Add one Oscar-winner, a pair of dog ears, a space capsule, and a well-aged grandpa.
Think of this as one of those fast-motion cooking videos: How to Make a Big, Friendly Giant.
Theres a lot of technical work involved just for them to be able to capture everything I do.
How about in terms of shaping the look of the giant?
Did that evolve when you came aboard?
Steven had made a rough animated version of the whole film before we started to film.
I certainly wanted him to be quite old.
Obviously, its going to have something of me in it.
My eyes and my movement, and something of my…[laughs] youll recognize me.
Did you get a voice in how the giant should look, since hes got your face?
And I thought with this, No.
It really is Stevens call.
And I thought I would just trust him with it.
They made some ears to stick onto my helmet.
So, it wasnt really necessary.
Would you tell Steven or the effects artists when you thought those imaginary ears might be activating?
Was there a specific scene when you remember doing that?
I learned a lot about The BFG from my dog actually.
What kind of dog is it?
I think mostly I think learned about ears from him.
Thats a good name.
Hes just woken up from his bed.
Whats he talking about?
When I read the book, it was about a year ago.
I read it to my daughter, who was 5 at the time.
She noticed the Giant was lonely because he was trying to be good.
He didnt want to hurt people or be cruel, like the other giants.
Behaving and doing good can sometimes be isolating.
I thought it was an interesting insight for a kid to have.
I think thats very true.
Can you tell me about how the BFG is shaped by this isolation?
Your daughter is really perceptive, and shes right.
I think the heart of the story is a love story between two very lonely people.
That relationship was in my life certainly was so profound, the relationship with my grandmother and grandfather.
Most people have that unless theyre unlucky.
Even the Gobblefunk language the giant speaks, mashing up words.
Thats something granddads do.
[The Giant] is a little bit more foreign, isnt he?
I think some of the were a little bit… Its amazing, when youre a kid, to be welcomed into a group like that, right?
You just feel like such a grownup.
They were interesting old guys.
I wish you good luck with the film.
Well, I hope fathers will keep doing that.
I hope the film wont stop fathers from doing that.
I guess theres been a recording out of Roald Dahl himself reading it and that hasnt stopped fathers.
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