Michel Gondry talks 3D & "The Green Hornet"

MakingOf: Sony is taking the time to convert "Green Hornet" to 3D.  What's your opinion on 3D?

(Michel Gondry): My opinion is that we've been trying to get the studio to do it in 3D since we started.  Seth and I and Evan Goldberg, he's a co-writer...we've been lobbying Nee Maurice and the studio...'We want to make it 3D' and after nine months, or a year, the eventually said yes.  I don't know why we would not be happy about it.  And I think it's a good sign that they really care for this movie.  It's pretty expensive.  I don't think they would spend this money if they didn't think the movie would be great.  I don't think it's a waste to do it.  I think when they decide the movie is going to be a disaster they just stop to make any money and that's how you see a movie coming out with little promotion.  In fact, the conversion to 3D is something that I've been studying because in '94 I did this video for......with this effect that was reused in my tricks afterward where we took two cameras and we tried to intertwine them with the computers.  So it's a frozen moment.  But the idea came to me by watching my grandfather, because my grandfather was president of the French Stereo Club in the 70's.  So I was exposed to 3D since I was a kid.  So I know all about it and I'm really excited.  I'm going to do some tricks with 3D that are not possible in 2D.

MO: So you're in post on "Green Hornet," you're promoting "Thorn in Heart,"...what's next for you?

(MG): Well I'm developing a project with Bjork.  That's a scientific musical for IMAX.  I have two projects I'm developing as well, but I don't want to be too talkative about that because when they don't happen it's terrible.

MO: How does music relate to the way you create your films?

(MG): First, when I started to do videos it was an obstacle because I was a drummer, and I was editing my own videos and I couldn't think of how to edit except on the beat.  It was a disaster because basically I was limiting myself so much.  Then I had to work with the director to understand that you have to separate yourself from the music a little bit.  And you have to edit the emotion of the image, not necessarily to follow the beat.  So in the beginning it was a drawback I would say, but now music is very important to me when I write or when I focus on a project because it helps me because I can sort of maneuver my moods by playing this type of music.  I would play Michael Jackson if I want to do something upbeat, or Martin Filman if I want to do something mysterious, or Olivia Mesean if I want to do something scary.  So I have a palette of music to help me to write in the moods that I want to have.  So it's very important, of course, to add the music.  We always say that the music is the doctor of the film, you know, you give the composer a film that's sick and then the composer will fix it up.  And it's true to a certain extent but some of my favorite movies have very important scores.  So I think it's not a bad thing.