to watch it a couple more times to give entire review...
Romance:
Lot's of kissing and leg-hitch, and sweet loving between Bella and Edward but also a make-out sesh between Jacob and Bella which for Team Edwards may be uncomfy but I thought it was hot!
More Alice and Jasper loving too which is great. They are S O cute !!!
Action:
Of course we know there is action, actually, it was built up so much ("its a man's movie too with lot's of action" and "we trained for weeks before filming for battle and fight trainging scenes") that I honestly expected more... there was a lot less action than I thought.. it was still amazing though!
I was front row and it made it hard to see all the action going on, I fear IMAX will be similar.... so many cool moves happening all around you so it's easy to miss something if you aren't attentive (or sitting far enough back)
During Training there is some cute scenes and during the actual battle it's awesome, which brings me too...
New Borns:
There was initial fear they were too zombie-like or too dark... but they are just perfect.
The emerging of newborns from the water and the chaos in "Seattle" was amusing and entertaining...
Xavier is so sexy as the evil Riley and I loved every second of him on screen.
Except his eventual demise... I want more of him... which brings me too...
Bree:
Releasing Bree book before Eclipse was awesome, I recommend you take the hour or two to read it before seeing Eclipse as it gives an entirely different perspective on the whole scene at the end.
I really would LOVE to see a Bree movie... more Xavier and Jodelle, more of the story... It may e too sort but I think Stephenie can elaborate some... seriously.. it would be so awesome!
Volturi:
Much better hair on Dan/Felix, Even creepier Dakota/Jane, Still sexy Charlie/Demitri, it was really awesome seeing them all, along with Cam/Alec and again the Breek book puts it all into perspective.
Back Story / History:
I had been WAITING for this... let me tell you Rosalie seeking revenge in her wedding gown.... awesome.. enjoy it though beause it's just a flash, in fact I would have liked more of her vengful red eyed vampiric terror... killing them one-by-one...
Also, I was sad they didn't include Rosalie's friend and her baby.. a German contest winner got that role and filmed it but it wasn't included, I anticipate it on dvd extras along with a few other scenes I will talk about at the end..
Jasper's history was more detailed, and I really enjoyed it all... seeing a much harsher side of Jasper but the warmth of him underneath it all, even the most gruesome things he had to endure - or feel... since he could feel their emotions.. heart-wrenching.
And let's face it - more Jackson is more happy time ha ha he is a hottie!
Victoria / Bryce:
It works.
I think she is too soft-spoken and angelic quite honestly. I feel like Rachelle nailed the vengeful bitch role better, but, Bryce does it... and she is supposed to be "sweet and innocent" to seduce Riley... honestly, it wasn't as bad or noticable as I feared... there was only a couple brief moments where I thought she was too sweet to be evil.
Banter:
One thing I like is the semi-ad-libbed banter that adds comedic elements to the movies.. this movie is FULL of them.
Charlie is hilarious thanks to Billy Burke's perfect comedic timing and delivery. From his comments to Edward and Jacob, to his sex talk with Bella or even regarding the trip to see Bella's mom, he has this way of saying just one word and making it so incredibly perfect I laugh out loud literally.
The Jacob/Edward banter, partiularily in the tent sene,but also when Edward drops Bella off to a shirtless Jacob, it's just funny and perfect....
Vampire Killing:
OK so I rewatched New Moon the other night with my daughter and when the Volturi kill that vampire they rip his arm and head off right? and it's like dust... Eclipse is different... not dust but ***SPOILER*** It's ice.. or glass maybe but I think ice, which I loved! The first time I was like wtf is that but then after when it happened again i thought it was awesome-sauce - very cool!
Third Wife:
They didn't show Bella as the third wife which I could be wrong but I believe they filmed her as the third wife like she was hearing the story and envisioning herself as the third wife cutting herself... anyways, it was still an awesome bonfire and story....
Meadow Love:
I love their chat and kisses in the meadow...(Edward & Bella) some good moments **SPOILER** and even though the "leaked photos" made it seem like a proposal in the meadow that wasn't it - it happened in the bedroom and she didn't wear the ring until the end in the meadow... obviously she didn't want Jacob distracted, like the book... also some humour and banter and making out in the meadow - it's hot! NGL
BooBoo:
He's literally in it for less than a minute (in human form) but SO adorable!!!
