Month: May 2011

Jay Ward has been with the company Pixar since 1998, when he started in as an art department production assistant on “Monsters, Inc”.  After that project, Jay worked on “Cars” and since then has become the go to guy for the world of “Cars”.  With the upcoming release of “Cars 2”, Movie Mikes had a chance to chat with Jay about his role in Pixar as the “Cars” Franchise Guardian and got to chat about working on the film.

Mike Gencarelli: Tell us about your role of “Cars” Franchise Guardian and how you got the job?
Jay Ward: I started at Pixar back in 1998 on “Monsters, Inc”. By 2001, I moved onto the film “Cars”. John (Lasseter) realized pretty quick I was a real car guy, actually into cars. I sort of became an unofficial consultant for him on the film for car related stuff. When “Cars” was over, the world of “Cars” kind of kept growing and growing and I went on to work on the film “Ratatouille”. John ended up telling me after that he wanted me back on the “Cars” world, since he said I was his eyes and ears on all “Cars” related things like video games, theme parks, publishing and consumer products. I became his full time “Cars” guy, so I wrote my own job description and that is how the “Cars” Franchise Guardian came to be.

MG: What is your involvement for “Cars” Masters Weekend in Walt Disney World?
JW: I am going to be speaking this weekend for the Pixar 25th anniversary. We are talking about “Cars 2” and about some of the vehicles we used for the movie. I am also doing a panel with Jonas Rivera, who I worked with on the first cars and Michael Giacchino, who did the score for “Cars 2”.

MG: Since you are a car expert, do you even consider this work or it is all play?
JW: It is work because you have to be so careful with all the details and getting all those things right on the vehicles. I thoroughly love my job but there is responsibly to it as well. John will come to me sometimes and say that he doesn’t have time to work on something and give it to me. Sometimes I have to write a bio or back story for some of the characters and you have to put a lot of thought and work into it. It is work but it is great work and I really love it.

MG: Did you enjoy playing many different roles on the production of “Cars”? Which did you enjoy the most?
JW: Absolutely. On the first film I was the character team manager, so I actually managed the process of them building the first characters for “Cars”. It was really fun and excited. On top of that, I was also the cars consultant and I also got to go background voices.

MG: Tell us about your role in “Cars 2”?
JW: In this film, I got to do a lot of research. I got to go on research trips to races and also anything automotive or automotive related I worked on. I had to help out finding the real cars for them to photograph and do reference on as well. On top of all that, I also do a car show at Pixar. We have an employee car show called “The Motorama” which I run and have run for the last 11 years. It has been really fun for me.

MG: How do you compare working on “Cars 2” from its predecessor?
JW: It is funny because when we worked on the first “Cars”, it was a long time, like five years. At that time, we had to go to these manufacturers and explain to them we are doing this movie and we want to use their cars. They were very skeptical at first. They had no idea what we were doing or what this was. It was a different thing. Now with “Cars 2″, people know the world of “Cars” and love it.  It is funny I remember going to manufacturers like Chrysler, Ford and GM and they weren’t sure at first about it. Now this time around, they are like “Hey we love it! What can we do to a part of it?” It is funny how things change.

MG: What is the most difficult task working on the “Cars” franchise”?
JW: The hardest part is protecting what it is. Everyone has these great ideas and they want to do all these things but sometimes they are not real to the world of “cars”. It is a good idea but the question is, “Is something that Mater or McQueen will do?” We have to be careful about something like that. They are cars but they are characters too. You can’t do something that that character will not do. Sometime we have to say no, if it is not something the characters would do.

MG: Since you start worked as art department production assistant on “Monsters, Inc.”, any plans to work in that department again?
JW: Yes I do. I really love working in the art department and working with artists. I do hope I get to do it again. I feel like that is almost like my home department. Like I said Jonas Rivera, who I worked with on “Monsters, Inc.”, he started out in art and was my manager on that project. The art department will always be my home.

