BACKSTAGE INTERVIEW
CATEGORY: Best Picture
INTERVIEW WITH: Thomas Langmann, Producer
FILM: "The Artist"
Q. Hi, congratulations on your win tonight. I was just curious, your film kind of recaptured the golden age of Hollywood cinema, and I was wondering what your thoughts are as to where cinema will be heading in the future?
A. Well, it's interesting to see in the present day with all those 3D movies, and I love all kind of movies, and I must say that as a producer mostly we do print movies, I do, and I'm proud of doing what you could call popcorn movies. And if I had not done movies that are easier for audiences to go and see, I will have I will have not the money in my company to put the risk. So, I think every kind of cinema helps another kind. And if this movie if THE ARTIST can help an independent producer and to be audacious, this is a great thing, because I've shown this movie to kids, and some of them had never seen a black and white movie, and they thought it was it would be really boring. And they said they watched it, and after five, ten minutes, they enjoyed it. So, as Michel Hazanavicius, the director said, silent is a way of telling the story. That is not maybe from the past that it's an experience and it's maybe as big as a 3D experience, even if it's was different.
So, we are really proud of this and all kind of cinema should exist. And I must say that it's amazing that it's here in America that all the fuss came and and all the great reports came about THE ARTIST. Even when we had success in France and Europe, but now because of your reaction, it's getting bigger and bigger in Europe. So, it's great.
CATEGORY: Directing
INTERVIEW WITH: Michel Hazanavicius
FILM: "The Artist"
Q. With the popularity THE ARTIST and HUGO, what would you say is your favorite silent film or silent films that you helped guide you through the process of making the film in that era?
A. Which one of my favorite silent movies?
Q. Yeah, your personal favorite.
A. I would say, like, I don't know, maybe, eight or something. It's very difficult to say one, because silent movie is not a genre, you know, that because it's just a format. I would say that the Murnau's movies, the American ones SUNRISE and CITY GIRL, I think I prefer CITY GIRL, because I think it's more simple, but both of them are really great. King Vidor's, THE CROWD. It's a wonderful movie. Everybody can see it. It's easy to watch.
It's very touching. It's moving picture and very modern. Tod Browning's, THE UNKNOWN GYPSY CIRCUS, which it's a great, great covert and sexy movie set in a gypsy circus, and it's really great, a short one like one hour and ten minutes the Borzage movie, the Von Stroheim movie, Von Sternberg movies, like, UNDERWORLD and DOCKS OF NEW YORK. UNDERWORLD is a great, great movie. DOCKS OF NEW YORK is written by Ben Hecht who wrote SCARFACE after that. It's a great movie. The great [inaudible] old Charlie Chaplin. You can you can spend a good week with that.
CATEGORY: Lead Actress
INTERVIEW WITH: Meryl Streep
FILM: "The Iron Lady"
Meryl shares some inspiring words for women.
Q. No, but really, how did you feel winning this third award, and why did you think
A. Oh, I was thrilled. I thought I was so old and jaded, but they call your name, and you just go into sort of a, I don't know, a white light. And it was just thrilling. It was like I was a kid again. I mean, it was I was a kid when I won this, like, 30 years ago. Two of the nominees were not even conceived. So, you know, it was great. And it was doubly wonderful because my long time collaborative colleague, Roy Helland, makeup man, hairdresser, he won too, and he won for not an outside he won with his colleague Mark Coulier, who is a great British prosthetics designer, but he won not for some, you know, monster making, but for making a human being, and it's very unusual in that branch that they give it to somebody who's just trying to transform people. And so I was really, really proud for him.
Q. Congratulations. In your very moving speech this evening, you mentioned jokingly we might all be sick of you in the future. I hope that doesn't happen, but it seems like you have the beginning of a second project in life with The Women's Museum. Would you talk a little bit about that?
A. Thank you for asking about that. There is no national women's history museum, but there is a lot of history that is not written about the contributions of women in our country and around the world. And I think it would be really, really inspiring for people all around the world to have this fantastic center where you can learn the stuff that hasn't been written about women, because for many, many centuries, history was not interested in us. And yet, and our history is invisible and I think it would be great for boys and girls to go to a place where they could learn about the contributions of their foremothers as well as their forefathers.
Q. Expounding on that idea, with young girls today, young women watching the Oscars, what advice would you give to them if they are thinking about going into filmmaking or acting?
A. Or anything.
Q. Or anything?
A. Or anything. Never give up. Don't up, don't give up. I mean, many girls around the world live in circumstances that are unimaginably difficult. And it's not, you know, show business is a golf game compared to the way most kids grow up in the world. But I would say never give up. On March 8, 9, and 10, Tina Brown is hosting something called Women in the World in New York, a 3 day symposium bringing activists around the world on behalf of issues concerning women and girls, and it's a great, great thing. Hope you will write about it and go see it. And thank you very much.
CATEGORY: Lead Actor
INTERVIEW WITH: Jean Dujardin
FILM: "The Artist"
Q. Sir, with your great success in this silent movie, are you concerned with the effort to make a transition into talkies?
