Were you in the audience when The Empire Strikes Back was released in 1980? If so – and if you lived in the UK, Scandinavia or Australia – you may remember the […]
Roger Christian’s Black Angel
Adam Eisenberg Interviews Randy Cook
VFX Voice has published a terrific interview with legendary animator Randy Cook, by the equally legendary Adam Eisenberg. Adam spent many years with Cinefex, writing articles including the magazine’s definitive coverage of […]
Roger Christian and the Making of Luke’s Lightsaber
Roger Christian, the Academy Award-winning set decorator of Star Wars, began his journey to a galaxy far, far away while working with production designer John Barry in Mexico on Lucky Lady, building […]
The Animated Wonders of the Industrial Mechanigraph
When faced with the need to demonstrate the inner workings of the latest consumer must-have – from the inhalatory heart of a vortex-driven vacuum cleaner to the gas-flattening wonders of your favourite […]
The History of the Optical Printer
What is an optical printer? Simply put, it’s a piece of equipment designed to copy motion picture film. A typical optical printer has a projector at one end and a camera at the other. […]
How King Kong Was Filmed (Or Not)
These days, it’s pretty easy to find out how a film was made. There’s a plethora of websites, podcasts, books, you name it. Chances are you’ll even find your favourite filmmakers sharing […]
The 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, it enables a filmmaker, for example, to place an actor […]
The Illusion Almanac 