Shane Warren Jones is playing Cyrax and Hydro in the new web series “Mortal Kombat: Legacy”.  Movie Mikes had a chance to chat with Shane about working on the series and find out what else he has planned upcoming.

Mike Gencarelli: How did you get involved working with “Mortal Kombat: Legacy”?
Shane Warren Jones: (laughs) This is always an awkward question to be asked, but I guess I would have to say my agent Danielle at Kirk Talent sent me an email one Friday saying…”Hey, how about this project?” I looked at the title, it said Mortal Kombat and I said “I’m down.” The following Monday she had an audition for me that had to be in by the end of the day [laughs].

MG: Are you a fan of the game series?
SWJ: Absolutely, I remember playing the game in the arcade. Back when arcades were the only thing keeping me from going insane in a mall where I couldn’t buy anything. I was a kid and it didn’t cost that much to play a few rounds.

MG: Did you do any research on your character Cyrax/Hydro before working on the series?
SWJ: Yes, I did. Luckily I already knew quite a bit of Cyrax’s background story from his introduction in MK3 but it was nice to dive back into the history and get a refresher as well as see how the character evolved since I had stopped playing the game all those years ago. It was like visiting an old friend…a very, very, violent, old friend. Playing Hyrdo was a bit tougher because he’s a character that only exists in the comic book mythology. So there wasn’t much info on him.

MG: How was it playing both characters in the show?
SWJ: I had a blast playing both characters in the show. I got to spend two weeks in Vancouver pretending to be a ninja. Which is pretty much what I do in my regular life anyway except it’s not just in my head this time (laughs). It was like being a kid on Halloween again, minus the cheap grocery store bought costume. After I read the script and then went back to do the research on Cyrax’s character I got really excited because Kevin had incorporated an emotional component that runs through Cyrax’s story line from his introduction in MK3 right to MK9. I got to play both the light and dark side of things relatively. As far as good and evil go, Cyrax is actually a very grey character and I hope that is evident through my performance.

Do you think we will be seeing Cyrax in full armor for the series?
SWJ: (Laughs) Did you not see the trailer? I think fans would wage war on Kevin if we didn’t’ show up in full armor at some point. So to answer your question, “Yes.”

MG: Since you have a background in martial arts and gymnastics, was the series difficult to shoot?
SWJ: I think shooting action, regardless of how much training you have is always a challenge. When you practice or train you’re hardly ever training in full costume. As an actor, when you perform in a costume it makes you feel different. Your walk changes. your posture changes, your attitude and the way you feel changes. The same thing goes for when you are doing a physically demanding roll. Depending on how restricting or loose the costume is, you may not be able to move as smoothly and precise as you originally had hoped or rehearsed for that matter.

MG: How was it working with Kevin Tancharoen?
SWJ: Working with Kevin was a pleasure. He’s kind of quiet and unsuspecting when you meet him. Not because he’s shy but because the gears in his head are turning, it took a little getting used to at first but you have a few beers with him and you can tell he’s a genuinely cool cat. The dude is just on his grind like the rest of us. In regards to how he was on set? He gave Peter and I plenty of room to play during our coverage but he wasn’t afraid to pull us back whenever either of us got a little too far on the “campy” side with the dialogue, because he knew exactly what kind of feel he was going for.

MG: What do you have planned next?
SWJ: I just finished doing a little work on an MTV series called “Death Valley” that comes out later this year and I plan on being back in Vancouver to work in the very, very near future.

Sam Tjhia is playing Kitana in the new web series “Mortal Kombat: Legacy”.  Movie Mikes had a chance to chat with Sam about her role and chatted about her other film stunt work.

Mike Gencarelli: How did you get involved with stunt work?
Sam Tjhia: Well, I started martial arts when I was around 4 because my mom was a black belt and both of my brothers participated as well. I started to just really love the challenge and disciple of something so physically demanding and so I continued on with the Chinese style, Wushu all the way up until now. I suppose if you love performing and love a physical challenge, there really isn’t a career more perfect than stunts, right? Anyhow, After the Olympics I had a little more credit to my skills and happened to know a few people in the industry, like my Wushu coach, who also did stunts. I guess all in all it was just the drive of wanting a challenge and luck of meeting amazing people.

