www.moviemags.com
THE SITE OF MOVIE MAGAZINES


	Advanced search About Login

CINEFEX
... The Journal Of Cinematic Illusions
Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Technical Bimonthly Magazine from Riverside ,United States
Ceased publication

- First and last issue: 1980-2021
Special effects
From 1980, it explains the way special effects are made.
Only covers 2-3 films in every issue with many details and behind the scenes photos.
Publisher: Don Shay Editor: Jody Duncan
A quarterly publication. 112 colour A5 pages.
- Published by Cinefex
- Website: www.cinefex.com (dead link)

Last updated:
6 October 2021
(see recent updates)

Special thanks for this page goes to:
Scott Matheson
Garry Malvern

COVERS FOUND & MISSING

Info from the Database

Highslide JS Listing is complete and all covers have been found.

See The listing

CONTENTS: 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021

GALLERIES: 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 All

Issue 132
January/February/March 2013

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
There and Back Again
Article by Jody Duncan
In this first installment in a planned three-part prequel, director Peter Jackson takes us back to J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth and a young Bilbo Baggins, who joins up with 13 dwarves in a quest to reclaim stolen treasure from the dragon Smaug. As he did in Lord of the Rings, Jackson collaborated closely with his effects teams at Weta Digital and Weta Workshop, with the latter providing dwarf designs and prosthetics, while the former offered up extensive digital environments for the film’s many fantasy settings, as well as dwarf scale effects and a state-of-the-art Gollum that benefitted from improvements in on-set performance capture and other technological advances in animation.
Cloud Atlas
Causes and Consequences
Article by Barbara Robertson
Adapted by filmmakers Lana and Andy Wachowski and Tom Tykwer from a from a sprawling novel by David Mitchell, Cloud Atlas covers six intersecting stories, and spans continents and time periods as it follows the transformation of a single soul through many lifetimes. The film's sweeping storyline relied on prosthetic makeup effects by Jeremy Woodhead and Daniel Parker, as well as countless visual effects divided among fifteen vendors worldwide, led by visual effects supervisors Dan Glass and Stephane Ceretti, who provided everything from set extensions and enhancements to full CG environments for a futuristic metropolis.
Life of Pi
The Calculus of Pi
Article by Jody Duncan
Ang Lee directs the film adaptation of Yann Martel’s award-winning novel about an Indian boy, Pi Patel, who, as sole survivor of a shipwreck that takes the life of his entire family, finds himself adrift at sea for many months in a small lifeboat shared with a Bengal tiger. Visual effects supervisors Bill Westenhofer worked with animation experts at Rhythm & Hues to achieve an utterly convincing computer generated tiger, who progresses from healthy to emaciated, while Legacy Effects provided animatronics support. Other contributing vendors included MPC, Crazy Horse Effects, LOOK Effects, Christov Effects, Buf, Lola VFX and Halon Entertainment.
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Q&A: Ray Tintori
Interview by Janine Pourroy
In this in-depth Q&A, special effects unit director Ray Tintori sheds light on how the makers of this Cannes and Sundance Film Festival favorite, about a young child who fights to survive poverty and Mother Nature on a storm-threatened atoll, realized the film's principal effect — the mythical ‘aurochs’ beasts — on a shoestring budget, through the use of creative and quirky practical solutions.

Issue 131
October/November/December 2012

The Dark Knight Rises: A Farewell to Arms
Article by Jody Duncan
For the final dazzling installment of his epic 'Dark Knight Trilogy,' director Christopher Nolan pulls out all the stops as Batman faces a ruthless mercenary and his most formidable opponent in an existential battle for Gotham. Relying heavily on in-camera effects, Nolan called upon special effects veteran Chris Corbould to orchestrate a range of spectacular effects sequences for the film, while Double Negative, under the guidance of visual effects supervisor Paul Franklin, contributed equally stunning imagery to realize Batman’s complex world.
The Amazing Spider-Man: Return of the Webslinger
Article by Joe Fordham
In this reboot of the popular franchise featuring Marvel Comics’ web-slinging superhero, director Marc Webb steps in with an all-new cast to explore Spider-Man's origins as Peter Parker, and his entanglements with a reptilian shape-shifter known as The Lizard. Sony Pictures Imageworks reprised its role as lead visual effects house on the film, with oversight from senior visual effects supervisor Jerome Chen and animation supervisor Randall William Cook, and a host of supporting visual effects vendors. In-camera illusions were the work of special effects supervisor John Frazier, stunt coordinator Vic Armstrong and Legacy Effects.
Total Recall: Recall Redux
Article by Jody Duncan
Colin Farrell assumes Arnold Schwarzenegger’s role as Douglas Quaid in a remake of the 1990 blockbuster, based on a futuristic tale by Philip K. Dick about a man who discovers that his memories are not his own, but have been implanted by sinister forces. Director Len Wiseman updated the original film's optical effects with a startling digital re-imagining of a futuristic, post-Apocalyptic world, delivered by lead effects house Double Negative and a supporting array of boutique vendors that included The Senate, Baseblack, Prime Focus, Lipsync VFX and MPC. Legacy Effects provided suits for an army of robotic police.
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter: Slayer in Chief
Article by Joe Fordham
Director Timur Bekmambetov brings novelist Seth Grahame-Smith’s satirical take on the life and times of America's 16th president to the big screen in this tongue-in-cheek horror film depicting Lincoln as fearless slayer of an insidious vampire sect responsible for enslaving the South. Special effects supervisor Matthew Kutcher and makeup effects supervisor Greg Cannom created Civil War battles and vampire effects, while visual effects supervisors Craig Lyn and Michael Owens oversaw period enhancements and stylized monster mayhem by more than a dozen vendors worldwide, including Weta Digital, Rodeo FX, Soho VFX, Method Studios, CGF and Spin VFX.