A. (JEAN DUJARDIN) In America? I'm not American actor. I'm a French actor, and I continue in France and but it's possible. It's
A. (INTERPRETER) If he can make another silent movie in America, he'd like to. He knows he'll always be a French actor in America so he should find roles that, you know, those kinds of roles.
A. (JEAN DUJARDIN) Thank you.
A. (INTERPRETER) But he has a few ideas that he wants to develop.
Q. Hello, Jean. I would like to know what was the process of creating this character and was it any different from the way you created other talking characters?
A. It was not really intellectual, and I'm not an intellectual. No, I watch I watched a lot of movies. Douglas Fairbanks movies, Gene Kelly movies. I had fun pretending to be a movie star in 1920s.
CATEGORY: Visual Effects
INTERVIEW WITH: Rob Legato, Joss Williams (absent), Ben Grossman and Alex Henning
FILM: "Hugo"
Q. I have a question about the locomotive accident scene. I was, uhm, I read somewhere that that was actually good old handmade, uhm, visual effect and not using the the graphics of computer graphics. Could you please tell me why you chose that route.
A. [Legato] We actually had a combination of the two. The last drawing was specifically designed for a physical model to crash through to imitate the Montparnasse famous black and white shot, and we added two more shots that were real traditional models and the rest of them were computer graphic models that were modeled to be able to be seen side by side with the real one and be, you know, indistinguishable from the two. [inaudible]
A. [Grossmann] The reality is the question was: Why did we choose to use a model a modern day miniature instead of the newer modern technology digital. We used digital where it was appropriate and we used a model where it was appropriate too. And models and miniatures are classic techniques. Aside from being an homage to the subject of the movie, Georges Melies and his techniques, there's still the better solution you get when something looks real, and when you can do that, you should. And we did.
Q. So, you are up against these gigantic visual effects extravaganzas like TRANSFORMERS and even APES. And you guys won. I'm just wondering what you think this means about the state of visual effects and the appreciation of visual effects at least by the Academy?
A. My feeling is, and it's sort of when we finished the movie and how the movie was and the fact we are up against these incredibly technologically, beautifully done films that the blending of the art forms which is, in fact, what I believe cinema to be, which is the combination of all the music, sound effects, lighting, costumes, is all of that. There's a perfect blend and ours does not stick out but assists that and becomes part of the art form that the Academy sort of growing up with the visual effects world, and saying, we are now going to also appreciate the art of what you tried to achieve, what's literally on screen. Which is worthy of being onscreen. So, for us, you know, because there's other films that are fantastic and work is outrageous. They deserve to win just as much as we do, and if I were to put words in the mouth of the Academy, I would say that they judge them on the merits of art just as much as they do on technology produced.
A. [Grossmann] Those films are really amazing. All the other nominees in our category were stunning films that we would never expect to even be up against or stand a chance to compete against.
A. [Legato] We are kind of surprised to be up here.
A. [Henning] Yeah, it's a terrific honor.
CATEGORY: Adapted Screenplay
INTERVIEW WITH: Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash
FILM: "The Descendants"
Q. Essentially a question for Jim. How could NBC ever cancel COMMUNITY when now the Oscar winning Dean Pelton is on that?
A. (JIM RASH) I guess I should take these into their offices tomorrow and see what I can do. You know, the good news is we're back on March 15th so maybe hopefully maybe this will help with Season 4, I don't know.
Q. A quick COMMUNITY question. Are you going to bring the Oscar with you when you do go back, and how do you think the rest of the cast is going to react?
A. (JIM RASH) It's smart to take it because most people know where they stand with you. It's a great accoutrement for any outfit they might put me in. It just seems sensible.
Q. Hi, congratulations. Alexander, I wondered if you would translate what you said in Hawaiian in that nice tribute to your mom, but also in doing that, talk about how you adapted the Hawaiian culture, especially using the music in telling the story.
A. (ALEXANDER PAYNE) I'm so happy to correct you. It wasn't Hawaiian, it was Greek.
Q. [Inaudible]
A. (ALEXANDER PAYNE) Yeah, thanks. Essentially that's I love you very much in Greek. As for, as you say, adapting Hawaiian culture and folding it into the film and using the music, thanks for the question. In retrospect I have to say, yeah, I am proud of the fact that I was able to spend a number of months in Hawaii before shooting, using Kaui Hart Hemmings, the novelist, as a guy opening the initial doors for me to get it right because they could be quite specific and judgmental out there in Hawaii in kind of nailing what they do. And the use of music, I've said this before, forgive me for repeating myself, but I thought it would be inelegant not to try to score the film with 100 percent Hawaiian music, given the plethora of music out there which never extends beyond the isles.
CATEGORY: Supporting Actress
INTERVIEW WITH: Octavia Spencer
FILM: "The Help"
Q. Congratulations. Obviously you must be so thrilled with this win. I was looking at some of the deleted scenes from the film and there was one scene where your character was at the bus stop and she was obviously beat up.
