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Q&A: FLY ME TO THE MOON

10 Questions with Ben Stassen, director of the much anticipated 3D Movie

 

What is the concept behind Fly Me to the Moon?

 

Fly Me to the Moon is the story of three tweenage flies hitching a ride on the Apollo 11  mission to the Moon.

 

What made you choose this topic?

 

Our company nWave Pictures has been producing 3D films since the early 1990ies. We are a leading producer of 3D ride films, 4D attraction films and Imax 3D films.

 

When we decided to make the move from the specialty films to feature film production, we searched for a story that could be drastically enhanced by the 3D. We wanted to make a film designed and created in 3D for 3D release only. Since we were financing the film ourselves, we had to stay within a certain budget range. But most importantly we wanted to create a truly unique 3D experience. The search for the right script took almost 2 years.

 

When I read Domonic Paris script Fly Me to the Moon, I knew it was perfect for us in terms of both content and form. Space lends itself really well to 3D (lots of floating objects) and I wanted to create a film with stylized characters evolving in photo realistic environments. I felt we could achieve a nice balance between fantasy and reality with Domonics script.

 

What makes Fly Me to the Moon a story appropriate for 3D?

 

Fly Me to the Moon is not merely appropriate for 3D, in my mind, it could only have been made in 3D. The Apollo 11 mission is one of the greatest adventures in the history of mankind, yet this story had never been brought to the screen because its much too predictable. While it remains an amazing achievement, it is not dramatic enough. Even though we did beef up the story by getting our flies in jeopardy, it is truly the 3D that gives the film an extra dimension dramatically speaking.

 

Whenever you watch a 2D film you react to it rationally and emotionally, but with 3D there is another level of involvement. Instead of watching the events unfold through a window (the screen), we try to transport the viewer into the filmic space itself. This brings about a very strong sense of being there. The viewer feels as if he or she is physically present in the scene.

 

With a film like Fly Me to the Moon, it is really this physical component that triggers an emotional response.

 

How long was the production period for Fly Me to the Moon?

 

It took us exactly two years from the first time we read the script to the completion of the film. It is really a short production schedule for an animated feature, but then again, when you finance a film yourself you dont have all the levels of approval that you normally have in a studio pictures. This saves a lot of time and aggravation.

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