Issue 130
July/August/September 2012

2nd cover

The Avengers: The Avengers Initiative
Article by Jody Duncan Jesser
Six of Marvel Comics' iconic superheroes - Captain America, Iron Man, Hulk, Hawkeye, Thor and Black Widow - come together in a clash of egos and machismo to thwart Thor's power-hungry brother Loki, who plots to enslave Earth's inhabitants with an invading alien army. Director Joss Whedon called upon visual effects supervisor Janek Sirrs and industry powerhouses Industrial Light & Magic and Weta Digital, aided by a dozen supporting vendors around the globe, to deliver the film's delightful blend of mayhem and humor.
Prometheus: Alien Genesis
Article by Joe Fordham
Filmmaker Ridley Scott returns to the science fiction genre with Prometheus, picking up the threads of his Alien mythology with yet another nightmarish tale in which a deep-space exploration team is sent to probe the origins of life on a distant planetoid. Visual effects supervisor Richard Stammers and creature and makeup effects designers Neal Scanlan and Conor O'Sullivan joined forces with MPC, Weta Digital, Fuel VFX, Luma Pictures and other vendors to bring the alien world, its futuristic technology and terrifying inhabitants to life.
Battleship: War Games
Article by Joe Fordham
Peter Berg directs this ocean-going sci-fi war film, in which Navy seamen battle malevolent extraterrestrial spacecraft that rise from the ocean floor to wreak widespread havoc. Industrial Light & Magic visual effects supervisors Pablo Helman and Grady Cofer led the effort to create naval hardware, alien vessels and creature effects with an eye toward a gritty realism. Contributing vendors included Image Engine, Scanline VFX, New Deal Studios and The Embassy Visual Effects, while Burt Dalton handled special effects.
Snow White and the Huntsman: Grim Fairy Tale
Article by Jody Duncan Jesser
Veteran commercial director Rupert Sanders makes his feature film debut with this lush, artistic adventure based on the classic Snow White fairy tale. Relying on old-school practical techniques in combination with visual effects to realize many of the film's fantasy elements, Sanders brings his vision to the screen with the help of visual effects supervisors Cedric Nicolas-Troyan and Phil Brennan, and more than a half-dozen vendors, including Legacy Effects, Digital Domain, Double Negative, Pixomondo, Lola Visual Effects, Baseblack, The Mill and Rhythm & Hues.

Issue 129
April/May/June 2012

John Carter
Under the Moons of Mars
Article by Joe Fordham
Walt Disney Studios and director Andrew Stanton join forces for an adaptation of Edgar Rice Burroughs' pulp fiction adventure series about a Civil War veteran mysteriously whisked to Mars who becomes deeply entrenched in the affairs of its bizarre inhabitants. Legacy Effects provided creature designs and maquettes, while special effects supervisor Chris Corbould handled in-camera work. Visual effects supervisors Peter Chiang and Sue Rowe oversaw creature animation and environmental enhancements from principal vendors Double Negative, Cinesite and MPC.
Red Tails
The Long, Long War
Article by Jody Duncan Jesser
A pet project of producer George Lucas for 20 years, Red Tails is based on the real-life experiences of the Tuskegee airmen, a segregated squadron of African-American fighter pilots that distinguished itself during World War II. Industrial Light & Magic set the standard for the film's dynamic and authentic-looking aerial combat scenes, producing its own slate of shots, and coordinating the work of an international effects contingent that included Universal Production Partners, Pixomondo, Rodeo FX, Rising Sun Pictures and Ollin Studio.
Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol
Ingenious
Article by Jody Duncan Jesser
In this fourth, and most ambitious of the 'Mission: Impossible' films, the Impossible Missions Force executes a bold plan to clear its name after being blamed for a massive explosion at the Kremlin. Director Brad Bird ramps up the action with spectacular sequences calling for state-of-the-art work from Industrial Light & Magic, Fuel VFX, Rodeo FX, AFX Studio and other vendors around the world, led by visual effects supervisor John Knoll. Adding to the thrill quotient were daring stunts by Tom Cruise, and practical effects supervised by Mike Meinardus.
The Adventures of Tintin
A Thirst for Adventure
Article by Joe Fordham
Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson join forces to present an animated take on the illustrated adventures of boy reporter Tintin and his wire-haired terrier, Snowy - iconic characters in the French-language comic strip series by Georges Remi, aka Herge. Directed by Spielberg, this first in a planned trilogy combines several Tintin tales into an origin story, realized by performers on motion capture stages and brought to life in stereographic computer animation by Weta Digital and Giant Studios.

Issue 128
January/February/March 2012

Real Steel
Steel Works
Article by Jody Duncan Jesser
To create the robotic stars of Real Steel, set in a near-future world where professional boxing has been relegated to mechanical pugilists, director Shawn Levy relied on a seamless blend of practical and digital effects, with John Rosengrant and his team at Legacy Effects providing full-size animatronic puppets, while visual effects supervisor Erik Nash and a crew at Digital Domain devised their CG counterparts. Also lending a hand were Giant Studios, which motion-captured live performers in choreographed fights to provide critical data for the animators, and Glenn Derry's Video Hawks, which supplied virtual cameras and Simulcam setups for the complex fight action.
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Render Unto Ceasar
Article by Joe Fordham
In this prequel to the popular franchise inspired by Pierre Boulle's science fiction novel about intelligent apes that rise up against their human captors, director Rupert Wyatt broke with tradition, abandoning the practical simian makeups of the previous ape films in favor of an all-digital approach. Weta Digital, under the supervision of Joe Letteri and Dan Lemmon, rose to the challenge, generating super-chimp Caesar and armies of photorealistic apes with the help of on-set motion capture of ape actors led by veteran mocap performer Andy Serkis and motion choreographer Terry Notary.
Hugo
Man in the Moon
Article by Joe Fordham
For his latest film, based on Brian Selznick's illustrated children's novel about a young boy who befriends once-great cinema pioneer Georges Meliθs, now living a reclusive life as a toymaker in 1920s Paris, director Martin Scorcese reunited with frequent collaborator Robert Legato who oversaw the visual effects needed to create lush period environments in stereoscopic 3D. Pixomondo served as primary visual effects vendor, aided by Uncharted Territory, ILM, Matte World Digital, and miniature effects provider New Deal Studios. Joss Williams handled special effects.
The Tree of Life
Creationisms
Article by Jody Duncan Jesser
To achieve a 22-minute long sequence featuring the creation of the universe through a series of stunning and scientifically sound images in The Tree of Life, director Terrence Malick melded old-school techniques by filmmaking pioneer Douglas Trumbull with digital effects orchestrated by visual effects supervisor Dan Glass and crews at Prime Focus, Double Negative, One of Us and Method Studios.

