R.I.P. Ray Harryhausen
Einer der ganz, ganz großen Menschen des Films ist heute gestorben: Ray Harryhausen verschied in London im stolzen Alter von 92 Jahren. Der Mann revolutionierte mit seiner Stopmotion-Technik die FX-Welt und seine Medusa ist wohl bis heute die perfekteste Darstellung der Gorgone: „Once, when asked if he had a favourite among his creatures, Harryhausen replied: ‘It would be Medusa. But don’t tell the others’.“
Ich habe, glaube ich, alle Filme gesehen, die er getrickst hat und seinen Einfluss kann man gar nicht genug würdigen. Sad Day, R.I.P. Harry. Nachrufe beim Guardian und bei der Süddeutschen, Snip von der Facebook-Seite der Ray and Diana Harryhausen Foundation:
The Harryhausen family regret to announce the death of Ray Harryhausen, Visual Effects pioneer and stop-motion model animator. He was a multi-award winner which includes a special Oscar and BAFTA. Ray’s influence on today’s film makers was enormous, with luminaries; Steven Spielberg, James Cameron, Peter Jackson, George Lucas, John Landis and the UK’s own Nick Park have cited Harryhausen as being the man whose work inspired their own creations. […]
Tributes have been heaped upon Harryhausen for his work by his peers in recent years.
“Ray has been a great inspiration to us all in special visual industry. The art of his earlier films, which most of us grew up on, inspired us so much.” “Without Ray Harryhausen, there would likely have been no STAR WARS”
George Lucas.“THE LORD OF THE RINGS is my ‘Ray Harryhausen movie’. Without his life-long love of his wondrous images and storytelling it would never have been made – not by me at least”
Peter Jackson […]“Ray, your inspiration goes with us forever.”
Steven Spielberg
Arte Tracks: Trickspezialist Urgestein Ray Harryhausen
Ray Harryhausen 90th Birthday BAFTA Tribute
The Harryhausen Chronicles
Essenzielle Harryhausen-Doku von 1997:
This engaging 1997 documentary stands alone as the definitive tribute to stop-motion animator and special effects legend Ray Harryhausen, which is why it’s been included as a DVD bonus feature on a number of Harryhausen films. Written and directed by Time magazine film critic and historian Richard Schickel (a guarantee of quality and authority), the film is blessed with the participation of Harryhausen himself, comfortable in his role as FX guru and living legend, humorously reflecting on his momentous career while offering a wondrous inspection of the stop-motion models that made him famous.
From before his apprenticeship on 1949′s Mighty Joe Young to his final masterwork in Clash of the Titans, Harryhausen is honored as an old-school artisan, toiling in solitude to create some of the cinema’s most indelible fantasies, one meticulous frame at a time. A compilation of rare film tests and previously unseen footage among the DVD bonus features makes this must-see viewing for Harryhausen devotees of any age.
Recursive Hand-Video-Trickery
Vimeo Direkthands, via Boing Boing
Screengrab – An experiment in transitions: „None of the effects are computer generated. All the trickery took place literally in front of the camera.“ Ich glaub kein Wort.
This Hell is fake: Turkish Show forgets the Special FX
Youtube Direkthell, via io9
Eine Serie eine türkischen (religiösen) Senders wollte in einer Szene die Hölle zeigen und hat die Spezialeffekte vergessen, weil… a) die Hölle (und Gott) nicht existieren, b) die Trial-Version von After Effects abgelaufen ist, oder c) who gives a shit about hell. Wahrscheinlich stimmen alle drei. Von Redditor HabibAllah:
STV is pretty religious TV station. You may argue a TV station can’t have a religion but as you can see this is not the case here. STV is also known for making TV series which are completely ridiculous in terms of story and apparently special effects. The stories are pretty much the same. There is a bad guy doing bad deeds and in the end he suffers in hell. What is happening here though a little different. We see a man pleading for help from his son crying “please help me son, I’ve been a fool. It hurts” and something like this. […] And the son is like “yeah I’ll save you, hang on, whatever”.
Then we see the imam is holding the son’s hand and thanks to the holy force powers he have, he is able to show that man that his father is burning in hell. Also that smile is creepy. At the same time we hear a deep voice explaining the situation here for us confused audience, “if you don’t cleanse from your sins your father will be tormented and shit”. Yeah, I’m serious. Looks like the son is Jesus of that family or something like that.
And finally the son wakes up from his dream or nightmare depending on how you look. Looks like whole thing was not real. But… are we so sure about that?
From a Turkish TV series. They forgot to put special effects in a scene.
