adminThe process of creating an iconic image is not always a straight line. For many artists, their work is not appreciated immediately and often takes time to gain prominance. However, Simon Whiteley’s contributions to The Matrix immediately took the film world by storm. Twenty-five years later, FandomWire spoke with Simon about his work on the iconic movie. We also discussed his collaborations with Zach Snyder, George Miller, and The Eirys Coeden — a new mimlacode project.
RELATED“I really don’t know how they got my number”: The Martial Arts Legend Who Worked in The Matrix Later Found Work in the Greatest Quentin Tarantino Franchise Ever Made
The Wachowskis wanted more Japanese influence.
We started by discussing The Matrix, especially with its 25th anniversary returning it to the news. As Whiteley notes, he was not initially brought on for the film. “at the beginning, Animal Logic was asked to do some shots and design the code. The original designs were Thomas Kaiser, and he created this beautiful three-dimension code. The Wakowskis loved it, but they felt it wasn’t manga enough, not Japanese enough.” Of course, the Wachowskis have spoken at length about the influence of anime, East Asian art, and its impact on The Matrix. While Kaiser was close, it was not quite what they wanted.
Whiteley explains, “My partner was Japanese. I had some connection, so they asked if I would have a crack at it.” His familiarity and some guidance helped Whiteley look in the right places for influence. He was “looking into manga and Japanese typography. I started designing some graphics. I looked at the old IBM monitors because the Wachowskis wanted that period feel. So I started running Japanese characters across the screen.”
Whiteley also used some of his personal beliefs in the design. “I’m fascinated by the idea that we come from the stars. The idea was to bring the Japanese characters as shooting stars across the screen. We sent them to the Wackowskis, and they wanted to take it further.”
He went home to make some adjustments, and that’s when he saw his wife’s cookbooks. “All the Japanese typography ran from the back of the book to the front, from right to left. It then ran down the page. So we took the shooting stars, made them vertical, and had it like falling stars. Then we slowed it down, and it looked like rain. It changed from being a graphic element to an emotional one.”
The choice to make it green is also tied to a sense of serenity. “The idea that he was being trained by Morpheus, trained by a master, and trying to find the center, the calm. I think that’s what the code does. It gives you that green forest feel of calm, and it’s something that I’ve kind of been thinking about all my life.”
RELATED“It ended up being months and months of training”: The Matrix Made Hugo Weaving Train in Martial Arts for Such a Stupendous Amount of Time Even He Found it “Exhausting”
The journals of Beatrix Potter provided influence for Whiteley.
Soon, Whiteley looked into his own past for the next design step. While he did not have a coding background, he was very familiar with codes used by writers. Surprisingly, Beatrix Potter proved a significant influence. “I grew up in England and was very into Beatrix Potter. In 1966, her diaries were published, and they were in code. Besides Peter Rabbit, she wrote a coded journal when she was between 14 and 30.” Her code journals are well-known, inspiring code-breaking groups for decades. Potter’s journals were posthumously published and helped kick off a fervor for codes in the UK.
Strangely enough, Whiteley’s relationship with the works of Mrs. Potter was far from over. After working on some brilliant talking animal features, including Happy Feet and Babe: Pig in the City, Whiteley was approached to work on both Peter Rabbit live-action films. “It’s funny because Beatrix Potter took me to The Matrix. The Matrix took me back to her code, and then working on these movies helped me do the Peter Rabbit movies.”
Babe, a sequel, and George Miller’s Happy Feet.
Before working on The Matrix, Whiteley had established a name for himself in Australian cinema. His work on two features starring a small pig helped elevate his status. “I worked on both of them [Babe and Babe: Pig in the City]. The first one is a lot more sensitive, more British. It’s probably got a lot more heart in it and, therefore, very good for children.”
However, when George Miller took over for the second movie, he focused on very different aspects of the tale. “It’s kind of like Mad Max 2. It was the darker version, but we shot it all on a back lot. They built the canals and everything. I got to know George working on the titles. We built all the little characters and the stop-motion rig that shot as we animated.”
Despite the crazy road to making two Babe films, Whiteley has the utmost respect for Miller. “He’s amazing to work with. He’s a doctor, Dr. George. He brings all of that into his movie-making. He is what you expect from your doctor? He has that confidence. He listens to everybody and takes everyone’s advice. Literally anyone.” This great relationship led to Happy Feet. “That was fantastic and groundbreaking. That was the first animated feature that Animal Logic had done. It was the first animated feature done in Australia. It was a massive learning curve.” Thanks to their efforts, it also resulted in George Miller’s first and only Oscar.
Working with Zack Snyder and Legend of the Guardians
RELATED“That would have been interesting”: Russell Crowe’s Honest Feelings About a Jor-El Prequel After ‘Man of Steel’ Prove Zack Snyder Truly Fumbled the Bag With His Character
Later in his career, Whiteley was given the chance to partner with Zack Snyder. One of their collaborations, Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole allowed Whiteley to test the limits of his gear. “We had thought about doing it in stop-motion. Then I asked my boss whether I could go to Tasmania to do some filming. Amazingly, he let me get a helicopter.” Over the next few days, the team shot everything they could. Most days, “We were just flying around on the West Coast, in storms and fires. We went through the fire so you can see where the wave of fire came from. We were getting all this amazing footage.”
When Sndyer joined the film, he spoke with Whiteley about what Animal Logic and his team had created. “We were invited to Vancouver to pitch the idea. Grant Frekelton, the Art Director, had worked with on 300.” This familiarity came in handy because Snyder was still filming one of his breakthrough films. “He was directing Watchman at the time and took us around some of the sets, including the Owl ship. It was an amazing experience. During The Guardians, he gave me and Grant signed Watchman posters from the original test print run.”
Whiteley’s latest project, The Eirys Coeden, is live now.
In addition to his time in the film industry, Whiteley continued to develop his own coding story. Titled The Eirys Coeden, Whiteley traces a line through various projects to his grand story. “I think it’s the same as many movies I’ve worked on. Everything I’m pulling from is reality, back to Africa.” The project hopes to connect its participants with animals and nature. “My job is trying to get people to realize what they’re looking at and go out into the real world and experience sitting in a forest. If you wait and sit still, then you’ll find the whole world comes to you.”
The Eirys Coeden is forty years in the making. “I’ve been working on it since college,” Whiteley jokes. “It’s twenty books, and it involves code that was created by creatures instead of humans. It’s full of vegetables and stuff kids can understand.” Like his time working on The Matrix, Beatrix Potter became an indelible influence. “It is actually based on her life, her code, and her creatures. It wonders, ‘What if Peter Rabbit’s descendants were involved in an adventure?’ It becomes an adventure for kids to go out and explore.”
“I also pull from Merlin, Camelot, and the Knights of the Round Table. It’s very Lord of the Rings. It’s big, it’s gigantic.” If that sounds daunting, Whiteley ensures it’s meant to start easy and become more intricate. He also does not want to set people back financially. “All the books are online; all the books are free. The end game is to create sanctuaries and villages around the world to help look after endangered animals in your country, explore, and learn how to grow food organically.” It’s a huge project, but well worth checking out.
To understand the full experience and Whiteley’s long-term plans, visit The Mimlacode – Eirys Coeden website.
The Matrix will return to theaters in September for limited dates. Check your local listings.
Follow us for more entertainment coverage on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire