Meet the BIONICLE Movie Director!

Meet the BIONICLE Movie Director!
Magazine Article
Outside/alternate title	Meet the Director
Issue	July-August 2009

Meet the BIONICLE Movie Director! was an article in the July-August 2009 edition of the LEGO Club Magazine, which was also included in BIONICLE: The Legend Reborn - Official Movie Guide. The article contained an interview with Mark Baldo, the director of BIONICLE: The Legend Reborn, in order to promote the upcoming movie.

Contents

The newest BIONICLE movie arrives on DVD this September! LEGO Club Magazine sat down with director Mark Baldo about working on BIONICLE: The Legend Reborn.

Q: Hi, Mark! How did you get involved with the BIONICLE movie?

A: I was looking for a new project to direct. I was reading a lot of scripts and when I read BIONICLE: The Legend Reborn, I really liked it! The story appealed to me for several reasons. First, it was a true hero's tale, second, it took place in a strange new world, and third, it had a good theme of teamwork and friendship.

Q: What are some of the challenges in converting BIONICLE sets into movie characters?

A: We had to go into the original toy designs and adjust some of what was already there, while adding pieces, to give them more detail. We also added moving parts, so that the Glatorian seem like fully functional, life-sized beings - not like plastic toys. We wanted them to look like they have had a very rough life exposed to the harsh enviornment of Bara Magna. Their rusty, scraped, and faded textures reflect the idea that life is hard in their world.

Q: Can you take us through the process of a BIONICLE character being animated?

A: Once the character is modeled in 3-D, it is then rigged. The rigging is like giving the BIONICLE character bones and muscles, so that he or she is then able to move in the animation program.

After modeling and rigging, the animators test the character, usually by animating a walk cycle. A lot can be determined by seeing how a character walks. Once the walk cycle is refined and approved, the facial rig is tested - usually by changing expressions and doing a lip-sync test. (Lip-sync is the process of forming shapes with the mouth called "phonemes" that mimic the shapes our mouths form when we talk.)

Once the rigs are all working, the character is then put into the 3-D set and is posed for layout in front of the camera. After that, the animator begins the process of bringing the BIONICLE character to life with poses, movement, expressions and lip-sync. The early animation tests are very stiff and robotic, but once all the motion is added and properly timed - the character comes to life and moves the way you will see him or her in the movie.

Only after all the motion is approved, does the BIONICLE character get all his textures and lighting - just like in a traditional film.

Q: Do you have a favorite character?

A: My favorite character is Click. In the original script the unnamed scarabax beetle was supposed to change into a shield and stay that way for the whole film. I thought it would be fun to give the beetle the ability to change back and forth and also give him a name. That way, Mata Nui would have a little companion to take along on his journey.

Thanks, Mark, we're all looking forward to the movie!

External Links

• Meet the BIONICLE Movie Director! LEGO Club Magazine July-August 2009: page 1, page 2 (archived on www.biomediaproject.com)