Cullens:
Wow! Fierce! There is more of them in the movie (more screen time and lines) which is a plus.. & they work together so well and the fight training is so great and the actual battle... honestly, it was so exciting to see them all work together. I think people will LOVE IT... though seeing Carlisle dressed down was a bit of an adjustment... whivh brings me too...
Wigs:
Bella's wig is still shit in fight training, it is a weird part and sits funny but the rest of the time it is pretty good...
fixed from what we saw before at least...
All of the hair/make-up is better.... I really loved Rosalie's look best in this film and Esme is fierce overall in Eclipse too. Jasper will never have good hair, I think we need to jsut give up on that months ago ha ha...
WolfPack:
RAWR Same goofy boys being same goofy selves. Leah Clearwater is perfect, cold, bitchy, and Emily is so sweet, I am biased because I love Tinsel but the few scenes she has (one line and then another scene just standing there) I love.
I also loved seeing the new wolves (Seth and Leah) seriously even Seth's wolf is adorably cute... Still lot's of topless hotties, very sexy!
Humans:
I enjoyed the humans scenes, the graduation chit chat and actual graduation ceremony and party. I can't look at them the same anymore, Twilight Convention Karaoke has forever imprinted my mind with a different image of them particularily Mike Welch ha ha.
Also, there were some things filmed that weren't included including Angela and BElla talking about boys and doing graduation invitations.
Complaints:
I have very few...no cheesiness...no horrible parts,it's really awesome.
I am sad they cut out Bella's dream of a future with Jacob (this was in script and filmed, it had Charlie as a Grampa and Jacob & Bella with kids.. even the movie companion seems to have photos and apparently David Slade plans to put it in dvd extras, so figers crossed, but it was something I was REALLY looking forward to seeing!
Also hopefully on dvd extra's is more of Rosalie's backstory and behind the scenes fight training and battle scenes.... so awesome! ALso Bella as the third wife (which I mentioned above)
Yes only *I* bring up my hopes for dvd extra's before the film's even released #immadork
Not really a complaint more of a heads up - it's out of order... different from book slightly but it works well in my opinion... I mean to give the idea that Riley is a newborn and developed a relationship with Victoria **SPOILER** It opens with him being turned then it's a year later... also a few other minor switch ups but it all works really well.
Random:
**Don't read unless you want to be distracted during movie.... I warned you....
Jacob's Belly Button is abnormally big
Bella's hair during fight training is NOT good
They used a different house for Eclipse. Twilight was in USA, New Moon was in Vancouver and Eclipse was all studio... looks similar enough but when you know these things they glare.
I know which scenes were re-shot and it distracted me as I looked for differences in tan, length of sideburn, sunlight angles, hair, eye brow shape... it was barely noticable if at all... phew!
Dan revealed at a Twi-Con that Volturi don't run fast, they kin dof float, and told behind the scenes stories of filming that so i laughed (all by myself) during that part.
Mike Welch karaoke videos on my youtube... never see him as Mike Newton again!
Overall
Best so far, great movie, can't wait to watch it again and again and again!!! You will all love I am pretty certain!!!
That's it - FOR NOW!!
Upcoming Talk Shows for Eclipse Cast
Here is a tentative list of talk shows promoting Eclipse:
June 23:
Jimmy Kimmel - Ashley Greene and Sia
(Actually it is the Eclipse Special on air, maybe they just tape that night? or did he tape it all already? I don't know stay tuned)
June 24:
Jay Leno - Bryce Dallas Howard
Chelsea Lately - Ashley Greene
June 28:
“Live with Regis and Kelly” - Taylor Lautner
The Today Show - Taylor Lautner
LEtterman - Kristen Stewart
Carson Daily - Fanfarlo
Jimmy Kimmel - Elizabeth Reaser
George Lopez - Booboo Stewart
June 29:
The Today Show - Kristen Stewart
Jimmy Kimmel - Nikki Reed
“Live with Regis and Kelly” - Kristen Stewart
June 30:
Jimmy Kimmel - Peter Facinelli
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno - Robert Pattinson (Assume Re-Run?)
July 1:
Letterman - Taylor Lautner
Jimmy Kimmel - Dakota Fanning
July 6:
“Live with Regis and Kelly” - Nikki Reed
July 7:
“Live with Regis and Kelly” - Bryce Dallas Howard
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