Comic-Con International San Diego: Comic-Tron in 3D by Janet L Hetherington

This week we follow special PCA correspondent Janet Hetherington from the front lines of the San Diego Comic Con!

In 1982, Walt Disney Pictures brought out the science fiction movie Tron, about a hacker (Jeff Bridges) who is abducted into a computer world and forced to participate in gladiatorial games.

Tron (1982)

Fans of the time were captivated by the then cutting-edge computer-generated effects that provided an early glimpse of the possibilities of CGI in film.

Flash ahead to July 2010, when actor Jeff Bridges has won an Academy Award for Crazy Heart, fans social network on their phones and computers and James Cameron’s Avatar has pushed digital creation in film to new heights. Is it any wonder that Tron is back and seeking to entice a new generation with its new film, Tron: Legacy?

Michael Torrez from Fontana, California, was decked out in full Tron garb for Thursday’s Tron: Legacy panel at Comic-Con. “I’m a die-hard Tron fan,” Michael told CPA.

"Die hard Tron fan" Michael Torrez

The producers of the new film are actively tapping into that fan base. “We came to Comic-Con last year and showed the trailer, and before that vfx,” commented producer Jeff Silver at Thursday’s Comic-Con press conference. “Fans played an integral role in in getting the new Tron movie made.”

Fan reaction at the panel’s clip screening was enthusiastic, and panel attendees even participated in a recording session that technicians from Skywalker Sound plan to use for the film’s final cut. The crowd cried out “Disc Wars,” “Rinzler” and “Derez” and stomped their feet.

Inside Tron: Legacy

Tron: Legacy (2010)

Tron: Legacy, which will hit theaters in December, picks up from the original Tron by having 27-year-old Sam Flynn (Garrett Hyland) haunted by the mysterious disappearance of his father Kevin Flynn (Bridges). When Sam investigates a strange signal sent from the elder Flynn’s arcade, he finds himself pulled into a digital world where Kevin has been trapped for 20 years.

“We wanted the feeling that the film was shot from the inside of the computer,” commented director Joe Kosinski.

Tron: Legacy tackles that challenge by using the next-generation of 3D technology pioneered by James Cameron. “It cost more, but it’s beautiful,” Kosinski said. “All vfx are finished for both eyes.”

The cast of "Tron: Legacy" at the San Diego Comic Con (photo by Justin Poirier)

The film also explores how technology affects the way we are. “For the first film, all we had to do was dream what technology would do,” said producer and Tron creator Steven Lisberger. “Technology is all about bringing people together… supposedly. But there is a dark side, keeping people from connecting with each other.”

For the new film, even the skin-tight iconic Tron suits get a technological upgrade. The movie was shot in dim light, and the suits literally lit up and made a noise as they activated.

“On set, you’d hear ‘Light them up,’ then ‘action,’ then ‘bing!” noted actor Michael Sheen, who plays Castor in the new film.

“In the original, all we had were spandex tights and magic marker,” recalled Bruce Boxleitner, who reprises his role of Alan Bradley and Tron.

Jeff Bridges held up a Sea Hunt comic book with a Lloyd Bridges photo-cover and said, “My father had a prototype of the suit in Sea Hunt.”

Tron designs on display

The art of Tron

Comic-Con fans can view original art from the original Tron, Tron: Legacy and other movie and TV shows (Star Trek, True Blood and more) in the special exhibit, “Art Behind the Images,” presented by the Costume Designers Guild. The exhibit, open to the public and con attendees, is  located in Hilton Bayside Hotel (beside the Convention Center) on the Sapphire floor.

We have 400 pieces of art,” said Casey Bernay, an assistant director and costume designer. “There’s matte art, storyboard art, personal illustrations and costume designs.”

Those costume designs include suit designs for Tron: Legacy by Neville Page and original Tron concept art by Harrison Ellenshaw, who is speaking at Comic-Con on Saturday.

This exhibit is off the beaten path but well worth checking out.

Comic-Con Photo of the Day

Amber Frazier and Brian Darby as Black Canary and Green Arrow

Amber Frazier makes a fetching Black Canary and fiancé Brian Darby makes a dashing Green Arrow as they trek the halls of Comic-Con. The Connecticut couple plan to do a BC/GA themed wedding in October 2011. Congratulations!

Janet L. Hetherington is a writer, screenwriter and graphic storyteller. She is a pop culture addict who shares a studio in Ottawa, Canada, with artist Ronn Sutton and a ginger cat, Heidi.  For more of Janet’s musings make visit @ Best Destiny