Unless you’ve been going to bed in a sleeping bag under a rock, chances are you know Ben Tennyson and his alien adventures. Trusted with the powerful omnitrix, Ben’s powers are used to save the world. Under the guidance of his grandfather, Max Tennyson, Ben sets out to fight evil aliens and protect planet earth.
In the upcoming Ben 10: Destroy All Aliens, Ben’s adventures take a 3D journey. We’ve got a conversation with the project’s director, Victor Cook, on what we have to look forward to with this journey with Ben and gang!
Tell us about your role in Ben 10: Destroy All Aliens.
I am the Director and Supervising Producer for Ben 10: Destroy All Aliens. I creatively oversee every aspect of the movie, from script notes, recording of the actors, CG models, set dress, storyboards, color, layout, animation, lighting, music and sound effects, to editing the final picture.
Destroy All Aliens took Ben back in time when he was 10 years old; any reason why?
The original Ben 10 series is still hugely popular all over the world. Fans love the mix of action and humor and the character relationships between Ben, Gwen and Max. And it is just plain fun to revisit these early days when the Omnitrix is still new to Ben and he is learning about what it takes to ‘Hero Up’.
There is a new villain, Mechamorph Warrior, in this movie. Tell us a little about him.
Mechamorph is the same species as Upgrade, but with blue body lines instead of green. The Mechamorph warrior is bent on revenge against Ben and his aliens transformations. He mistakenly blames Ben for something he didn’t do and is on a relentless mission to destroy him, and to destroy all aliens.
Mechamorph’s personality is fierce, but like Upgrade, his shape is round and friendly. I decided early on to have this Mechamorph transform into a more threatening form. You’ll see the Mechamorph warrior morph from his ‘Upgrade shape’ to a formidable ‘battle bot’ shape, fully loaded with awesome high tech weapons.
How did the story for Destroy All Aliens come about?
Cartoon Network Asia really wanted to revisit the original series characters, but present them in a new way in CG. The team brought in Marty Isenberg to develop some possible storylines. Together with Executive Producer Silas Hickey, we developed and made a CG short. With the short, we developed the CG models for Ben, Gwen, Four Arms and Way Big and the environment of Petropia. It tested what we could do with animation movement and action and was a springboard for the movie.
What was the reason to make this movie in 3D?
To be able to show the original Ben 10 characters in a way that hasn’t been done before. The medium allowed for the visual storytelling to be more dynamic and cinematic.
What can Ben 10 fans look out for/expect when the movie comes out?
They will learn something new about one of the alien characters. They will see action that takes place in various locations around the world. They will see Ben and Gwen bickering. Did I also mention cool action sequences?
Any tips for aspiring individuals looking to make it big in the animation industry?
Draw all the time. Study a lot of movies and animation. Make connections.
If you can be one of Ben’s alien heroes for one day, who would you be?
Probably Upgrade. From an animation aesthetic point of view, his look is just really cool!
Ben 10: Destroy All Aliens is slated for premiere in March 2012 on Cartoon Network globally. The tele-movie will premiere at 9am on March 11, 2012 on channel 616.
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