By Mario Boucher
Spending a day at GalaxyCon meant encountering all types of personalities, including Gollum himself. Many fans constructed their own costumes to reflect their individual style, patrolling the exhibit hall for an unexpected collectible or waiting in line to meet a celebrity for a selfie or have one of their questions answered.
Fans attending the Q&A with Andy Serkis learned about the Gollum “juice,” a mixture of honey, lemon and ginger with warm water. He drank this concoction all day during the filming of the movie while performing as Gollum and Smeagol for the same scene. “I feel like the luckiest person. I really do,” he told a capacity crowd in Ballroom AB
Serkis, an actor who has led the way in motion capture performances for the past three decades, explained how performance capture has evolved over the past 25 years. At the time of filming the original The Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001–2003), facial capture, as filmmakers like Peter Jackson and James Cameron were just beginning to use CGI in ways never thought possible.
A few years later, Serkis was able to show expression for King Kong (2005). By the time Serkis portrayed Caesar in the Planet of the Apes trilogy (2011–2017), he was able to deliver a performance on set. Serkis referred to Caesar as a rare opportunity to “play a character from birth to death over three movies” and experience how the character “physically changed, becoming more human.”
In a little over two decades, motion capture performance has come a long way, in part thanks to Serkis. “There is less technology now between you and the performance. It is the chemistry between you and another actor that creates drama, and that’s what the audience feels.”
Serkis has lent his voice for video games, including Expedition 33, released earlier this year. He will return to Middle-earth and Gotham City in the next couple of years for The Hunt for Gollum, in which Serkis will continue to explore Gollum’s multiple personalities, and The Batman 2, to examine Alfred’s limitations as a father figure for Bruce Wayne.
Speaking of the world of Batman, Loren Lester (voicing Robin/Dick Grayson) and Diane Pershing (voicing Poison Ivy) discussed the legacy of the 1990’s Batman: The Animated Series. The classic TV series allowed the two voice actors to play characters with “many colors to play,” said Pershing.
When asked by a fan how to get into the industry, Lester suggested creating something from your personality (sound unique and different) and getting training by working on stage. Pershing advised taking a voice-over acting class and practicing at home.
“I’ve never had a bad interaction with a fan,” said Lester, adding how remarkable the animated series has lasted for three decades, with fans sharing it with their children. Pershing said, “Three generations have seen this show. What an amazing thing.”
That sums up the experience of any fan attending this year’s GalaxyCon, which offered something for everyone. Some attendees participated in costume competitions – many were impressive and looked like the real thing from a movie or an anime series.
Fans were able to listen to popular celebrities, get their picture taken, and take home a signature souvenir from stars of movies and TV, voice actors and comic book creators. New friends were made or reconnected at the event. And most fans picked up a few treats from the exhibit hall before heading home.
The header picture features five mighty heroes: from left, Jake Fogg as Superman, Mickey Mickens as Cinderfella, Taylor Pettitt as Captain Carter, Jake Ryan as the Human Touch, and Jess Ryan as Sue Storm.