A. Oh.
Q. Are you disappointed that perhaps the film didn't include that more tragic ending for your character, although it had some low points, it had some, you know, a little bit of a light hearted feel at the end?
A. Well, I think that's all in your perception. No, I'm not disappointed that that scene was deleted. I think that we wanted to make the movie that Kathryn Stockett had envisioned when she wrote the book. I don't think there's anything light hearted about the Civil Rights movement, but somehow it makes it palatable when you see that type of strife. So if you can have a laugh every other ten minutes while you watch the struggle then, you know, I have no problem with it. But no, I'm not disappointed with any aspect of the film.
Q. So at the luncheon you were singing one particular song.
A. [Singing] Oscar nominee, but now I'm a winner. Winner.
Q. Congratulations.
A. Thank you so much.
Q. What will you do? The plans after this movies?
A. Tonight or
Q. Tonight and then after that?
A. Well, tonight I am going to find my cast mates and we're going to, you know I'm actually going to have a quarter of a glass of champagne and hang out and and I think we all start projects, you know, within the next couple of days. But I'm just going to live in this moment because it's never happened and lord knows it may never happen again.
Q. There's something that stuck out to me in your acceptance speech and you thanked your HELP cast for how they helped you to transform into your character.
A. I said that? I don't even remember what I said. I'm sorry.
Q. Can you explain how did they help you to do that or you know what your cast really meant to you when you said your family really meant to you?
A. Well, it's very rare that you have the type of ensemble that we had. You know, you don't get all the Academy Award nominee winners and Cecily Tyson, Mary Steenburgen, Sissy Spacek, Viola Davis coming together to do a project. And then you have the collaboration of Academy Award nominees behind the scenes. We just left our egos at the door and worked together as one beautiful unit from Emma, Viola, Bryce, Allison Janney. I mean, it was an award winning cast. So to be a part of that and to just sort of dissolve into the world that we were representing is something that we're supposed to do as actors but it was rare that we did it without judgment with each other.
Glad to see someone is thinking of the troops.
Q. You originally spoke about overcoming fear in playing your role in THE HELP. What would you say to a young man or woman about to start in the Army and overcoming their fears?
A. Well, I haven't really overcome mine. I'm scared to death right now. You know, I don't take what men and women in uniform do lightly. You guys provide us with the freedoms and the protection that we as citizens sometimes take for granted, so I don't know that I'm the person that can say because I I've not served in that capacity. What I will say is I think I guess I'm reminded of Emerson: Do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. That's what you guys do for us every day.
CATEGORY: Music (Original Song)
INTERVIEW WITH: Bret McKenzie
SONG: "Man or Muppet"
FILM: "The Muppets"
Q. Bret, being a FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS fan, how was it writing the song without Jemaine?
A. Seems to work seems to have come off very well. But, uhm, well, I am looking forward to writing with Jemaine in the future here. Because I can, you know, I will being able to pull out the Oscar card, and say, "Oh, I think we should use this chord," and I won an Oscar. So, yes.
Q. You created one of the most incurably catchy songs of the year. I kind of love you and kind of hate you for it. Do you know that you are doing that when you write a song; that this is something people will never get out of their heads?
A. Uhm, I guess you can tell when they're catchy when I keep singing it myself for days, and I wake up in the morning. If I worked all day on it and into the night and go home at 2:00 in the morning and then wake up at 9 o'clock and it's still going on in my head, yeah, I can tell it's one of the catchy ones, but sorry about that.
Q. Thank you, thank you. So, have to ask, do you feel certain amount of pressure living up to the legacy of previous Muppet songs? Like the "Rainbow Connection"?
A. Like the classic "Rainbow Connection"? I absolutely do. And, uhm, a friend of mine said, when I got the job of working on the film, a friend of mind said, "You will need to write another 'Rainbow Connection.'"
And I said, "You're right." And I didn't. And it's an honor to get this because "Rainbow Connection" didn't win an Oscar, but there's no doubt that that song is, you know, an absolute, timeless classic, and this is nothing in comparison.
Q. You mentioned Jim Henson the "Muppets" creator when you were up on stage. Can you talk about what he meant to you growing up and what this means? Just just talk about your next [inaudible] and what he means to you?
A. Yeah. In the eighties, when I was at home a lot watching TV, my dad one day brought home a video recorder, and that was the latest thing. He'd been to America and came back with a video recorder. No one else had one. It was pretty exciting, but he only had two video cassettes, and one was THE DARK CRYSTAL. So, my brother and I watched that movie at least twice a week for, I guess, for about five years. So, uhm, infinitely, Jim Henson influenced me, and I think it's you know, he is a huge inspiration. And, uhm, the other thing I love about the guy is he made children's, uhm, films that I think he found funny; that he was making them for adults that didn't patronize the minds of children.
Bret is just a big kid and it's nice to see that kids dreams do come true.
All of these winners have something in common. They never gave up. They have pursued their dreams for many years vigorously and no amount of adversity has steered them from their course. Dream big, do big, and big things will happen.
K.C. Murdock
Executive Producer
Down the Road Show
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