MG: What would you consider you most dangerous stunt?
ST: Hmm, this one is a little tough because though I LOVE adrenaline rushes and mental obstacles… I’m normally hired for my fighting/acrobatic skills and just haven’t crossed that road yet. I mean I GUESS having swords and whatnot poked and swung at you is dangerous but it’s no full body burn, that’s for sure. So I’d probably have to say when I was on a wire and I got pulled back into the air a good 15ft., smashed into a car laying on it’s side, chipped off the car, hit the ground and rolled. It didn’t feel so dangerous just because I trusted the stunt riggers 100% but it just sounds the coolest [laughs].

MG: Tell us about working on “Mortal Kombat: Legacy” playing Kitana?
ST: Firstly, I can’t even begin to say what an honour (Yes, I’m Canadian and spell it with a “u”) it is to play such an iconic female character in possibly the BEST video game ever…. I’ll admit that I’m not a HUGE player of video games, but I played Mortal Kombat, and I played with Kitana!! I kind of have a mild case of “Girl Power Syndrome” and so I just want to show the world that girls can kick ass too!! On set in Vancouver was an amazing experience in itself. I think it was the fact that everyone knew and appreciated how amazing Kevin’s vision was and knew how AWESOME the final product would turn out to be. I don’t want to say too much about Kitana’s episode yet, but I feel very privileged to bring her to life in “Mortal Kombat: Legacy”.

MG: How did you research for the role?
ST: Aside from doing an online background check, I really wanted to focus on A: Her relationship with Shao Khan and Mileena, and B: Her style and physical capabilities. I pretty much engulfed myself with any information, cinematics, artistic representations, and forum discussions about her as possible. One thing I spent long periods of time on was people watching. Yeah I’m sneaky like that… sitting at a coffee shop and just observing. I feel very close to my family so it was definitely fun being able to try on a different pair of shoes and try to understand the sibling rivalry and betrayal involved in her back story.

MG: Do you plan on doing more acting roles vs. stunts?
ST: One thing I know about myself is that I love a challenge. I love a challenge and I love to perform. Both acting and stunts have their obstacles so I really love and appreciate getting to experience both careers. I am a go with the flow type of person. If presented with an opportunity that sounds interesting and challenging then I’ll dive in headfirst as long as I feel as though it will allow me to perform and create something amazing… physically or emotionally.

MG: How was it working on such a big film like “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2”?
ST: From a stunt perspective, it’s always a thrill being able to work on big films like “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2” due to the preparation time you’re normally given. It’s cliché, but Michelangelo didn’t paint the Sistine chapel in a day. Being given time to use your creative mind and have time to perfect the things you feel most important is probably the biggest bonus. Now from a girl out of Barrie, Ontario Canada… I feel so grateful to have somehow flown from the nest and just experience life like this.

MG: How does it compare to working on the web series?
ST: For “Mortal Kombat: Legacy” it’s a little difficult to compare just because it really didn’t feel or even look for that matter, like a typical web series. Kevin knew exactly what he wanted and Larnell Stovall (Fight Choreographer) had the time to understand him and create his masterpiece. Everyone on “Mortal Kombat: Legacy” was just so cohesive and happy to be there, that it made it feel just as thrilling as any bigger budget film. Maybe the budget didn’t allow for as much fancy equipment, but as everyone could see, it really didn’t make much of a difference in quality. It’s the people working the equipment and their attitudes that polished the web series.

Matt Mullins is playing Johnny Cage in the new web series “Mortal Kombat: Legacy”.  Besides acting, Matt has also won 5 martial arts world titles.  Movie Mikes had a chance to chat with Matt about his role and found out what his most challenging role to date.

