Miniature Effects Unleash Deluge on New York in 1933

If you’re looking for an early example of spectacular disaster movie effects, look no further than “Deluge.” Released in 1933, this apocalyptic RKO feature trashed New York City with a double whammy of earthquake and tsunami. In an article from the August 1933 edition of “International Photographer,” special effects director Ned Mann explains how he … Continue reading Miniature Effects Unleash Deluge on New York in 1933

Animation Time Machine Visits December 1923

Want to read the news from the world of animation ... from 100 years ago? Visit the Animation Magazine website and read my latest Animation Time Machine column! Here's an extract to whet your appetite, with all the headlines from December 1923: It’s fair to assume that, through the final months of 1923, Walt and … Continue reading Animation Time Machine Visits December 1923

If Only They’d Had Digital Horses in 1940

We live in an era when movie studios would have you believe that all the big stunts you see on screen were achieved practically on set. No CG! No VFX! It was all real! It’s nonsense, but I’m not going to argue the point here. However, I do want to illuminate it, by transporting you … Continue reading If Only They’d Had Digital Horses in 1940

Trick Photography Delivered Fake News of the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake

In the final years of the 19th century, audiences first discovered the thrill of seeing the latest news stories presented in the form of moving pictures. All they had to do was visit a Kinetoscope parlour and peep through the eyepiece of a state-of-the-art viewing machine. By 1905, the commercial deployment of movie projectors meant … Continue reading Trick Photography Delivered Fake News of the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake

Movie Tricks of 1934

What kind of visual effects were available to filmmakers in the 1930s? In his article “In the Realm of Tricks and Illusions,” published in “The International Photographer” in June 1934, Earl Thiesen enlightens readers of the day with a shopping list of techniques in use at the time. Thiesen, a lecturer in cinematography at USC … Continue reading Movie Tricks of 1934

Early Projection Screens

Da-Lite Screen & Scenic Co. advertisement, 1926 Projection screens. They're something we all take for granted. These days, projection screen manufacture is a high-tech business, with cinemas boasting screens coated with anything from aluminium to tiny reflective beads. But what was it like in the old days? Easy enough to find the answer, you might … Continue reading Early Projection Screens

Extract: “Neo vs Smith” — The Matrix Resurrections VFX by RISE

In this exclusive extract from The Illusion Almanac: Creating The Matrix Resurrections, RISE visual effects supervisor Andreas Giesen discusses the spectacular fight between Neo (Keanu Reeves) and Agent Smith (Jonathan Groff), for which artists enhanced the action and imbued Smith with classic Matrix superpowers. The RISE team also crafted destruction effects for the shootout at … Continue reading Extract: “Neo vs Smith” — The Matrix Resurrections VFX by RISE

Extract: “Splitting Time” — The Matrix Resurrections VFX by One of Us

In this exclusive extract from The Illusion Almanac: Creating The Matrix Resurrections, One of Us visual effects supervisor Tyson Donnelly and production visual effects supervisor Dan Glass discuss the ‘split time’ effects sequences in which the Analyst (Neil Patrick Harris) traps Neo (Keanu Reeves) and Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) in a bubble of frozen time, allowing … Continue reading Extract: “Splitting Time” — The Matrix Resurrections VFX by One of Us

Extract: “The City of IO” — The Matrix Resurrections VFX by DNEG

In this exclusive extract from The Illusion Almanac: Creating The Matrix Resurrections, DNEG environment supervisor Ben Cowell-Thomas and production visual effects supervisor Dan Glass discuss the creation of the city of IO, the secret cavern where the remnants of humanity have joined forces with their new machine allies to build a vast underground city. Read … Continue reading Extract: “The City of IO” — The Matrix Resurrections VFX by DNEG

Roger Christian’s Black Angel

Were you in the audience when The Empire Strikes Back was released in 1980? If so – and if you lived in the UK, Scandinavia or Australia – you may remember the short fantasy film that supported it. The film was called Black Angel, and it was directed by Roger Christian, the Academy Award-winning set … Continue reading Roger Christian’s Black Angel