The Walking Dead S03 FX-Reel
Vimeo Direktfx, via Neatorama
Wie jedes Jahr nach dem Staffelfinale: Hier das FX-Reel aus The Walking Dead von den Tricksern der Stargate Studios. Diesmal weniger FX-Reel als ein Replay der Matsch-Szenen. Jeez… diese Staffel kriegt nichtmal ihr FX-Reel richtig hin…
Vorher auf Nerdcore:
The Walking Dead FX Reel
Anthrax’ Scott Ian visits the Walking Dead
Walking Dead Zombie-Makeup-Photography
Before VFX
Ich weiß gar nicht, warum ich das Tumblelog Before VFX noch nicht gebloggt habe. Ist hiermit nachgereicht. Das Teil wurde anlässlich der Proteste von Hollywood-Tricksern während der Oscars gestartet.
My intention is to highlight the artistry of VFX by showing you the canvas. At a time when even Hollywood can’t seem tell the difference between Oscar-winning Visual Effects and Oscar-winning Cinematography, I think it needs to be made clear which is which. Without the fantastic VFX work by talented artists, Hollywood films would not be what they are today.
Gustav Hoegens Animatronics-Showreel 2012
Youtube Direktanimatronic, via IheartPluto
Vorher auf Nerdcore:
Gustav Hoegens Animatronics-Showreel 2011
John Nolans Animatronic-Showreel
Doku: The Sci-Fi Boys
Youtube Direktscifi, via FloobyNooby
Und weil Politik und Wirtschaft nun wirklich nur Irre und Vollidioten (wie mich) interessieren, hier etwas – und das meine ich 120%ig ernst – wirklich interessantes und viel wichtigeres: Die 2006er Doku „The Sci-Fi Boys“, unter anderem mit Peter Jackson, John Landis, Ray Harryhausen, Roger Corman, Ray Bradburry, Forrest J. Ackerman (Famous Monsters of Filmland, Braindead, Return of the living Dead II, The Kentucky Fried Movie), Dennis Muren (Super 8, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Return of the Jedi), Stephen Sommers (The Mummy, Deep Rising), Bob Ducsay (Tremors 2).
Legendary all-stars of cinema bring to life the evolution of science-fiction and special effects films from the wild and funny days of B-movies to blockbusters that have captured the world’s imagination. This is the story of the Sci-Fi Boys, who started out as kids making amateur movies inspired by Forrest J Ackerman’s FAMOUS MONSTERS magazine and grew up to take Hollywood by storm, inventing the art and technology for filming anything the mind can dream.
Anthrax’ Scott Ian visits the Walking Dead
Youtube Direktdead, via @3Typen
Tolle neue Webserie im Nerdist-YTChannel von Fangoria mit Scott Ian (Anthrax). In der Premierenshow besucht er Greg Nicotero, FX-Mann von unter anderem Day of the Dead, Evil Dead 2, Pumpkinhead, Pulp Fiction und eben The Walking Dead.
In this series premiere episode, join host Scott Ian (Anthrax) as he spends a day with Legendary FX Artist Greg Nicotero in his KNB EFX’s studio. See Nicotero’s vast prop collection from throughout his career and also experience an awe inspiring bit of Blood and Guts.
Games Of Thrones S02 FX-Reel
Das FX-Reel der ersten Staffel hatte ich letztes Jahr bei den F5 gepostet: Game of Thrones – FX-Reel.
Vorher auf NC:
DIY Game of Thrones Risk-Board
Game of Thrones in Minecraft
Art of the Title dissects the Game of Thrones-Intro
Game of Thrones-Foodblog
Boardwalk Empire VFX-Reel
Boardwalk Empire Season 2 VFX-Reel
The Walking Dead FX Reel
Making Of the Alien Queen
Sehr schönes Posting der Stan Winston School of Character Arts (Winston war Effekt-Mann für alle Terminators, The Thing, Aliens, Pumpkinhead und mein Guilty Pleasere Leviathan) über das Making Of der Alien-Queen mit jeder Menge Behind the Scenes-Shots, die ich bisher auch noch nicht kannte.
In ALIEN, “they’ve seen the eggs,” Cameron said, “they’ve seen the parasite that emerges from the eggs, they’ve seen the embryo laid by that parasite emerge from a host person, and they’ve seen the embryo grow up into a supposedly adult form. But that adult form — one of them, anyway — couldn’t possibly have laid the thousand or so eggs that filled the inside of the derelict ship. At least that was my theory. So working from that image — acres and acres of these quite large eggs — I began to focus on the idea of a hierarchical hive structure where the central figure is a giant queen whose role it is to further the species.”
Whereas Cameron had relied on stop-motion animation for wide ambulatory shots of his full-body endoskeleton in THE TERMINATOR, he intended to shoot his queen alien live and full- size, interacting with the actors as much as possible. “Jim had seen what we could do with puppets on Terminator,” Stan Winston observed, “and so it made perfect sense that he thought of puppeteering techniques when he needed a way to realize the alien queen. But, even so, it was a huge leap of faith to believe that we could build a fourteen-foot-tall, acting puppet.”
Luis Nieto Live-FX-Photoperformance
Vimeo Direktfx, via Seitvertreib
Irre Fotografie-FX-Liveshow mit Strobo und selbstgeschriebener (?) Software von Luis Nieto, normalerweise Regisseur von Commercials und Gametrailern. Hier ein weiteres Video mit demselben Programm und ein paar Erläuterungen von Nieto. So much fun!
