Happy 25th Anniversary to The Abyss!

reported by Paul Taglianetti

The Visual effects archive would like to take a moment to acknowledge the anniversary of James Cameron's breakthrough science fiction adventure the Abyss. Well known as one of the most difficult, grueling and technically challenging productions of the 20th century, The Abyss broke new grounds in the field of digital technology usage in visual effects, specifically the creation of the "PseudoPod" water tentacle probe supervised by George Lucas' Industrial Light and Magic. originally conceived as a possible stop motion animation character, VFX supervisor Dennis Muren and his crew managed to convince James Cameron of the viability of computer generated 3D imagery which was still in it's infancy. The results were stunning and helped pave the way for digital effects in Cameron's follow up film Terminator 2 and Steven Speilberg's Jurassic Park.

In addition, Hoyt Yeatman's Dreamquest Images, Marina Del Rey's Video Image, Gene Warren Jr's Fantasy II studios, Steve Johnson FX and Robert and Dennis Skotak provided additional striking visuals for the film which won the Academy Award of Visual effects in 1989.

The eclectic mix of effects methodologies here )digital, miniature, video, motion control, puppetry is rarely used in today's digital-heavy era. But the work holds up even by today's audience exacting standards. Whats even more impressive was the months of actual underwater photography, the development of actual mechanical ROV units and custom made scuba masks and tanks. Cameron's demanding standards may have sent the budget through the roof but the created a high water mark for all action films today that has rarely been matched.


see more pictures and behind the scenes footage at the visual effects archive page

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May the fourth be with you!

Celebrating the month of Star Wars, Please enjoy these rare behind the scenes photos of the making of the Star Wars films. they can be found at the Visual effecst Archive facebook page here...

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.522907607799392.1073741991.394337563989731&type=3

New Kubrick photos from 2001: A Space Odyssey

With the coming of a new book on the Making of 2001 on the horizon, enjoy these rare behind the scenes pictures of one of the greatest films of all time.

Information on the book can be found at 

http://www.forgottensilver.net/2014/04/07/livre-making-of-2001-chez-taschen/ 

The Matrix: 15 Year anniversary

15 years ago I worked with a team of artists and filmmakers on a film that became the most visually influential movie since Blade Runner. The effects work on the film was not created by ILM or Weta (juggernauts of modern film effects industry) but by a small team under the roof of Manex Entertainment. This company was formerly known as Mass Illusion and populated by former employees of the Trumbull company nestled high in the Berkshire mountains in Massachusetts. In Late 1997, Manex inc, an investment securities company looking to throw into the entertainment arena bought Mass Illusions and their assets and set up shop in the former Naval airbase in Alameda CA. During this period, Mass Illusions/ Manex were finishing up digital effects chores on the visually stunning film What Dreams May Come (also set to win an Oscar for Visual Effects one year before the Matrix' win). One of the Manex' teams great innovations was the creation of the "Bullet-Time" rig: an array of Canon EOS film cameras remotely triggered to take exposures in sequence and bulk loaded with high speed motion picture film. The resultant images were striking and took filmmakers into new realms of what was possible with the new advancements of computer integration in filmmaking

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Fast forward 15 years later and the fast "bullet-time"-like cameras moves are so ubiquitous they are hardly noticeable. Superheros thrillers, Giant Robot adventures, virtual reality fantasies and bizarre sci-fi landscapes are the wild westerns of the 21st century. Cameras zoom around characters and environments with effortless speed. The Matrix was the harbinger for this brave new world of Cinema. For better or worse, It changed the look of movies forever.

The Lost Worlds of Willis O'Brien

Stop Motion animator Willis O'Brien was primarily known for his ground-breaking visual effects work on King Kong but he left behind a wealth of other amazing work such as Black Scorpion, The Giant Behemoth and It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World. Have a look at these rare collection of photographs from his short and feature length films

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In tribute to Harold Ramis: a behind the scenes look at Ghostbusters(1984)

In honor of the life and work of writer/ Director Harold Ramis, please enjoy these these behind the scenes photo of what was one of his most memorable works as writer/ actor: Ghostbusters (1984).

also check out many more rare photos at the VFX archive facebook page


https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.417748021648685.1073741855.394337563989731&type=1

35th anniversary of A L I E N

35 years ago this May, a ground breaking film in the field of science fiction and horror was released by 20th Century Fox. ALIEN was a merging of old style B-Movie storytelling with cutting edge modern visual effects  with a dash of dark gothic design. Add to the mix Swiss artist HR Giger's mind bending designs and you have a movie that is still influential three decades later. It also launch the career of Uber- Director Ridley Scott

Enjoy these rare photos of what many consider the greatest fusion of science fiction and horror.