Mike Gencarelli: Tell us how you become involved with “Mortal Kombat: Legacy”?
Matt Mullins: I actually met Kevin (Tancharoen) probably six or seven years ago.  He comes from a dance background and I hada mar tial arts performance team.  We were collaborating on a couple different dance/martial arts projects back in our early 20’s.  We lost touch for a while and then reconnected when he was getting ready to do “Mortal Kombat: Rebirth”.  He asked me if I would potentially want to play Johnny Cage.  I told him “Of course I want to play JOHNNY CAGE [laughs]! I have always been a fan of Kevin’s work and what he has done. I thought he had a great vision for the projects he has worked on. So the “Rebirth” short ended up going viral online and then they decided to do “Mortal Kombat: Legacy”.  When the project was first starting they weren’t sure what characters they were going to do but fortunately enough they choose Johnny Cage as one of the characters. So luckily for me, I was able to reprise my role.  Originally there was some issues bringing me up to Canada to work and they were looking at a few other candidates for the role. Fortunately I ended up being cast and got to play Johnny Cage. It was pretty stressful but I got a call the day before they were suppose to shoot. I flew up the next morning and started working.

MG: What do you like most about the character Johnny Cage?
MM: What I like most is that he is funny and larger than life.  Even in the game he is very cocky and arrogant in a lot of ways.  With the “Legacy” series, they finally gave Johnny Cage a little bit of heart. They give a reason for people to want to cheer for Johnny to come back and be the action hero that he always wanted to be [laughs].  I think that is why I dig the character in the video game, the martial arts he performs in the game is all karate based. My marital arts training is primarily karate. It was a lot of fun.

MG: What was the length of time to shoot your episode?
MM: It was three days.  We covered the fights really fast.  We didn’t have any super big set or location changes.  We shot them around and in the stages in Vancouver.

MG: Did you have a lot of time to rehearse before your episode?
MM: No actually, I learned it as we were going.  The fights were already choreographed Larnell (Stovall) and he had them already put together.  When I got there everyone learned their timing and we got it done.

MG: How was it working on a web series, compared to TV and movies?
MM: The process was exactly the same.  The days were the same and the performances were the same.  It was identical to any feature or TV show I have worked on.  Everyone was really talented, the cast was outstanding. We shot quickly but TV now a days is shot quickly.

MG: With 5 martial arts world titles, what made you want to get into the world of martial arts?
MM: It was a combination of a lot of different things.  I was obsessed with video games like “Ninja Turtles” and movies like “The Karate Kid”.  Just action in general is something I always wanted to do.  Once I started martial arts there was nothing else I wanted to do. It was cool, plus being from Chicago that was where Midway Games was.  A lot of the local martial artists were the inspiration for the original “Mortal Kombat” characters from that area and they would compete at local tournaments. Daniel Pasina, the original Johnny Cage in the video game, actually judged my yellow belt National tournament when I was twelve years old.

MG: What has been your most challenging role to date?
MM: One of favorite roles I did was one called “Adventures of Johnny Tao”, that was a like a kids/action/zombie/killer film.  I got to play dual character in that, kind of the “Rain Man”, the slightly slow best friend that gets turned into the evil overlord bad guy. It was really fun because I really enjoyed playing both characters.  Those where probably the longest sequences I have done working with Marcus Young and J.J. Perry.  Actually Larnell Stovall from “Mortal Kombat: Legacy” coordinated that as well so it was great working with him.  Their combined creativity for the action sequences were very intricate and we rehearsed the fights for over a month before shooting.  Overall, I would have to call that my most challenging role.

MG: Tell us about your work with “Tron: Evolution” video game?
MM: I did all the between game cinematics for the main character.  Then I did the majority of the movements for each one of the additional characters, every bad guy, good guy, boss…everybody.  It was a lot of fun.  All the guys that made the game were really great guys.  They had a great vision for what they wanted the game to be but I think unfortunately people do not always put out games like the new “Mortal Kombat”.  They worked forever on “MK”.  There was so much red tape with “Tron” that they had to deal with for example, like what they could do with the story and not doing anything the movie was going to do.  The production company was looking to pump out the game before the movie game out.  I worked with them for over a month on it and it was fun as hell though.

