Producer Deborah Snyder talks about how she and Zack Snyder came onto Man of Steel, meeting the Nolans and what was key to cracking Superman in 2013.
Deborah Snyder: We were at ShoWest a few years ago. The Nolans were there. It was the first time we had actually met, on the plane to Vegas. We said that we should all get together when things calmed down for both of us. We came to their house to lunch and talked about Superman. Zack and I turned to each other. I didn’t know how you would crack Superman. Chris pitched the story idea that he had been working on with David Goyer. We left the lunch, and they had figured out a way to appeal to a modern audience. They asked if we would be interested in reading the script. It was really just as good as they had been pitching us. It was scary and exciting at the same time. He’s such an important character and hasn’t been relevant in a while. To take on this task was daunting but exciting.
Producer Deborah Snyder on the Making of “Man of Steel”
What was key to cracking Superman in 2013?
Deborah Snyder: To make him relatable to a modern audience. He didn’t feel contemporary in the past – this perfect boy scout who was hard to relate to. For us, we’ll never know what it’s like to have people come from another planet. We’ve all been in this place in our life where we don’t know if we are doing the right thing. We can really care about him in that way. It feels really grounded in reality. It’s ironic that Superman is the most realistic film that I’ve endeavored. We shot on film and it feels real. The camera is handheld — that glossy feel. I also think that what’s great about it is that Superman transcends the Superhero genre. He’s really stood the test of time. There hasn’t been a [successful recent] movie, but he’s there in pop culture.
Did you approach this movie with the other Superman feature films in mind?
Deborah Snyder: We operated like no other films existed. It’s based on all the comics and not any one particular film or comic. The script was in really great shape, but after seeing it in the development process, we did some work on the script. Then the filmmaking exists, it does evolve. Zack’s process is slightly unique. He takes the script and draws every single frame of the movie. There are volumes of books and it takes him six months. He draws it in an editorial manner. You can take the frames and edit them together. It gets really technical with the previz. They [the previsualizations of Zack’s story drawings] answer questions.
Did the previz help determine the visual effects shots?
Deborah Snyder: Previz is a stepping-stone for the visual effects shots. It is really informative. When you have a film where your main character flies, you have many visual effects. We start to get our visual effects supervisor involved. We go to computer models and break it down and start to build the shots. We sit with storyboards and there is something concrete to talk about. They were determining what elements we need to shoot versus what will be CG. All of the technical things will be worked out as best they can, so that Zack can work with the actors to get the best performance possible. We shoot and edit the actions sequences on video. If we need a different camera angle, we have a template and everyone sees what it is on the day. All of those tools help us be as efficient as possible. Figuring it out in pre-production is so important in these big films. We start months ahead of time in stunt-viz figuring out all of the fights. Our fight choreographer plans it out so meticulously prior to us going to the set.
How are the storyboards and the previz distinguished from one another?
Deborah Snyder: The previz is video and the storyboards are printed. If there is a complicated action shots, we’ll intercut the storyboards with the previz so that we know exactly what shots we needs. It helps us ascertain what we need in a shot – define what we need in the scene. When Superman flies, we shoot a portion with our actor and use a digital double. The previz helps us define when the live-action transitions to a CG piece. There is no camera can move that fast. It goes back to a photography version of Superman. All of those are really great tools. They go from really low-tech drawings. He prefers it to be as low tech as possible — a model made of cardboard which is fast and practical, and other times where you need something technical to help you figure out the shot.
How is the team organized to do this pre-production work?
Deborah Snyder: DJ [John DesJardin, visual effects supervisor], [stunt coordinator] Damon Caro Damon and Zack are figuring out what the riggers are going to do with the stuntmen. This is our third movie with this particular team. Damon has worked all of Zack’s films. They have a shorthand and they are not afraid to try things. We were going to go from this really tight shot of a live action girl to a digital double. It works really well and we couldn’t have done it any other way. How long of a process was it to make the film this way?
We started in October-November [2010] looking at a script and started shooting in August [2011]. Almost a year of pre-production. We shot for 126 days and have been in post for 15 months. We are still finishing up our 2D version, have some mixing to do and some visual tweaks. We are going a Dolby and IMAX and 3D versions. We have a bunch of the 3D to do [as of March, 2013] although that has been ongoing. [The movie came out June 14, 2013.]
How close does the footage adhere to the pre-production plans that you created?
Deborah Snyder: It’s always surprising to me how close we follow it. We are turning over shots before we have a full cut. The more organized, the more time you have on the creative style elements of what the shot looks like. You get so much more production value by being decisive and having this road map that you follow. You spend time on the effects and what the shots look like. I really think that the biggest thing for us was to make sure you have the time that you put in.
What was the 15 months of post-production comprised of for your team?
Deborah Snyder: Zack is [editor] David Brenner’s second wife. Getting the story right and the moment and the take and as much as he’s planned the shot, you have these actors that give varied performances. Balancing the right performances in the right moments in the film. Working with Hans Zimmer on the score. As the cut changes, update the visual effects, and as they come in, updating the cut. Between DJ and David, he’ll lay something out, give it to visual effects, and that wonderful dance with the guys working in tandem with hand-to-hand trade off that they do with the shots. It’s my favorite part of the process. The shoot is nerve-wracking; once you have the film and it’s there, how you can change it, seeing it come to life after the enormous amount of work that goes into pre-production and the shoot. It’s starting now to feel like a real movie. Sharing the audience and getting a reaction – to make magic.
What are your hopes for the final film?
Deborah Snyder: I hope that we are able to bring Superman to life for a modern audience. That kids who might not know who he is will get to experience this rich amazing character. He’s stood the test of time. He transcends the comic book genre. We are making him relevant again.
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