Issue 127
October/November/December 2011

Captain America: The First Avenger
Soldier Blue
Article by Joe Fordham
In this spirited adaptation of Marvel Comics' World-War-II-era comic book, chronicling the transformation of a puny, but patriotic, army reject into a turbo-charged warrior tasked with thwarting the Nazis, director Joe Johnston brings to life period settings and retro high-tech gadgetry with the help of visual effects supervisor Christopher Townsend and more than a dozen vendors led by Double Negative, including Lola VFX, Matte World Digital, Luma Pictures, Framestore, Cinesite, Fuel VFX, Method Studios and The Senate VFX. Paul Corbould supervised special effects and David White guided makeup effects.
Cowboys & Aliens
Invasion of the Body Snatchers
Article by Jody Duncan
Director Jon Favreau blends two classic genres to create this clever sci-fi/western hybrid in which Old West gunslingers, ranchers and Indians join forces to battle aliens from another galaxy that have invaded their small town. Favreau teamed with Industrial Light & Magic and Legacy Effects - with an assist from The Embassy, Shade VFX, New Deal Studios, Fuel VFX and Kerner Optical - to create the film's terrifying aliens, alien ships and hardware, while Daniel Sudick oversaw on-set special effects.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
Wizard War
Article by Joe Fordham
For the eighth and final film in the series, based on the best-selling childrens' books by J. K. Rowling, boy wizard Harry Potter makes a final stand against his lifelong nemesis, Lord Voldemort, with the help of his many friends at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. To depict the epic battle, returning director David Yates re-teamed with special effects supervisor John Richardson, makeup effects supervisor Nick Dudman and visual effects supervisor Tim Burke, assisted by an army of effects artisans that encompassed thirteen visual effects vendors and seven facilities involved in stereoscopic conversion.
Anonymous
This Realm, This England
Article by Jody Duncan
Best known for his sci-fi/disaster films, director Roland Emmerich shuns cinematic pyrotechnics in favor of Elizabethan-era political intrigue and character-driven drama in Anonymous. To capture the film's Shakespearean-era settings, Emmerich relied on extensive use of greenscreens and cutting-edge digital technology, calling upon visual effects supervisors Marc Weigert and Volker Engel of Uncharted Territory - his filmmaking collaborators for more than two decades - to provide the photorealistic computer generated environments.

Issue 126
July/August/September 2011

X-Men: First Class
First Class Effects
Article by Jody Duncan
In this franchise 'reboot,' exploring the genesis of X-Men's warring mutant factions, director Matthew Vaughn and visual effects designer John Dykstra devised shots illustrating the super-powers of both new and returning characters, aided by a visual effects contingent comprised of MPC, Cinesite, Weta Digital, Rhythm & Hues, Luma Pictures, Digital Domain and The Senate. Complementing the visual effects were mutant makeups provided by Amalgamated Dynamics Incorporated, makeup artist David Elsey and Spectral Motion.
Thor
God of Thunder
Article by Joe Fordham
Director Kenneth Branagh brings the hammer-wielding Norse deity to life in this action-packed tale based on the popular Marvel Comics series. Under supervisor Wesley Sewell, seven vendors handled the visual effects work, including Whiskytree, BUF Compagnie and Digital Domain, which devised the film's mythic realms, and Luma Pictures, which focused on earthbound effects. Special effects were overseen by Daniel Sudick, while Legacy Effects handled special makeup effects.
Priest
Holy Warriors
Article by Jody Duncan
To depict the stark, alternate-reality world of Priest - the setting for this post-apocalyptic tale about a centuries-long war between man and vampires - director Scott Charles Stewart called upon visual effects supervisor Jonathan Rothbart to oversee the creation of vampires and environments in some 800 shots, divided among an array of effect facilities including Svengali FX, Tippett Studio, The Senate, Spin VFX and Zoic Studios. KNB EFX Group contributed vampire creature suits, makeup effects and dummies.
Source Code
Reality Deconstructed
Article by Joe Fordham
Following his directorial debut with Moon, filmmaker Duncan Jones returns with Source Code, a techno-thriller about a covert operation's use of immersive virtual reality to investigate a terrorist explosion onboard a Chicago commuter train. Special effects supervisor Ryal Cosgrove, makeup effects supervisor Adrien Morot and visual effects supervisor Louis Morin furnished reality-bending effects, with the help of Modus FX, Rodeo FX, MPC, Oblique FX, Fly Studio and Mr. X.

Issue 125
April/May/June 2011

Battle: Los Angeles
Aliens in the City of Angels
Article by Jody Duncan
In Battle: Los Angeles, a documentary-style action film that follows a squad of Marines defending the city of Los Angeles from invading hordes of extraterrestrials, director Jonathan Liebesman presents a gritty view of modern warfare, aided by visual effects supervisor Everett Burrell and an international complement of vendors that included Cinesite, Hydraulx, Luma Pictures, The Embassy, Matte World Digital, Spin VFX and Soho VFX. Makeup effects supervisor Joel Harlow and his crew contributed practical aliens.
Rango
The Good, the Bad and the Dusty
Article by Jody Duncan
Industrial Light & Magic and director Gore Verbinski, joined forces to make their computer-animated feature debut with Rango, a comical tale about a hapless chameleon-turned-hero stranded in a harsh desert environment, who ends up taking a stand against bandits to save a small western town. Verbinski called upon veteran visual effects supervisors John Knoll and Tim Alexander to head the ambitious project, and engaged celebrated concept artist Mark 'Crash' McCreery - in his first credit as production designer - to oversee the film's distinctly un-animated look.
Black Swan
Metamorphosis
Article by Joe Fordham
Director Darren Aronofsky charts the descent into madness of a young prima ballerina, who succumbs to backstage pressures and rivalries during a production of Swan Lake in Black Swan. Using surreal and disturbing imagery to create the manifestations of Nina's hallucinatory decline, Aronofsky called upon frequent collaborator Dan Schrecker to oversee visual effects, and Mike Marino at Prosthetic Renaissance to handle makeup effects. LOOK Effects provided visual effects for the film.
Sucker Punch
Nightmares and Dreamscapes
Article by Jody Duncan
To realize filmmaker Zack Snyder's exotic fantasy Sucker Punch, about a young woman wrongfully incarcerated in a mental asylum who escapes into a succession of alternate realities, production designer Rick Carter and visual effects supervisor John DesJardin brought to life settings both real and imagined, with the help of key vendors Animal Logic, The Moving Picture Company, Pixomondo and Prime Focus. Also assisting in the creation of creatures and effects were special effects supervisor Joel Whist and prosthetic artists at Quantum Creation.

