Out Now — The Illusion Almanac: Creating The Matrix Resurrections

Published today, the latest issue of my digital filmcraft magazine The Illusion Almanac goes behind the scenes on the visual effects of The Matrix Resurrections. Inside you'll find 90 pages* of in-depth interviews and stunning images, illuminating the amazing craft of the visual effects artists who brought to life the extraordinary future worlds of the … Continue reading Out Now — The Illusion Almanac: Creating The Matrix Resurrections

Out Now — The Illusion Almanac: Creating Godzilla vs Kong

I'm proud to unveil the inaugural issue of The Illusion Almanac. Published today, this first edition of my new digital magazine goes behind the scenes on the biggest monster movie of the year, Godzilla vs Kong. Inside, you'll find 80 pages* of in-depth interviews and stunning images, illuminating the amazing craft of the design, cinematography … Continue reading Out Now — The Illusion Almanac: Creating Godzilla vs Kong

Godzilla vs Kong — Coming soon from The Illusion Almanac

Click below for a preview of The Illusion Almanac: Creating Godzilla vs Kong, my brand new publication delving into the making of the hit Warner Brothers film directed by Adam Wingard. https://illusion-almanac.com/2021/04/16/coming-soon-the-illusion-almanac-covers-godzilla-vs-kong/

Cinefex 1980-2021

There was this kid who grew up on the south coast of England in the 1970s, devouring television shows like Thunderbirds and Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea and Doctor Who and cutting his cinematic teeth on Jaws and Star Wars and Close Encounters of the Third Kind, while at the same time building … Continue reading Cinefex 1980-2021

VIEW Conference 2021

If you're interested in animation, visual effects, computer graphics, digital cinema, VR or gaming, then VIEW Conference is the place for you. Beginning with a rolling programme of free online PreVIEW events, VIEW 2021 culminates in October in a week-long conference featuring inspirational keynote speeches, illuminating panels and presentations, in-depth masterclasses, lectures, screenings, and much … Continue reading VIEW Conference 2021

VIEW 2021 – Baobab Studios, “Bombay Rose” and the 93rd Academy Awards

VIEW Conference just unveiled its latest round of PreVIEW events for 2021. Each online session is free to attend, and features conversation with a team of animation professionals as they debate the hottest topics and share insights about their latest projects. “In the middle of January, we held our first PreVIEW session of 2021. We … Continue reading VIEW 2021 – Baobab Studios, “Bombay Rose” and the 93rd Academy Awards

Roots of Cinema – Handschiegl Twin Camera Matte Process

If you're interested in the history of visual effects, you're probably familiar with the Williams process. By combining two separate filmed scenes, this early compositing technique enabled a filmmaker, for example, to place an actor inside a miniature environment. The Williams process relied on what became known as a traveling matte, and I've written about … Continue reading Roots of Cinema – Handschiegl Twin Camera Matte Process

Cinefex Diaries – VIEW Conference 2018

Last year, I remember looking wistfully at the programme for VIEW Conference 2017 and thinking what a great lineup it was. At the time, our hectic publishing schedule made it impossible for any of the Cinefex editorial team to attend, but this year is different. The stars have aligned and I’ll be heading out to … Continue reading Cinefex Diaries – VIEW Conference 2018

“We Are Stars” – Fulldome Show Review

Scientists like to categorise things. "This is how the universe began," they say, or, "This is how atoms work," or, "Here's how humans developed from their apelike ancestors." But science isn't just studying the individual dots. It's working out how they join up. Because everything is connected. After all, that's what the word "universe" really means: turned into one. This connectivity is … Continue reading “We Are Stars” – Fulldome Show Review

The VFX of “Snowpiercer” – Cinefex Blog

Just published on the Cinefex blog is my Q&A with Eric Durst, Visual Effects Supervisor on Snowpiercer. In this science fiction film directed by Bong Joon-ho, a giant train circles an ice-locked, post-apocalyptic Earth on endless tracks. Its carriages contain a highly stratified society of survivors, from the working classes at the rear to the … Continue reading The VFX of “Snowpiercer” – Cinefex Blog