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The Force comes in really handy some mornings. -via Geeks Are Sexy
Movie producers and directors have vision. Art directors and designers have ideas. And then there are people who are charged with getting these things done behind the scenes, on time and under budget. Special effects master Stan Winston is one who figures out how to make the ideas work, such as Edward cutting shrubs with his scissor hands, the seamlessly realistic creatures running through Jurassic Park, and the battle between Ripley and the Alien Queen. Read about how he works his magic at Unreality magazine. Link
Brian Hart creates these really cool light painting photographs by using exposure times up to 20 minutes long. Now that’s what I call bending light! These images are so detailed that I can’t help but wonder what sort of reference he uses while the shutter is open.
Stunt men always have had dangerous jobs, but back in the silent era of films, their jobs were incredibly risky. Mental Floss has an incredible list of some of the most famous stunts from the period and how they were performed. For the most part, even the ones with some safety techniques built in were still very dangerous and many ended up in disaster.
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If you’ve been following the HBO series Game of Thrones, you may be a bit unsettled to see how BlueBolt created that fantasy world through visual effects. I am impressed with the things they can do with green screen these days! May contain spoilers, but only the first season is on this video. -via Geeks Are Sexy
This Russian wedding video is very special to the couple in it, but it reminds me of a Geocities website. Oh, except for the part where they played Pong. That reminded me of Pong. -via the Presurfer
Special effects wizard Ray Harryhausen created cinema monsters and other creatures for decades. In this video, you’ll find every one of them, presented in chronological order. See a list of them at the associated website. Link -via Boing Boing
Walt Disney Imagineering is updating the features of the Haunted Mansion. Here’s a look at how they are changing the beloved “hitchhiking ghosts.” -via Boing Boing
I’ve seen this effect at the Magic Kingdom in Disney World (they also do it at Disneyland) and thought it was cool, but some of these examples Mashable put together are even more impressive. My favorite of the bunch is the projection on the Kharkov State Building in the Ukraine (above).
EP Industries manufactures pumps, dry-cleaning equipment, firefighting equipment, military equipment, and other types of metal fabrication. But they have a fun side, too. Inventor and company founder Eddie Paul designs and builds mechanical sharks. And he creates custom vehicles to appear in and to promote movies, like the real-world versions of the cars from the Pixar movie Cars. Link
The uncanny valley is about to get creepier, thanks to this realistic-looking animatronic eye developed by Dan Thomson of Visionary Effects. Will this be used for movie effects, Disneyland presidents, artificial girlfriends, or working robots? Maybe all of those things! -via Laughing Squid
Inventables is a store where you can find special materials for filmmaking effects or for science demonstrations -or just for fun! If you’re going to smash through a window, consider making a pane of rubber glass. Mix two chemicals together and mold it into whatever glass or ice shape you need, then let it cure for a day. Once cured, it will look like glass, but cut your skin like rubber (meaning it won’t). They also have bendable wood, stainless steel paint, aluminum foam, and squishy magnets. Link -via Metafilter
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This picture and others from the same sequence are everywhere on the internet today, but rarely is there any source or context attached. These are stills from the movie Rescued from an Eagle’s Nest.
Rescued from an Eagle’s Nest {wiki} is a 1908 film by D.W.Griffith. It featured cutting-edge special effects that were frightening to audiences. -via Dangerous Minds
In this Japanese theater production, a sword fight breaks out between our hero, portrayed by Taichi Saotome {wiki}, and the shadows that lurk around us. Creativity, special effects, and precision choreography come together to make something special. -via The Daily What
A Russian short film from 1946, way before computer generated effects! -via Dark Roasted Blend
Nick and Anna Berte of Bel Air, Maryland built a giant snowman and rigged it with a flamethrower inside! Link
Check out this excellent quick flick put together by Lamb Productions.
My friends and I were bored one day during Christmas Break and decided to make a quick movie. We shot this in 30 minutes and only used 8 minutes of tape. I then proceeded to spend 3 and a half weeks putting in the visuals for the film. Special thanks to the Action Essentials 2 kit from Videocopilot.net, and Jason Lee for his Enterprise model.
via Bits and Pieces
The guys who brought you An Engineer’s Guide to Cats are having a friendly battle with Christmas laser beams. Things turn ugly when the nuclear hairball is deployed! -via Laughing Squid
YouTube user bengraphics created this montage of film clips from the past 100 years, demonstrating the evolution of cinematic special effects. It was originally just intended for a class lecture, but has gone viral. Featured films include The Enchanted Drawing (1900) Thief of Baghdad (1940) and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008). Run time: 5 minutes.
Via Geekologie
