TAFs' "T3" SET REPORT PART 4: STAN THE MAN!Reported By: Randy Jennings Sunday, May 19, 2002 While on the set of T3: Rise of the Machines, TheArnoldFans received our follow-up interview with Stan Winston. Although we had a few words with the special-effects wizard earlier this year on the "Collateral Damage" red carpet, Winston was now officially allowed to divulge much more relating to his new Terminator creations. After we watched the first two rehearsals of the afternoon's shoot in the LA, CA cemetery, a Hollywood legend approached us. His T-shirt was tucked in and it was tight with the sleeve cut high to expose his tan muscles. He wore dark Terminator glasses and puffed away on the fat stogie that seemed to be a permanent fixture to his all-powerful presence. He even seemed to have adapted a larger-than-life walk with a ballsy attitude. No, I'm not talking about Arnold this time. I'm describing one of his best friends Stan Winston. Winston, who has been close pals with The Oak ever since they first worked together on T1 and has continued to hang out with Arnold on a regular basis with hog rides, work-outs and chess matches, has unconsciously transformed into the man himself. You can see his physic is still on the skinny side but new muscles have emerged due to Arnold's obvious influences. TheArnoldFans got some good dirt out of the silver-haired, Academy award-winning Arnold buddy and I guarantee you that you will read many NEW Winston exclusives below. Stan arrives with his stogie in mouth. Ready for an interview he removes it but the Terminator-like sunglasses remain. TAF: Did Arnold get you started with the stogies? Winston: (laughs) "Ah no. I've been smoking stogies since Arnold was just a baby. I'm just older than Arnold by THIS MUCH" (he creates the smallest amount of space between his index finger and thumb). TAF: Will there be new breeds of terminator robots? Maybe dogs or other? Winston: "I will tell you there is more to look forward to as far as "terminator robots" than JUST the T-800 [The Arnold Terminator] and the TX [the NEW Terminator]". Questioned about variations to the actual endoskeleton in T3, Winston first replied we would have to wait and see but didn't leave us hanging there. "The endoskeleton is the endoskeleton. Now HOW that relates to Arnold is something that you have to wait and see in this movie. But as we did in each movie we have taken it FURTHER in T3 than we have taken it before. It will not be a simple repetition of history but it will be a legitimate extension of the Terminator series. It's something that we will ALL be proud of. It's just a kick-ass script. Jonathan Mostow is doing a wonderful job directing. Arnold looks like he did 20 years ago. Arnold is still the Terminator. He walked onto the set the first day we shot and if there were any questions they were all gone - because Arnold IS the Terminator." "I would comfortably put the TX up against the T-1000," confesses Winston if the two were to ever go one-on-one. "We have the TX, - the female [Terminator]. What does she look like? She's got to be beyond what you've seen before. It can't be a replication of what we did with Robert Patrick and the T-1000. We have to create a new Terminator. Someone that you believe could in fact kick Arnold's ass and in the shell of a very beautiful woman. So that's what we're doing, and that's what we've done. And I promise you you will LOVE seeing the TX!" Winston would not divulge details about Arnold's and the endoskeletons' final look but he would hype the advanced technology in creating the first robot and comparing it to T3's. "What I WILL tell you, In what was science fiction/science fantasy in T1, in many ways what is in T3 has become science fact! So along with what we can now do with digital animation we can do with digital effects to create the illusion of the Terminator. We are also so far advanced in robotics with the types of things we have done in Stan Winston Studios, we have built some of the best robotic effects anyone has ever seen. In Jurassic Park, the dinosaurs live as real robots. So with what we had to PRETEND we were doing in T1, in many ways some of the things we created are real robots in T2. In what we are creating In Terminator 3, ultimately, we will have the most advanced robotic effects and the most advanced digital effects and an advanced blending, and above it all, artistically and creatively, the new Terminators will be beyond what you've seen in the previous movies. That's what we have to do." Winston was honored to talk about a project he felt so passionate about. To the extent of character effects, robot effects, live action and computer generated images - Terminator 3 has got to beat it all. And we're planning on doing it." Says Winston before explaining exactly how he plans to approach this feat. "Challenging myself is something I do on every movie. I wouldn't do it if I had to do what I did yesterday. We go into the movie with the idea of 'what are we going to do differently' and beyond anything you've seen with the Terminator, with Arnold." On a closing note we wanted to know what's new with his toy licensing. TAF: What about your popular toy line, will you consider bringing T3 characters our way and might you ever produce a PREDATOR action figure? Winston: "I CAN'T say ever but my toy line is really about new characters and creatures that I am developing for the toy line and for the comic characters. As of now, we are leaving the licensing of the characters I have created for films to other toy manufactures like McFarlane Toys. They have done a great job with bringing characters we have done on film and into the life of the toy world. I'm about bringing NEW characters. What I have been doing for film for the past 30 years is what I want to do for the toy world and that is bring you characters you've NEVER seen before and that's really my focus on the toy line and on the comic book line." Stan thanked us all, put his stogie back in his jaws, and was off to put the final make-up applications on Arnold's face. Two Hollywood legends stood side-by-side. One bigger than the other... but both ballsy. ---------- |