The Mathematics of Hanging Miniatures

Since the earliest days of cinema, movie producers have used many ingenious techniques to deliver maximum spectacle for minimal cost – especially when creating fabulous settings that couldn’t possibly be built for real. One of these techniques is the hanging miniature. A hanging miniature – also known as a foreground miniature or front miniature – … Continue reading The Mathematics of Hanging Miniatures

Nightfighter Special Effects of 1946

Back in the 1940s, British studios were busy producing all manner of films featuring wartime aerial combat. Many of these were propaganda pieces, while others were more conventional melodramas. The 1946 movie “School for Secrets” — also known as “Secret Flight” — was a bit of both. Written and directed by Peter Ustinov, the film … Continue reading Nightfighter Special Effects of 1946

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

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