Issue 124
January/February/March 2011

TRON: Legacy
Legacy System
Article by Jody Duncan
For TRON: Legacy, the long-overdue sequel to the 1982 cult favorite, TRON, about a computer programmer who becomes trapped within a videogame's virtual realms, director Joseph Kosinski and visual effects supervisor Eric Barba took advantage of sophisticated digital and stereoscopic imaging techniques to give the film its modern spin. Teams at Digital Domain, Mr. X, Ollin Studio, Prime Focus and Whiskytree generated the spectacular visuals of the sequel's computer gaming world, while Quantum Creation built specialty costumes featuring cutting-edge lighting technology.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
The Last Enemy
Article by Joe Fordham
In this first of a two-part climax, adapted from the seventh and final volume of J.K. Rowling's hugely popular children's book series, wizard Harry Potter and his two best friends roam beyond the walls of Hogwarts in search of the scattered fragments of the evil Lord Voldemort's soul. Returning director David Yates reunited with visual effects supervisor Tim Burke, special effects supervisor John Richardson and makeup effects supervisor Nick Dudman to bring the newest and darkest film in the franchise to fruition. Lending a hand were series veterans Double Negative, The Moving Picture Company, Framestore, Cinesite, Rising Sun Pictures and Baseblack.
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
Sea Quest
Article by Joe Fordham
Director Michael Apted took the helm of the third film based on the C.S. Lewis' fantasy novels, as the narrative picks up with the Pevensie children joining King Caspian and a band of mythological creatures on a sea voyage to save Narnia. Makeup effects artists at KNB EFX Group and special effects supervisor Brian Cox collaborated with visual effects supervisor Angus Bickerton and teams at The Moving Picture Company, Framestore, Cinesite, The Mill and The Senate to create an array of all-new creatures, fantasy environments and nautical settings.
Hereafter
Visions of the Hereafter
Article by Jody Duncan
To realize an intense and breathtaking simulation of a massive tsunami that destroys an ocean-front resort town in the opening of Hereafter, director Clint Eastwood relied on the expertise of visual effects supervisor Michael Owens, and the work of artists at Scanline, led by visual effects supervisors Stephan Trojansky and Bryan Grill. The effects teams also provided artful glimpses into the afterlife, the exploration of which is the unifying theme of the film's interwoven storylines.

TRON: Legacy

Issue 123
October/November/December 2010

Inception
In Dreams
Article by Joe Fordham
In this sophisticated science fiction thriller, written and directed by Christopher Nolan, a group of covert operatives infiltrates the dreams of unsuspecting victims for the purposes of corporate espionage. The film's extensive use of mind-bending dreamscapes and enhanced realities was achieved through a combination of practical effects by special effects supervisor Chris Corbould, miniatures by New Deal Studio, and digital work by Double Negative, under the guidance of visual effects supervisor Paul Franklin.
Prince of Persia: Sands of Time
Arabian Fantasy
Article by Joe Fordham
Producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Mike Newell teamed to create Prince of Persia: Sands of Time, a lavish adventure-fantasy set in 6th-century Persia, and based on the popular 1980s Ubisoft videogame. To achieve the film's magical time-bending effects and exotic fantasy realms, Newell turned to special effects supervisor Trevor Wood, who oversaw live-action set pieces, and to visual effects supervisor Tom Wood, who oversaw the work of multiple vendors, including Double Negative, The Moving Picture Company, Cinesite and Framestore.
The A-Team
Plan "A"
Article by Jody Duncan
Adapted from a popular '80s-era television show, and filled with explosive, over-the-top action, The A-Team follows the exploits of a quartet of dishonorably discharged Army Rangers who become a crack covert fighting unit. Director Joe Carnahan relied on visual effects supervisor Jamie Price and an array of vendors that included Rhythm & Hues, Digital Domain, Weta Digital and Hydraulx to ramp up the action in the air and on the ground, in concert with special effects supervisor Mike Vezina's practical gags.
The Last Airbender
Braving the Elements
Article by Jody Duncan
In The Last Airbender, M. Night Shyamalan's live-action feature adaptation of an animated television series, a young boy, equipped with the power to manipulate the elemental forces of air, water, earth and fire, attempts to restore order and balance to a war-ravaged world. Visual effects supervisor Pablo Helman and his team at Industrial Light & Magic served up a vast and wide-ranging menu of digital effects for the mystical fantasy, with an assis

Inception

Issue 122
July/August/September 2010

Iron Man 2: Iron Clad Article by Jody Duncan
In Iron Man 2, the much-anticipated follow-up to his 2008 blockbuster, director Jon Favreau reteamed with artists at Stan Winston Studio - now Legacy Effects - and Industrial Light & Magic to create a new and improved Iron Man, who, joined by War Machine, combats a rogue army of military drones and a fearsome adversary, Whiplash. Double Negative contributed a major action sequence at the Monaco Grand Prix, while Fuel VFX and other vendors provided visual effects support.
Alice in Wonderland: Down the Rabbit Hole Article by Joe Fordham
Director Tim Burton put his unique stamp on this fantasy sequel to Lewis Carroll's timeless tale, in which a now-grown Alice tumbles down the rabbit hole to reunite with her childhood friends and save their Underland from the machinations of the evil Red Queen. Visual effects supervisor Ken Ralston collaborated with Burton and production designer Robert Stromberg to create the fantasy environment and characters, depicted in stereoscopic 3D through a combination of greenscreen sets and computer generated imagery spearheaded by Sony Pictures Imageworks.
Clash of the Titans: Gods and Monsters Article by Jody Duncan
In this remake of the 1981 Ray Harryhausen classic, director Louis Letterier relied on state-of-the-art digital effects to retell the story of mythical hero Perseus, son of Zeus, who embarks on a quest to slay the Kraken, a fearsome underwater beast. Visual effects supervisor Nick Davis, working with artists at The Moving Picture Company, Framestore and Cinesite, oversaw the ambitious task, which entailed some 900 effects shots and included a postproduction conversion to transform the 2D movie to 3D. Neil Corbould handled special effects.
Splice: 1 + 1 = 3 Article by Joe Fordham
Husband-and-wife geneticists cross ethical boundaries when they embark on a cutting-edge genetic engineering experiment that soon gets out of hand, in Splice, directed by Vincenzo Natali. The modestly-budgeted, independently-produced Sundance festival favorite marked Natali's fourth collaboration with visual effects supervisor Bob Munroe, who oversaw the visual effects work at C.O.R.E. Digital Pictures, with an assist from Paris vendors BUF Compagnie, Chez Eddy and Mac Guff. KNB EFX Group provided practical creature effects.