Creepy Alien-Testshoots with Bolaj Badejo without Xenomorph-Suit
Youtube Direktalien, via Daniel
Das Internet hat einen alten Alien-Testshot ausgegraben, indem Bolaj Badejo – der schlacksige schwarze Hühne, der das Alien spielte – ohne H.R. Gigers Xenomorph-Kostüm durch die Nostromo schleicht. Kannte ich auch noch nicht, den Clip. Außerdem hat das Alienseries-Blog ein altes Interview mit ihm aus Cinefantastique 1979, in dem er ein wenig von der Produktion des Foodporn-Klassikers erzählt und verrät, das Ridley Scott tausend weitere Ideen hatte, die nicht realisierbar waren und das Viech auch deshalb so wenig im Film zu sehen ist. Glück gehabt, der Film gewann dadurch 300% an Atmosphäre und wurde so zu dem Klassiker, der er heute ist.
HR Giger made the Alien suits worn by Bolaji and the stuntman out of latex, at a cost of more than $250,000. The suit consisted of some ten to fifteen separate pieces, worn over a one-piece black body suit, needed underneath to disguise the fact that the Alien fitted together in sections, and because you could see through parts of it, like the ribcage. The ribcage was put on like a sweater, over the head. The legs and hips were put on separately as sleeves, fitted over with gloves for the hands. The tail was attached separately and operated by a series of wires. Feet were worn like shoes. The head was placed on last. Bolaji likened wearing it to having your head stuck up the middle of a huge banana.
“The Nostromo set itself was only about 6’6 high. I’m 6’10, 7′ with the suit on. I had to be very careful how I spun around or did anything. It was terribly hot, especially the head. I could only have it on for about fifteen or twenty minutes at a time. When I took it off, my head would be soaked.”
Phil Tippetts Mad God
Kickstarter Direktmad, danke Jens!
Phil Tippett ist ‘ne FX-Legende, hat den ED209 entworfen und animiert und er brachte den AT-ATs in Empire das Laufen bei. Großer Mann. Und der erfüllt sich jetzt einen lange gehegten Traum und setzt sein Projekt “Mad Gods” um, einen Stop Motion-Animationsfilm, der damals alle FX-Techniken vereinen sollte und den er mit Aufkommen von CGI unvollendet in den Schrank gestellt hatte. Der Film ist bereits über Kickstarter finanziert und soll im Dezember fertig sein und wird dann wohl in der ein oder anderen Form im Netz veröffentlicht.
With his work on the “Star Wars” movies, Tippett carved his own niche as a modern master of stop motion. In 1984 he created his own studio where he continued to explore and innovate using stop motion.
MAD GOD began with several minutes of stop motion animation in 1990, before the explosion of Computer Generated Imagery (CGI) for movies. But as his studio blossomed into a powerhouse of computer-assisted visual effects and animation, the MAD GOD project fell on the back burner. After sitting on the shelf for 20 years, artists at Tippett Studio implored Phil to revive MAD GOD.
Incorporating footage shot before the surge of CGI with new puppets, scenes, environments, and in-camera effects, Phil is directing while mentoring an entire new generation in traditional stop motion animation and creature fabrication.
Solipsist: Experimental Short
Youtube Direktwhat?, via Flooby Nooby
Toller, zehnminütiger Experimental-Kurzfilm von Andrew Thomas Huang, mit drei Millionen tatsächlich neuen visuellen Ideen, die ich so noch nie gesehen habe. grandioses Ding. Hier die Facebook-Seite zu Solipist, finanziert wurde der Trip per Kickstarter. Von da:
SOLIPSIST is a three part psychedelic fantasy short film about otherworldly beings whose minds and bodies converge into one entity. Filled with elaborate costumes, stunning visual effects, and underwater puppets, the film is a non-narrative purely visual/audio experience designed to transport viewers through a hypnotic, dream-like experience. It consists of three parts, each featuring visually fantastic characters and creatures that converge with each other in surreal ways. The film concludes by featuring all three segments combine into a colorful, psychedelic finale.
“Solipsist” is meant to be a purely visual film built around the idea of convergence and unison between living things. The title comes from the philosophical theory of solipsism in which the self is the only thing that one can know or prove to exist. The isolation of this theory inspired me to imagine a counter-hypothesis – a world in which living beings are not constrained by a singular experience. Rather, the characters in this film are constantly merging into one another, forming a collective consciousness through unison of their minds and bodies.
The Walking Dead FX Reel
Youtube Direktwalking, via Gizmodo
Nettes Featurette mit den Tricks aus The Walking Dead. Die zweite Runde der neuen Staffel macht mir ja bislang recht viel Spaß, endlich mal ein paar Charakterentwicklungen und Rick wird langsam zu dem Badass, den man aus den Comics kennt. Ich bin mal vorsichtig optimistisch für die kommenden Folgen.
