Q: How did they film the bear mauling scene in the movie “The Revenant”?
—Bob Markert, Roswell
A: The bear that attacked Hugh Glass, the character played by Leonardo DiCaprio in "The Revenant," was shot using computer-generated imagery, or CGI.
Two stuntmen — Glenn Ennis and Tim Sitarz – wore blue suits and behaved like a bear mauling a man during filming for the movie, which received 12 Oscar nominations.
Ennis told the Global News, a Canadian news service, he watched videos of bear attacks to prepare for the role and mimic the movements when he attacked DiCaprio or his stunt double.
“The CGI guys paint the bear in. (Director) Alejandro (G. Inarritu) was adamant that the blue bear moved just like a real bear would move, and it was essential that it had the same nuances that a bear would have,” Ennis told the Global News. “Even though it was a big Smurf bear, it still had to be as authentic as possible.”
DiCaprio or his stunt double were attached to wires that picked the actors up and flung or dropped them to portray the attack, Ennis said.
Q: I was wondering, with the death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, do justices receive any type of security, like the president receives from the Secret Service?
—Jerry Skidmore, Atlanta
A: The U.S. Marshals Service and the Supreme Court Police provide security for the U.S. Supreme Court justices, but they can decline protection when they travel.
Scalia was known to enjoy his privacy and the New York Times reported that he didn’t have security while at the Cibolo Creek Ranch, where he died Feb. 13.
Andy Johnston with Fast Copy News Service wrote this column. Do you have a question? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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