Iron Man 2

Issue 121
April/May/June 2010

The Wolfman: Curse of the Werewolf
Article by Joe Fordham
Universal Studios dipped once again into its treasure trove of classic movie monsters with The Wolfman, starring Benicio Del Toro as a haunted nobleman who returns to his ancestral homeland to confront a terrible destiny. Director Joe Johnston called upon Oscar-winning makeup effects designer Rick Baker for prosthetic makeups that captured the spirit of the original Lon Chaney, Jr. Wolf Man, while The Moving Picture Company, Double Negative and Rhythm & Hues, under visual effects supervisor Steve Begg, re-created Victorian England and melded Del Toro's performance with digital wolfman effects that lent a terrifying verisimilitude to the iconic character's transformations.
The Tippett Touch
Article by Jody Duncan
From its humble beginnings in a garage to state-of-the-art facility at the forefront of the much-changed visual effects industry, Tippett Studio, recently observed its quarter-century anniversary. Now Cinefex honors that milestone with a career retrospective of its renowned founder, Phil Tippett, who first distinguished himself as a stop-motion animator in the Star Wars and Robocop series, before exploring the short-lived go-motion process with Dragonslayer, and then plunging into computer animation with the groundbreaking Jurassic Park and dozens of subsequent films ranging from Starship Troopers and Hellboy to Cloverfield and, most recently, The Twilight Saga.
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus: Through the Looking Glass
Article by Joe Fordham
Director Terry Gilliam reunited with screenwriter Charles McKeown, his collaborator on Brazil and The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, to concoct a fantasy involving an ancient vagabond storyteller who rolls into modern-day London in a carnival wagon, seeking lost souls to fulfill a Faustian pact with the devil. Joining forces to bring Gilliam's unique and phantasmagoric vision to fruition were visual effects supervisors John Paul Docherty and Richard Bain at Peerless Camera Company, model supervisor Leigh Took of Mattes and Miniatures, and Lola Post.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief: Q&A with Kevin Mack
Interview by Joe Fordham
Oscar-winning visual effects supervisor Kevin Mack discusses the challenges of putting a modern spin on ancient Greek mythology in Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, a cinema fantasy based on the best-selling children's novel series by Rick Riordan. Mack worked with more than a dozen visual effects vendors - including Digital Domain, The Moving Picture Company and Luma Pictures - to realize the film's intermingling of mythological creatures with present-day settings.

Issue 120
January/February/March 2010

Avatar: The Seduction of Reality; Article by Jody Duncan
Twelve years after his blockbuster film Titanic broke all boxoffice records, filmmaker James Cameron returned to the big screen with Avatar, a science fiction fantasy set on another world, and shot entirely in stereo 3D. Working with a dedicated technical team, Cameron spent four years developing new filmmaking paradigms designed to push the boundaries of performance capture and virtual character creation to unprecedented levels of artistry and sophistication. Weta Digital led the groundbreaking visual effects effort, with support from Industrial Light & Magic, Framestore, Frantic Films, Hybride, Weta Workshop and Stan Winston Studio.
2010: Gotterdammerung; Article by Joe Fordham
Envisioning the grandest disaster scenario ever, writer/director Roland Emmerich set his sights on no less than total planetary destruction in the film 2012, featuring a story inspired by an ancient Mayan prediction of impending global cataclysm in that fateful year. Joining Emmerich were longtime collaborators Volker Engel and Marc Weigert, whose studio, Uncharted Territory, served as in-house visual effects unit for the production, and as production hub for the multiple vendors, including Digital Domain, Double Negative, Sony Pictures Imageworks, Scanline, Hydraulx, Crazy Horse and Pixomondo. Special effects supervisor Michael Vezina provided large-scale mechanical effects.
The Road: Road to Nowhere; Article by Joe Fordham
In The Road, based on Cormac McCarthy's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, a man and his young son embark on a cross-country journey as they struggle to survive the brutal circumstances brought about by an apocalyptic event that has devastated the planet and destroyed the very fabric of civilization. Director John Hillcoat turned to visual effects supervisor Mark Forker, visual effects studios Dive and Crazy Horse, and a handful of supporting vendors to create the film's stark, post-apocalyptic environments.

Avatar

Issue 119
October/November/December 2009

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen: Heavy Metal; Article by Jody Duncan
In Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, a sequel to the 2007 hit about an age-old war between two races of giant alien robots, director Michael Bay raises the bar on visual effects with 40 new robots, more dynamic battle sequences and large-scale robot destruction, and the use of high-resolution IMAX cameras. Industrial Light & Magic and Digital Domain led the visual onslaught.
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra: Military Maneuvers; Article by Jody Duncan
An elite G.I. Joe combat unit confronts a malevolent criminal organization intent on world domination in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, directed by Stephen Sommers and inspired by the popular Hasbro toy line. Visual effects supervisor Boyd Shermis led a team of ten vendors charged with depicting the film's exotic, globe-spanning locales, futuristic weaponry, and nonstop, high-octane action. Stan Winston Studio contributed an array of practical effects.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince: Earth, Wind and Fire; Article by Joe Fordham
For this sixth installment in the blockbuster film franchise, wizard-in-training Harry Potter survives teen angst, Death Eater attacks, and a dangerous mission aimed at defeating the Dark Lord Voldemort. Returning director David Yates reunited with visual effects supervisor Tim Burke and vendors in London, California and Australia to realize the magical mayhem. Also re-joining the team were series regulars John Richardson, in charge of special effects, and Nick Dudman, who oversaw creature designs.
District 9: Slumdog Aliens; Article by Joe Fordham
First-time features director Neil Blomkamp combines alien visitation with the gritty realities of poverty, racism and life in a Third World ghetto, for District 9, a science-fiction film about downtrodden extraterrestrials living in slums on the outskirts of Johannesburg. Backed by producer Peter Jackson, Blomkamp called upon Weta Workshop for conceptual designs, while Image Engine and The Embassy generated the insect-like aliens, mothership and alien hardware.
G-Force: Animal Action; Article by Joe Fordham
An unlikely team of crime-fighting guinea pigs and rodents brings down an evil inventor with illusions of grandeur in G-Force, a live-action comedy conceived and directed by veteran visual effects supervisor Hoyt Yeatman. Sony Pictures Imageworks created the digitally animated creatures and visual effects generated in stereoscopic 3D.

