Live Twitterview - 2009

TODAY is the 9 LIVE TWITTERVIEW! TUNE IN for Elijah Wood @ 11am PST/ 2pm EST and for Jennifer Connelly @ 12pm PST/ 3pm EST! about 3 hours ago from web
Elijah is here! We're getting ready to begin, stay tuned!! 10 minutes ago from web
Elijah at the Twitterview ready to answer your questions! All set, here we go!!

Elijah Wood - #9EW

Patrick487 Elijah, What made you decide to be in 9? What would you say is your favourite movie genre?
#9EW Well, the animated short that Shane Acker directed that he actually made over the course of 4 years was the 1st piece of the film that I got to see, and it was ultimately sent to me with the script with the option to be a part of it. I was absolutely in love with the film and the animation style. That was enough for me. It’s rare that you get to see a long form preview of what the film will actually look like. So that was quite extraordinary.

I like all kinds of films. I would say that there are any films I don’t like. But I would say I’m obsessive about horror films. A few of my friends and I have a rolling horror night, where we all get together and watch horror movies together. Most recently was a movie called “Who Can Kill a Child” made in the early 70s. English language film by a Spanish filmmaker. It sort of shows the atrocities of children through the years and through the ages. It’s a really beautiful movie.

piccadillytown What was your favorite part of making this movie?
#9EW Favorite part.. well I love getting to work with the cast. With animated films it’s quite often that you end up doing a lot of voice recording on your own, because you can do it anywhere and because of actor’s schedules. So it’s always a treat when you get to work with the cast. I worked with John C. Reilly, and I came in at the end of a session with Crispin Glover, and I got to work with Jennifer. It brings so much more out in the performance, and it feels like you’re capturing something that’s actually happening. As opposed to specifically just recording your voice and fitting your character in.

Esmegrubb I've heard you are a big fan of Jennifer Connelly. How was it working with her? Or did you get to?
#9EW I am a big fan of Jennifer. Unbeknownst to her, I’ve had a crush on her for years. I’m sure many men share that with me. It was wonderful. She was delightful, very down to earth and naturally beautiful. It was great to see what she would bring to the character. I don’t think she’s done any voice work before.

Jemma Clark Were there any differences in voicing 9 and voicing Happy Feet (apart from the obvious stitchpunk/penguin answer)?
#9EW The characters are quite different. Happy Feet is also a big production. Happy Feet is like A Chorus Line on the ice, and it’s funnier. There’s a lot of natural comedy. And there’s a lot of dancing, a lot of singing. The scenes that the characters found themselves in were very different. 9 was a lot darker, the characters are kind of alone, and its a much bleaker world. That informs the performance.

Kira Bochinski What did you enjoy most while working on it (9)?
#9EW It’s always really gratifying working on an animated movie when you start to see bits of animation come together. You spend a lot of time recording in a booth, so you get really basic visual references and pre-animation just to give you an idea, but some of the best moments are when you see how things are coming together and how the character is coming to life. Unfortunately that comes very late in the process. We recorded the voices over the course of 4 years as they were animated, because animation takes a long time, so getting to those moments take a while. I also loved working with Shane. He is the visionary behind this, is the one that created the characters and created the world. It was really gratifying that we were establishing a world that hadn’t been created before.

jess4002 What have you always wanted to do but haven't had the opportunity to do yet?
#9EW Well, not to go back to the horror movie thing, but I’ve always wanted to be in a really great horror movie. You could say The Faculty was kind of horror, but really more scifi, and a little bit of comedy. To get to play a villain would be fun.Even to do that outside of the horror genre would be great. There’s a lot to sink your teeth into. I have a little experience rom that from Sin City, which was a blast, but that was just a taste. It would also be cool to play a romantic lead, too. As an actor, I’m always looking to do something different than I’ve done before. Not only characters, but the kinds of movies.

Bethanie Frigot What monster do you find the scariest? the cat beast, the seamstress, the winged beast, or the fabrication machine.
#9EW The Seamstress is so creepy. They’re all scary, but the Seamstress has this sickly creepy element that the others don’t, especially because she uses prior victims to lure in new victims, and there’s something so disturbing about that. She really reminds me of Medusa. The way she stitches and injects them is so creepy.

SpencerL What was it like to create voices for characters that didn't have voices in the short film?
#9EW It was fun. Seeing the short and the fact that there is no dialogue there, we were all very excited to flesh out those characters and see who they are and to get context into what this world is about and where they came from. It was fun to flesh out the character of 9. Since it takes so long to make these movies, it’s cool to see how it comes out over time. Making the character a little more heroic than he was at first. It was just fun to give context about where they came from, who they were. Some of my favorite parts of the movie were the flashback videos with the scientist, and the original process of how all the machines came to be. I love all of that. The website is SO cool, the way that back story was really fleshed out. Shane has created something so rich that can be explored from different angles and different time periods.

Jemma Clark Is there a romance between 9 and 7 or not?
#9EW Well, I don’t think that there is, necessarily. There are moments, maybe a flirtation or recognizing each other. There’s a really sweet moment at the end where they share a moment. I don’t know if they’re romantically linked in this story, but they could be.

Jemma Clark Which, apart from your own, stitchpunk is your favourite?
#9EW I love 5. John C . Reilly is so great, and he infused 5 with a sweetness. He is teetering on the edge between knowing what’s right knowing that they way that 1 tries to keep the others living in fear is to their detriment, and he sees that. He’s feeling allegiance and not being able to do anything about it. 9 sort of allows him to see the truth. He goes against what he’s told, because he believes in what 9 is saying. I love that character, and his missing eye (haha). And I love 7. She’s so different because she’s an outcast, and she’s taken herself out purposefully because she doesn’t agree with how 1 is ruling, and she’s sort of a soldier. She just has this great sense of rebellion, understanding the truth, but she’s also an incredible fighter. 9’s a little pragmatic and practical, but is also not afraid of adventure.

Leah A. Hoddinott How was it that you first heard of '9'?
#9EW I hadn’t heard of the short, though I think it had already been screened and was online. But I got sent a package with the script, the short and concept art, which was super cool. And I ultimately met with Shane, and then decided to sign on.

FocusFeatures That's it for Elijah, thanks for your great answers! Stay tuned for Jennifer Connelly!!

**Extra added bonus. Jennifer Connelly's part

Jennifer is here! We're running a tad late so no time for a picture, but she is looking beautiful and is ready to answer your questions!

Jennifer Connelly - #9JC

ThatPJ How is working on an animated film different from working on a live action one?
#9JC All my time on this film was spent in a recording studio. There’s no rehearsal period.I met Elijah in one session, but other than that I was pretty much on my own. Shane was there for 2 sessions, and the other time he was on the phone. It was a much more isolated experience. But I approached it the same as a live action film.

Jemma Clark Was it difficult to play a character who is strong, but also has a heart?
#9JC I thought she was a fun character to play. For a fierce warrior character, you couldn’t ask for a better opening scene. She has such great moves, and is so strong and brave and selfless. It was really fun. And she has a lovely relationship with the twins who she protects and looks after. I was happy to be a part of it.

Joey C. Furnish What is your character like? Is she the toughest of all of them?
#9JC There are different kinds of toughness, different kinds of strengths. They all have their own strengths. She is the most experienced fighter, but 9 has a diff kind of strength, and is the one who is ultimately able to answer their questions and solve the mystery of who they were, how they had gotten there, what had happened. 9 is the one who ultimately finds the key.

Annie Anderson Was playing this character different for you in an inspiring way?
Annie Anderson I always like the characters you play, but this one seems a bit different than the others. I'm sure it was fun, right?
#9JC It was really fun to do. I’ve never been in an action film, so I’ve never played a character like this in a live action film. I’d kind of like to because I think it’s really fun, but it was great to get a taste of that doing this.

Manan Anwar Acker said he wanted actors who could personally relate to the character. Does any part of ur personality resonate w/ 7?
#9JC I certainly admire her, and think she’s an incredible heroine, but I can't say that I see that much of myself in her!

Anna Castore 7 is a warrior & can kick serious Catbeast tail. But she seems very motherly toward the twins. Are the 3 characters close?
#9JC I think that she feels very protective of them, and the whole clan. She comes in to try to keep them safe, to ward off the beasts, so I think she has that tendency. She is sort of selfless in that way. She wants to keep her group safe. She has a particular affection for those 2.

SpencerL What was it like to create voices for characters that didn't have voices in the short film?
#9JC Well 7 didn’t even exist in the short!

Jemma Clark Is there a romance between 9 and 7 or not?
#9JC No, there’s no romance between 9 and 7. I think that 7 respects 9, and I think that she admires his own particular strength, which is very different from hers. I think she admires and respects him, but in the circumstances there is no time for any romance!

Jemma Clark Which, apart from your own, stitchpunk is your favourite?
#9JC I like 9. I think 9 is a great character, and deserved to be the protagonist in this film.

Leah A. Hoddinott How was it that you first heard of '9'?
#9JC I was given the script together with Shane’s short, and watched it many times. I’m a big fan of Shane’s, I think he has a real vision and I think he’s really an artist.

That's it for our Live Twitterview for 9! Thanks to Jennifer Connelly & Elijah Wood for making this such a success! 9 is in theatres 9.9.09

Site Design by GWCreations
Please read the FAQ section and the Always and Forever disclaimer.
Site hosting & support provided by ejwsites.net (sponsor) & Hetzner Online AG – Thanks :)