Can Polar Express Make the Grade?
BusinessWeek has this story about John Zemeckis’ The Polar Express, which features the talents of Tom Hanks. It says, In Zemeckis, Warner [Bros.] and Sony [Imageworks] have a true pioneer. He’s the director who defied conventional wisdom and traditional movie-making with his 1988 Who Framed Roger Rabbit, which spectacularly combined animation and live action in a single frame. Six years later, Zemeckis collaborated with Tom Hanks in the blockbuster Forrest Gump. One of the most memorable moments: Hanks shaking President John F. Kennedy’s hand, accomplished by combining old footage with current action in a single frame. If anyone can pull off a performance-capture movie, it would be someone with Zemeckis’ verve and imagination. Of course, not everyone in Hollywood is convinced that this marks an evolution in moviemaking Special-effects genius Jim Rygiel, who won three Oscars for his work on The Lord of the Rings trilogy, has his doubts about trying to bring live people to life through a
