Part 2 of Robert W’s “Interview” with the very real Ridley Scott who absolutely, definitely, without-a-doubt, really responded to these questions, is below.
INTERVIEWER:
You had establishing Dave’s character up there pretty high as well though…
RIDLEY SCOTT:
Yeah, but that was only a couple of shots after the Floating Map Balls! Did you see them!?
INTERVIEWER:
The red things?
RIDLEY SCOTT:
Yeah. That was a great development process. We had several all night talks about what kind of gadgets a starship crew should have, and the Floating Map Balls ranked very highly. It took ages to decide on the noise they should make.
INTERVIEWER:
The noise was a directorial decision?
RIDLEY SCOTT:
Well I can’t take all the credit, the Producers were involved too.
INTERVIEWER:
Ah, so very much an Executive Decision then?
RIDLEY SCOTT:
Now now, my movies are a very group oriented process
INTERVIEWER:
Ah, a little socialist?
RIDLEY SCOTT:
Heh, I guess. The scriptwriters really drove the decisions on sound effects.
INTERVIEWER:
What!?
RIDLEY SCOTT:
Yeah, great guys. They found EVERYTHING hilarious. Weirdest thing, I’d get hungry just sitting in their trailer!
INTERVIEWER:
So Dave’s character development and the Floating Map Balls were similar priorities to you? I haven’t watched with a stopwatch, but from what you were saying before you feel they would have gotten similar screen time?
RIDLEY SCOTT:
Oh absolutely not.
INTERVIEWER:
Oh, my mistake.
RIDLEY SCOTT:
Maybe they did. That’s a worry as Dave’s character was several spots below the FMB’s in my mind.
INTERVIEWER:
You did have a lot of character stories to tell in the movie I guess.
RIDLEY SCOTT:
Oh that wasn’t it, only one other character scraped it on to the list for onscreen development,
INTERVIEWER:
Reflecting on what you’re telling me, that does sound about right.
RIDLEY SCOTT:
Yeah, some guy in editing made that happen. It’s a pity he was union. We could have done more with the FMBs
INTERVIEWER:
FMBs were a hot topic?
RIDLEY SCOTT:
Yeah, actually this editor guy said they were a problem.
INTERVIEWER:
Really?
RIDLEY SCOTT:
Crazy right!? He kept saying something about “why wander out when you could just let the FMB’s map the whole structure in under a day?”
INTERVIEWER:
Actually, that is a good point.
RIDLEY SCOTT:
There it is again, you’re not watching with enough willing suspension of disbelief!
INTERVIEWER:
But didn’t we agree that’s not all that makes a movie?
RIDLEY SCOTT:
Yeah, there’s the CGI and sequel to do… but if the audience can’t suspend their disbelief then they’re not a good audience.
INTERVIEWER:
Isn’t there some role for the production to minimise the reliance on willing suspension of disbelief?
RIDLEY SCOTT:
That’s what this editor kept muttering! He wanted to replace the FMB’s with little slow tank track camera droids!
INTERVIEWER:
Like the Mars Rovers!?
RIDLEY SCOTT:
Yeah, he thought that would explain why the crew had to go out with them.
INTERVIEWER:
There’s something cool about an homage to Mars Rovers too- I mean Opportunity is running 6 years after mission design!?
RIDLEY SCOTT:
You just don’t understand movies at all. What has the real world got to do with it? You need to suspend your disbelief.
Click below for the final page of Robert W’s not-at-all-biased Interview with Ridley Scott, as we get into magic black goo, strangely placed medical pods, and more on the conception of David’s character!
Movie Mingler 