--- title: Aping Reality: The CGI Secrets of Rise of the Planet of the Apes | TIME description: What's it like working with a digital chimp? TIME reporter, Megan Gibson finds out when she talks to the cast and director of Rise of the Planet of the Apes canonical: https://time.com/video/0tXtJd6B/ og:title: Aping Reality: The CGI Secrets of Rise of the Planet of the Apes og:description: What's it like working with a digital chimp? TIME reporter, Megan Gibson finds out when she talks to the cast and director of Rise of the Planet of the Apes og:url: https://time.com/video/0tXtJd6B/ og:image: https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/0tXtJd6B/poster.jpg?width=720 og:type: video.other twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Aping Reality: The CGI Secrets of Rise of the Planet of the Apes twitter:description: What's it like working with a digital chimp? TIME reporter, Megan Gibson finds out when she talks to the cast and director of Rise of the Planet of the Apes twitter:image: https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/0tXtJd6B/poster.jpg?width=720 --- # Aping Reality: The CGI Secrets of Rise of the Planet of the Apes > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Subscription: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME is a general-interest news organization founded in 1923, reporting on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world. A TIME subscription provides full access to that journalism in print and digital, from $20 a year, and can be cancelled at any time. 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They are at time.com/newsletters and are separate from a paid subscription. ## Video: Aping Reality: The CGI Secrets of Rise of the Planet of the Apes [Watch (HLS stream): Aping Reality: The CGI Secrets of Rise of the Planet of the Apes](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/0tXtJd6B.m3u8) (4:26)  _Published 2011-08-08. What's it like working with a digital chimp? TIME reporter, Megan Gibson finds out when she talks to the cast and director of Rise of the Planet of the Apes_ --- Jul 27, 2023 3:16 PM UTC --- ## More From This Series [All Videos](https://time.com/video/) [Late-Night Highlight: Regis Philbin’s ‘Planet of the Apes’](/video/PpnfRMYa/) ### Late-Night Highlight: Regis Philbin’s ‘Planet of the Apes’ [Dawn of the Planet of the Apes Behind the Scenes](/video/HQvyUsWR/) ### Dawn of the Planet of the Apes Behind the Scenes [Aping Reality: The CGI Secrets of the Planet of the Apes](/video/OEmw0MhV/) ### Aping Reality: The CGI Secrets of the Planet of the Apes --- ## Transcript A planet where man is the lowest order of living thing, and the superior beings are apes. The original Planet of the Apes captivated audiences with the most advanced technology available in 1968, humans in prosthetic ape masks. [ SOUND ] He's up. Now comes the reimagining of the hugely successful francise. Rise of Planet of the Apes will once again delight audiences with the latest bells and whistles. I sat down and talked with the film's director and stars about working with the CGI chimp. So I read that you weren't like a cult follower of the original movies. So what is it that drew you to the project? I read the script and learned that they were gonna do it, you know, with computer generated creatures and, and motion, and performance capture, and [ INAUDIBLE ] oh, this still is in line with the, earlier films, but, it's a much more grounded approach. And what that will do is, maintain a lot of the aspects of the previous concept, but it will have it will enable audiences to engage emotionally with it now. Because the creatures will once again be realistic and you can, and it will actually be something audiences can connect to emotionally. [ SOUND ]. The difference, the great difference between performance capture and, and prosthetics is performance capture actually unencumbers the actor. It allows them to emote and express in such a way that we actually pick up every detail of their facial expression. He hasn't spent any time with other chimps. Now, with prosthetic masks and suits They're buried beneath that, and so therefore they can't actually, liberate themselves in terms of the performance in such a way as many actors would like to and many filmmakers would like to actually work with. So I think, I that performance capture is, is a natural evolution. It's not just a, a sort of CG gimmick, in terms of, I know there's a lot of naysayers that's, go out there and say, oh, [ INAUDIBLE ] traditional to the idea of. Planet of the Apes, but I think actually we've done that and we've done that using a technology that really serves the story that, I hope in, in a way that they will then watch the film and, and really appreciates it. [ SOUND ] I don't want to It's okay, didn't mean it. You know, Caesar's is an amazing role to play, for an actor because you're playing an infant right through to an adult he goes through a huge journey, who's, who's an innocent and who then. Faces himself and realizes that he's a freak and isn't really a human being. Well he's been brought up with human beings and then he has to go and relate to his own kind. You know it's really one of the most challenging roles I think I've played. Plus you're trying to do that without, without dialog. There's no dialog. It's all conveyed Through through the eyes and through body language and through projecting your feelings and emotions. You'll probably miss him more than he'll miss you. I guess with Andy, he just makes life easier for us actors, and, you know, even though he's in the motion capture suit, and you don't really see him with skin and the hair and all of that. That's all done in post, but It's, it's, he's, he's, I think, made everybody, including the director's life, and the pro the studio's life, easier. [ MUSIC ] Just remember, in 1968, when the first one came out, that was cutting- edge technology of the day. They were trying, you know, those masks, were the most realistic thing that they could come up with. And I assume audiences of that day thought wow look at those realistic apes you know, that are talking. We're just doing, we're doing the same thing, you know? This is the cutting edge technology of our day. You have to trust me. Caesar, you have to trust me. Okay. I think this visit is over. Trust me it'll be okay. [ MUSIC ] Fans of the previous film will only be excited about this because The filmmakers on this movie have found a way, to be loyal to the ideas of the original films, but to make it current and, and, and to continue the franchise, you know. 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