Kevan Ohtsji is playing Sub-Zero in the new web series “Mortal Kombat: Legacy”.  Movie Mikes had a chance to chat with Kevan about his role and found out what his most challenging role to date.

Mike Gencarelli: What was your first thoughts when you became involved with “Mortal Kombat: Legacy”
Kevan Ohtsji: Awesome. I remember being in high school and going to the arcade with my friends. Kids always crowded around the Mortal Kombat game, watching intently as the players battled it out. Not to mention placing rows of quarters on the sill of the game to ensure their place in line to play. So as you might suspect, I was thrilled to find out I’d be part of this project.

MG: Were you familiar with the character of Sub Zero?
KO: Yep! He’s one of my favorite characters. I was really happy when the costume designers were building the wardrobe for the show.
It had many layers, and in my view felt like what a warrior back in ancient times would wear without being too glamorized or trite.

MG: What can we expect from your character in the rest of the series?
KO: I don’t want to spoil some of the things Kevin and the producers have created. But I do think audiences will have a nice surprise watching Scorpion and Sub Zero coming face to face.
Certainly the fight scenes will be a special treat to watch. I think audiences will have some understanding where these characters are coming from, and perhaps even more interest piqued into their back stories.

MG: How was it working with director Kevin Tancharoen?
KO: Fantastic! He certainly knows what he wants and how to execute it. I did some research on him before getting to set. He certainly wowed everyone with Rebirth. Sheesh! Talk about production value! I was floored when I learned that he shot all of it in such a short time span, and with the resources he had. All I can say is I think Kevin is going to go really, really far. He has the certainty of a seasoned director, the energized passion of the youth, and skill and talent that is bursting at the seams.

MG: How was it working with the web series format?
KO: I came to set to find I was working on a feature. High, high quality. The D.P. was fantastic. Kim Miles. Super cool guy. I had working with him on a short film previously, and it was a blast to work with him again. The stunt team was amazing, as everyone will see. All the cast and crew I met were top notch. It was a real treat to work on this show.

MG: What has been your most challenging role to date?
KO: It probably would have the mini-series “Race to Mars”. It was very ambitious, and I played an astronaut on man’s first manned mission to Mars. Galafilm and the Discovery Channel produced it, and we shot in Montreal Canada. Production was meticulous at trying to be as authentic and to true to the current science as we knew it. We even got to sit face to face with Canada’s first astronaut in space, Mr. Marc Garneau. It was wild. His daughter was the technical adviser to the show, making sure that we portrayed things accurately. Our wardrobe for ‘exterior’ shots was designed as what current astronauts would wear. Each character needed three people to become fully dressed in our astronaut attire. I love coffee, but had to forgo it for awhile as peeing every few hours would require lots of people to unstrap here, and unzip there. They even thoughtfully built a small fan inside the helmet to keep us cool, and added ice packs within costumes. It was a really kind gesture, but if you’re familiar with Montreal summers – it was dang hot in those suits! All in all, it was a great experience, and I’d jump at the chance to do all again!

MG: What other projects do you have upcoming?
KO: You can see me guest starring in Steven Seagal’s True Justice “The Brotherhood”, the MoWs “Collision Earth” and “Crashsite”, and a few shorts are making their festival runs “Tora” (with David Suzuki), “Henry’s Glasses”, and Serum 1831.

Fraser Aitcheson is currently appearing the “Mortal Kombat: Legacy” playing the character Baraka.  Fraser has also worked on various other projects like “Smallville”, “TRON Legacy”, “Night of the Museum 2” & the upcoming “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol”.

Mike Gencarelli: Tell us about playing Baraka in “Mortal Kombat: Legacy”?
Fraser Aitcheson: First off I got to say I was shocked and happy to play such an iconic character. He was my favorite character in the game. When I heard I was chosen to play him I was so happy and it was such an honor. I was really excited to do it.

MG: So you a fan of the video games series and the character prior to working on the web series?
FA: Growing up I was a huge fan of it. I would get home from work, I worked at a bar, and I would play “Mortal Kombat” till like 7am in the morning. It was kind of like a stress relief after dealing with the people at the bar.

MG: How was it working with the makeup for the character?
FA: It was long [laughs]. It was really long. I sat in the chair for probably two and half to three hours just to put it on. It was about an hour and a half or just to take it off. I always like wearing makeup, masks or anything where I have prosthetics. because you can totally lose yourself in the character. It is not like you are playing a generic bad guy. Anything you do when you have that mask on you become this different person.

MG: Since you were a fan of the character what was it like for the first time seeing yourself in full makeup?
FA: I didn’t even recognize myself [laughing]. People were taking pictures of me all day and looking at me funny. I was like “Hey, it’s me in here”. I hear my voice and then I look in the mirror and I was like “hey that’s not me”. I still look at the pictures and you could tell me it is somebody else and I would believe you.

MG: So how was it actually like shooting the web series?
FA: It was really cool. Do not want to reveal too much. You watched the first episode right? Amazing! The second episode was censored because it was so intense. It is only going to get better.

MG: You’ve worked with SyFy Channel on various projects i.e “Riverworld”, “Tin Man” and “Stargate SG-1”, how did that relationship start?
FA: Unfortunately it is a conscience. I do not work for the network, per say. What usually happens is a coordinator will call me and say that they need me for a part etc. Quick background story: I was working at bar, bouncing, and one of the regulars was a talent agent. She came in one day and said “I could really use a guy like you for “Stargate”.” I said sure no problem but I had no idea how cool it would be. I got to play one of the Jaffa warriors. “Stargate” was my bread and butter for a number of years. I was out there constantly doing background work, stunts and acting. They always found a new way to kill me though [laughs]. The network ended up picking up “Tin Man” and “Riverworld” and I ended up working with them on those as well under the Syfy umbrella.

MG: How was it working with Terry Gilliam in “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus”
FA: I didn’t really get a chance to sit and talk with him for an extended period. But of course being a Monty Python fan, I called my mom right away and told her the minute I found out. It was kind of shadowed by the fact that I had to dance in high heals, fish nets and a mini skirt [laughs]. I have a whole new respect for dancers and performers because that shit is hard [laughs]. They made these heals for us that where like six inches high and platforms to boot. Going from this to “Mortal Kombat” is funny because it is from cross dresser to straight killer.

MG: Tell us about working on the film “TRON Legacy”?
FA: It was cool. I was doing utility stunts. I got to testout some of the stunt rigs, they were going to use on one of the actors. They were testing everything out to make sure it is safe. Obviously, it was easier to put a stunt guy in who knows how to fall if complications should arise, then the actor. It was cool experience. I was a big fan of the original movie and to get to work on the second one was just really great.

MG: So does it enjoy playing all these great characters?
FA: Here is a good example,  I got called in to do the TV show “Smallville” and they had me play this character called The Persuader. It was an awesome character from the future and this guy has this huge axe. I get to beat the crap out of Superman and almost cut him in half with my axe, it was just so nuts. I am a huge comic fan and still have all my old comics saved. so to answer you questions, now I am getting to play all these great characters. It is just unbelievable and unreal.

MG: What has been the most challenging film to work on for stunt work?
FA: So far I would having to say “Night of the Museum 2”. Only because I was doing a lot of stuff I normally don’t do. Typically I am the fight guy, but for this film I was doing a lot of wire work. So I was like flying around through the air and getting tossed around. It was really cool but it is usually reserved for the smaller guys.

MG: How was it working on the film “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol”?
FA: Obviously I can’t tell you that much. It is a really cool scene, hopefully they [laughs] keep it in the film. It was an awesome group of people to work with. The fight choreographer’s name was Robert Alonzo, such an awesome guy and super talented. It was nice to work with someone that was very meticulous. He was like “You have to do it like this” and he paid such great attention to detail. It was nice and it showed he cared about the end product. Not just for me but for the actors I worked with as well. It is going to be really cool.