Issue 118
July/August/September 2009

Star Trek: A New Enterprise, Article by Joe Fordham
For Star Trek, the 11th entry in the feature-film canon based on Gene Roddenberry's long-running television series, director J. J. Abrams reboots the franchise by returning to the series' original characters, Captain James T. Kirk and Vulcan Science Officer Spock, as they meet and compete at Starfleet Academy, then commence their illustrious careers aboard the newly-minted starship Enterprise. Visual effects supervisor Roger Guyett led teams at Industrial Light & Magic, Digital Domain and a handful of supporting vendors, who joined forces with special effects supervisor Burt Dalton and teams of makeup artists to reinvigorate the Star Trek universe.
Terminator Salvation: Rage Against the Machines, Article by Jody Duncan
In Terminator Salvation, fourth in the saga launched in 1984 with James Cameron's The Terminator, director McG expands the Terminator mythology, exploring the post-apocalyptic years that gave rise to resistance leader John Connor and his efforts to save mankind from extermination by machines. McG and visual effects supervisor Charles Gibson called upon Industrial Light & Magic, veterans of Terminator 2 and 3, and Stan Winston Studio, designers of the original endoskeletons, to create an array of killer robots that provided continuity with those seen in the earlier films, while Asylum Effects and Matte World Digital provided post-apocalyptic environments.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine: Blood Brothers, Article by Jody Duncan:
Wolverine, the edgiest and most popular of the X-Men superheroes is given his due in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, the fourth film in the franchise about a society of mutant outcasts, based on the Marvel Comics series. Director Gavin Hood explores Wolverine's violent past and ascendancy to membership in the X-Men, with help from visual effects supervisor Patrick McClung, who led a team of 17 vendors charged with digital mutant effects, and with bringing the story's dynamic action to life. Amalgamated Dynamics Incorporated provided practical makeup effects.
Angels & Demons: Infernal Designs, Article by Joe Fordham
In Angels & Demons, the second film based on novelist Dan Brown's runaway bestsellers exploring papal politics and intrigue, director Ron Howard and actor Tom Hanks return to follow Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon as he attempts to uncover a secret plot by an ancient society to destroy the Vatican. Returning visual effects supervisor Angus Bickerton led a team of vendors that included Double Negative, CIS Vancouver, The Moving Picture Company and The Senate in extending production designer Allan Cameron's expansive sets to create photorealistic Vatican interiors and exteriors.
Moon: Moon Madness, Article by Estelle Shay
An astronaut encounters a clone of himself as he prepares to return to earth following a three-year stint manning an energy mining operation based on the moon, in the low-budget indie film Moon. Inventive visual effects by Cinesite and miniatures by model supervisor Bill Pearson enabled first-time feature-film director Duncan Jones to bring the effects-intensive small film to the screen in a big way.

Issue 117
April/May/June 2009

Watchmen: The Manhattan Project; Article by Joe Fordham
Adapted from the darkly complex graphic novel considered the finest and most influential of its genre, Watchmen, directed by Zack Snyder, called for a seamless blending of practical and visual effects, makeup and miniatures to bring the story's band of misfit superheroes and villains to the big screen. Visual effects supervisor John 'DJ' DesJardin oversaw the work at Sony Pictures Imageworks, The Moving Picture Company, Intelligent Creatures and CIS Hollywood, while Joel Whist supervised special effects. Greg Cannom's Drac Studios contributed prosthetic makeups, and Global Effects fabricated custom suits.
Coraline: A Handmade World; Article by Joe Fordham
In Coraline, director Henry Selick returns to the genre of stop-motion animation with a fantasy feature - his first to be shot in 3D - based on a novella by Neil Gaiman about an inquisitive young girl who walks through a secret door in her new home and discovers an alternate version of her life that seems more attractive than the real one. Puppetry and animation on a grand scale was provided by Laika Entertainment, making its theatrical film debut. Director of photography Pete Kozachik captured the stereoscopic effects, and visual effects supervisor Brian Van't Hul oversaw extensive postproduction work.
The Spirit: Summoning the Spirit; Article by George Mo?se
Master graphic novelist Frank Miller, in his solo directing debut, taps into the oeuvre of renowned 1940s-era comic-book artist Will Eisner for his adaptation of The Spirit, a crime story about a rookie cop who returns from the dead as a masked vigilante. Told in the signature style of Miller's Sin City and 300, The Spirit's hybrid live-action/CG approach featured stark, noir-ish, all-CG environments composited into minimalist greenscreen sets. Visual effects supervisor Stu Maschwitz led the work at The Orphanage, Digital Dimension, Rising Sun Pictures and six other supporting companies. Changeling: Urban Renewal; Article by Jody Duncan
Visual effects supervisor Michael Owens discusses the challenges of re-creating 1920s Los Angeles for director Clint Eastwood's period drama Changeling, based on the true story of a woman who takes on the corrupt Los Angeles Police Department following the abduction of her young son by a pedophile serial killer.
Inkheart: Into Inkworld; Article by Jody Duncan
A bookbinder has the power to conjure characters in and out of books through the act of reading them aloud in the fantasy adventure Inkheart, directed by Iain Softley. Seeking photorealism, Softley and visual effects supervisor Angus Bickerton made judicious use of visual effects by Double Negative, The Senate, Cinesite, Rainmaker and Peerless Camera Company, while relying heavily on practical effects by special effects supervisor Paul Corbould, and miniatures by Mattes & Miniatures.

Issue 116
January/February/March 2009

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: The Unusual Birth of Benjamin Button:
Article by Jody Duncan
More than a decade in development, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, about a man who ages in reverse, led director David Fincher, visual effects supervisor Eric Barba and technical wizards at Digital Domain to major breakthroughs in CG animation, rendering and tracking techniques required to convincingly age actor Brad Pitt in scenes of Benjamin's early years. Other effects involving the film's many period settings were the work of Matte World Digital, Asylum and Hydraulx, while Lola VFX performed 'youthening' effects on Pitt and Cate Blanchett, as Benjamin's lifelong love.
The Day the Earth Stood Still: Global Warning:
Article by Bill Butler
In The Day the Earth Stood Still, a modern-day remake of a classic 1951 science-fiction film in which an intergalactic emissary arrives on earth with a warning for earth's leaders, director Scott Derrickson charged visual effects supervisor Jeffrey Okun with updating the film's core effects while still paying homage to the original. Weta Digital, Cinesite, Flash Film Works and CosFX, along with a handful of supporting vendors, were enlisted to put a new spin on such iconic elements as the alien Klaatu, his robot companion Gort, and their mode of interplanetary transport. Special creature effects were the work of Todd Masters of Masters FX.
Quantum of Solace: Quantum Leap:
Article by Joe Fordham
The ever-popular Bond franchise returns with Quantum Leap, starring Daniel Craig as secret agent 007 in an edgy tale of revenge as Bond, on a trail of intrigue and corruption, sets out to even the score following the death of his former lover. To realize the film's ambitious action - which spanned the globe and encompassed land, sea and air - director Marc Forster and frequent collaborator and visual effects designer Kevin Tod Haug called upon Double Negative, The Moving Picture Company, Framestore, Machine and MK12, to join forces with special effects supervisor and franchise veteran Chris Corbould in a perfect marriage of visual and physical effects.
City of Ember: Countdown to Doomsday:
Article by Joe Fordham
Physical effects by Kit West and digital set extensions by BUF Compagnie and Luma Pictures lend verisimilitude to subterranean settings in City of Ember, about the inhabitants of an underground city who learn that their singular existence is owing to a long-ago nuclear war that destroyed everything above-ground.
Stuart Freeborn:
Profile by Mark Burman
Legendary makeup artist Stuart Freeborn - a veteran of 2001: A Space Odyssey and the Star Wars franchise - discusses his remarkable and prolific career in this special Cinefex retrospective.

