Abhiroop Das
Co-directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, ‘Project Hail Mary‘ steps into a world where the sun is slowly being taken over by mysterious forces, risking Earth’s freezing and the extinction of humanity. Ryland Grace, a high school teacher and brilliant scientist, wakes up with a curious case of amnesia, which makes it difficult for him to explain why he is aboard a spaceship that is headed several light-years away. However, following an encounter with a rock-faced, spider-like alien that seems to be as hyperintelligent as it is hyperactive, Grace realizes that his mission is to save his planet. The alien, named Rocky, is an Eridian being on a similar mission, and as he spends more time with Grace, their friendship becomes something to behold.
Rocky the Alien is Made up of Puppets and is Maneuvered by Six Artists at a Time
Rocky is brought to life in ‘Project Hail Mary’ with the help of some very complex puppeteering, as well as some digital editing and CGI to touch up the sequences. This is in line with directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller’s practical effects-oriented approach, where the placement of a real figure on set allows for much more organic performances than relying on green screen and excessive CGI. To make the miracle happen, the crew needed a team of six puppeteers and several versions of Rocky, some as partial and others as complete puppets. The task of lead puppeteering went to James Ortiz, a master of the craft, who also lends his voice to Rocky in the film. Together, the group of controllers was reportedly dubbed Rocketeers, and they are one of the main reasons why Rocky has become a beloved figure in pop culture.
In a conversation with People, Andy Weir, who is the author of the eponymous book the movie is based on, revealed that there was one “pure” puppet, with a complete frame and string attachments. The other versions of Rocky, by comparison, were only partially built, with motors being attached to pull off the more complicated movements and sequences. The puppets also relied on an elaborate system of servomotors or “servos,” which are a key component of modern robotics. These servos were themselves connected to a thick power cable, which had to be digitally removed by the crew for the finished product. Similarly, some of the puppets had missing limbs and were likely used for close-up sequences. The missing limbs were later added during post-production via graphics, giving Rocky a consistent look.
It Took More Than 300 Possible Designs to Get Rocky’s Look Right
In an interview with TechRadar, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller revealed that it took a year to bring Rocky from concept to reality, and the process was by no means easy. The first step, naturally, was to base their design on how Andy Weir describes Rocky in his book. “Rocky has no eyes or mouth, so he has to express himself through movement. As animators, that really appealed to us,” Lord elaborated. While looking for the right fit, the duo came up with almost 300 possible iterations, focusing on creating flat rock facets that would “allow the audience to project personhood onto him, but without helping too much.” They weren’t alone in this endeavor either, as James Ortiz and his puppet team were accompanied by special effects artist Neal Scanlan, who brainstormed with them to fill in the finer details of the design.
The version of Rocky that ultimately makes it to the film is filled with design quirks, including carvings all across his body to indicate a cultural history. At the same time, Rocky also dons a rock-styled shirt and tool belt, which needed its own design sensibilities. This time, the design team reportedly put on a fashion show, choosing the look that best fits Rocky’s personality and background. From there, the team held auditions to assemble a perfect five-person team to puppeteer Rocky at all times, ensuring that his movements always land somewhere between sophisticated and adorable.
When Ortiz was initially dubbing for Rocky, the plan was to have the lines re-dubbed by another actor, but Lord and Miller ultimately changed their mind. In a conversation with The Hollywood Reporter, Lord explained their reasoning in greater detail, “In animation, you say ‘you never trace a drawing.’ It’s like it loses its life — that moment when it gets created is the thing you want to capture.” Ortiz wanted Rocky to be funny and bossy at all times, so to do that, he relied on his chemistry with co-star Ryan Gosling to improvise as often as possible, ensuring that the scenes remained funny.
Read More: Where Was Project Hail Mary Filmed?
You must be logged in to post a comment.