Issue 115
October/November/December 2008

The Dark Knight: Batman Grounded:
Article by Jody Duncan
Director Christopher Nolan follows up his hugely successful Batman Begins with an even grittier take on the enduring comic book saga, as his Caped Crusader faces off against The Joker, portrayed with darkly comic and disturbing lunacy by Heath Ledger. Lending verisimilitude to Gotham locales were IMAX-resolution shots by Double Negative, Framestore and BUF Compagnie, under visual effects supervisor Nick Davis. Jaw-dropping effects and paraphernalia devised by special effects supervisor Chris Corbould and his team added to the film's gripping sense of reality.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull: Atomic Age Hero:
Article by Joe Fordham
Following a 20-year hiatus, director Steven Spielberg and producer George Lucas pick up the trail of cinema's most iconic adventurer in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, featuring Harrison Ford as the aging archeologist, who teams with a young accomplice to track a mysterious crystal skull in the jungles of South America. Special effects by Daniel Sudick, and practical props by Stan Winston Studio, paid homage to the pre-digital look of the franchise's earlier films, while visual effects supervisor Pablo Helman orchestrated digital effects by Industrial Light & Magic.
Hellboy II: The Golden Army: Paranormal Parade:
Article by David W. Marshall
In Hellboy II: The Golden Army, a sequel to the 2004 film based on the demonic hero, writer/director Guillermo Del Toro returns with all-new parade of paranormal characters. Joining him were Hellboy veterans Spectral Motion and Efectos Especiales DDT, who led the makeup and practical creature effects, while visual effects supervisor Mike Wassel, working with lead effects company Double Negative and a host of supporting vendors, added digital panache to the visual feast. Article by David W. Marshall.
Hancock: Overview: Carey Villegas & Ken Hahn on Hancock:
Article by Joe Fordham
Will Smith stars as an unlikable and reluctant superhero in serious need of an image makeover in Hancock, a clever twist on the genre. Sony Pictures Imageworks and a host of supporting vendors breathed life into director Peter Berg's vision of the offbeat hero's rough and tumble world.
Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D: Q&A with Eric Brevig:
Interview by Jody Duncan
Oscar-winning visual effects supervisor Eric Brevig shares insights and anecdotes about his directorial debut, Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D.

Issue 114
July/August/September 2008

Iron Man: The Man in the Iron Mask:
Article by Jody Duncan
In Iron Man, Robert Downey Jr. stars as weapons mogul Tony Stark, whose flying suit of armor serves as a life-support system after a near-fatal run-in with terrorists in Afghanistan. For its debut film, based on the iconic comic book character, Marvel Studios enlisted director Jon Favreau to bring an air of fun and originality to the proceedings, aided by Stan Winston Studio's elaborate practical suits, and eye-popping visuals by Industrial Light & Magic, The Orphanage and a host of other vendors working under the guidance of visual effects supervisor John Nelson.
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian: Lost World:
Article by Joe Fordham
In The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, the second in C. S. Lewis' classic novel series to receive a big-screen adaptation, returning director Andrew Adamson offers up a darker tale in which the Pevensie children join forces with an exiled prince in his bid to rescue Narnia from a power-hungry usurper. Orchestrated by Dean Wright and Wendy Rogers, visual effects created at The Moving Picture Company, Framestore and Weta Digital invested the Narnian universe with all-new fantasy characters and environments, while practical creature effects by KNB EFX Group, and miniatures by Weta Workshop, provided a gritty realism.
Speed Racer: Formula for a Universe:
Article by Joe Fordham
The Wachowski Brothers reunite with their Matrix series collaborators -- visual effects supervisors John Gaeta and Dan Glass -- for Speed Racer, adapted from a colorful Japanese anime cartoon series about an elite group of auto racers. The effects-laden film, shot mostly against greenscreen, captured the anime feel through highly stylized animation and compositing techniques, executed by Digital Domain, BUF Compagnie, Sony Pictures Imageworks, CafeFX and nearly a dozen additional supporting vendors.
Get Smart: Overview: Joe Bauer on Get Smart:
Article by Jody Duncan
Director Peter Segal teams with visual effects supervisor Joe Bauer and special effects supervisor Michael Lantieri to pay homage to the popular 1960s-era TV spy spoof about a bumbling agent and his female sidekick.
The Incredible Hulk: Overview: Kurt Williams on The Incredible Hulk:
Article by Estelle Shay
Marvel Studios and director Louis Leterrier conjure up a fresh cinematic approach and an all-new, more sympathetic Hulk for the latest incarnation of the comic book character, with help from creature designer Aaron Sims and a team of vendors led by visual effects supervisor Kurt Williams.

Issue 113
April/May/June 2008

10,000 B.C.: The First Hero: Director Roland Emmerich resurrects the prehistoric world -- populated with mammoths, saber-tooth tigers and giant terror birds -- in 10,000 B.C. Visual effects supervisor Karen Goulekas engaged Tatopoulos Studios to supply early creature designs, which were later refined and translated into photoreal CG beasts by The Moving Picture Company and Double Negative. Additional contributors included The Senate, Machine FX and a production-side visual effects team. An expansive miniature environment for the film's climax was provided by Magicon. Article by Jody Duncan.
The Spiderwick Chronicles: Fierce Creatures: A young girl and her twin brothers tangle with magical fairy folk who invade their rural New England home in The Spiderwick Chronicles, adapted from the popular childrens' fantasy books by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black. Director Mark Waters called upon Tippett Studio to develop creature concepts, ranging from goblins, trolls and ogres to a tiny brownie guardian of the Spiderwick Estate. The extensive creature animation assignment was shared by Tippett and Industrial Light & Magic. Article by Joe Fordham.
Cloverfield: Ground Zero: In Cloverfield, New Yorkers flee for their lives as a colossal beast of unknown origin destroys the city. Conceived by J.J. Abrams and directed by Matt Reeves, the film put a new spin on the rampaging-monster genre by having all of the action filtered through the shaky lens of a bystander's handheld camcorder. Visual effects supervisors Kevin Blank, Eric Leven and Michael Ellis teamed with special effects coordinator David Waine to oversee the guerrilla-style shoot, while Tippett Studio and Double Negative handled environmental and creature effects. Article by Joe Fordham.
Charlie Wilson's War: Mike Nichols' War: Based on a true story, Charlie Wilson's War recounts the remarkable tale of how a playboy congressman, aided by a wealthy socialite and a renegade CIA agent, waged a secret war against the Soviet Union, leading to its defeat in Afghanistan, and ultimately to its collapse. Working under director Mike Nichols, veteran visual effects supervisor Richard Edlund and a team at Whodoo EFX contributed shots designed to establish the time period, extend location settings and simulate combat action. Article by Jody Duncan.
OVERVIEWS Chas Jarrett on Sweeney Todd: Tim Burton adapts the popular Steven Sondheim stage musical to the big screen in a moodier and more intimate retelling of the macabre tale, enlisting the aid of visual effects supervisor Chas Jarrett and a team at The Moving Picture Company to re-create a squalid Victorian England.
Joel Hynek and Keven Elam on Jumper: In the science fiction adventure Jumper, a teenager discovers the ability to teleport himself instantly to any locale. Jump effects and action sequences spanning the globe necessitated a major visual effects effort involving more than a dozen vendors led by visual effects supervisors Joel Hynek and Kevin Elam.
Greg and Colin Strause on Alien Vs. Predator: Requiem: Brothers Colin and Greg Strause, founders of the visual effects company Hydraulx, discuss the highlights of their career in visual effects, culminating in their recent gig as directors of their first full-length feature film, Alien Vs. Predator: Requiem.

Issue 112
January/February/March 2008

The Golden Compass New Line Cinema returns to large-scale fantasy filmmaking with The Golden Compass, written and directed by Chris Weitz and based on the first book in Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy. Visual effects supervisor Michael L. Fink orchestrated the work of nine companies in creating the film's rich array of magical characters and exotic locales, with lead vendors Rhythm & Hues and Cinesite responsible for the film's signature CG effect - shape-shifting, talking spirit animals known as 'd?mons.' Article by Joe Fordham.
I Am Legend: In I Am Legend, based on a novella by Richard Matheson, a viral plague has transformed the inhabitants of Manhattan into bloodthirsty, carnivorous and preternaturally strong creatures, leaving a lone survivor to fend for himself. Visual effects supervisor Janek Sirrs engaged Sony Pictures Imageworks to handle the effects, which included digitally generating the hordes of infected creatures and creating a post-apocalyptic look for location photography shot in New York. Article by Jody Duncan.
Beowulf: Director Robert Zemeckis re-teams with visual effects supervisor Jerome Chen and Sony Pictures Imageworks to bring the ancient epic tale, Beowulf, to the big screen as an all-CG feature. Expanding on and further refining the groundbreaking performance capture developed for The Polar Express, Chen and his team reached new heights of realism in the creation of the film's synthetic humans, while breathing new life into its fabled beasts, exotic environments and dynamic battle action. Article by Jody Duncan.
OVERVIEWS
Enchanted: 2D characters from an animated fairytale are magically transported to the real world of modern-day New York in the Walt Disney fantasy Enchanted, directed by Kevin Lima, with visual effects by Tippett Studio.
The Mist: For The Mist, adapted from a Stephen King novella, director Frank Darabont and visual effects supervisor Everett Burrell combined full-scale animatronic puppets, maquettes and makeup effects provided by KNB EFX with CG creatures created by CafeFX.
Q&A: Dennis Berardi: Visual effects supervisor Dennis Berardi discusses the work of Toronto-based effects company Mr. X, and the state of the burgeoning visual effects industry in Canada.

Issue 111
October/November/December 2007

Transformers: Bots & Bayhem: Inspired by the immensely popular 1980s-era toy line, director Michael Bay's summer blockbuster, Transformers, re-introduced all the denizens of the much-loved Transformers mythology - including good-guy Autobots and bad-guy Decepticons, disguised as cars, jets, tanks and other machinery. Principal effects house Industrial Light & Magic rose to the challenge of creating the film's sizable contingent of CG robots, animating them to transform and battle each other over the fate of humankind. Additional visual effects support was provided by Digital Domain, with miniature effects by Kerner Optical. Article by Jody Duncan.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: Army of Darkness: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the fifth installment in the blockbuster film franchise based on the bestselling books by J. K. Rowling, reunited key behind-the-scenes creatives from the previous films, including visual effects supervisor Tim Burke and makeup and creature designer Nick Dudman. Joining them, and new director David Yates, was an international team of visual effects vendors charged with creating the colorful array of magical creatures, dark villains, exotic locales and wizarding action audiences have come to expect from the series. Physical effects, including flying rigs and pyrotechnics, were the work of special effects supervisor John Richardson. Article by Joe Fordham.
Stardust: Starstruck: For Stardust, an enchanting tale about a lovelorn hero who falls for a fallen star in the form of a beautiful young woman, director Matthew Vaughn opted for a no-frills, straightforward approach to the movie's slate of fanciful effects involving ghosts, witches and magical realms. Visual effects supervisor Peter Chiang called upon Double Negative and LipSync Post to oversee much of the work, with additional shots distributed among six supporting vendors. Makeup effects were designed by Nik Williams and created by Animated Extras. Article by Jody Duncan.
OVERVIEWS
Tom Wood on Sunshine: A dying sun threatens extinction of all life on earth, necessitating a daring rescue mission to reignite the star in Sunshine, directed by Danny Boyle, with visual effects by The Moving Picture Company.
Evan Jacobs & Patrick Tatopoulos on Resident Evil 3: Refugee survivors of a zombie holocaust, led by a genetically altered soldier, fight back in Resident Evil: Extinction, third in a film series based on the popular shoot-'em-up videogame. Visual effects were provided by Mr. X, makeup effects by Patrick Tatopoulos Studios and miniatures by New Deal Studios.
Q&A: Hoyt Yeatman: Veteran visual effects supervisor and Dream Quest founding partner Hoyt Yeatman expounds on the closure of his company, the vicissitudes of a rapidly-changing industry, and his recent efforts to reinvent himself as both a director and creator of content for motion pictures.

Issue 110
July/August/September 2007

Spider-Man 3: The Enemy Within: With Spider-Man 3, director Sam Raimi returns for the third installment in his blockbuster franchise based on Marvel Comics' famed superhero, this time delving into the darker side of Peter Parker, whose predatory nature emerges after he is exposed to a symbiotic alien virus. Visual effects supervisor Scott Stokdyk tackled the effects assignment, with Sony Pictures Imageworks handling the bulk of the work, while a dozen other vendors contributed. Chief among the challenges were high-octane action scenes featuring a new black-suited Spider-Man and a trio of villains that included Venom, Sandman and Harry Osborn in updated Goblin guise. Special effects were supervised by John Frazier. Article by Jody Duncan.
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End: Into the Maelstrom: Riding the wave of pirate mania generated by their first two films based on the popular Disney theme park attraction, producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Gore Verbinski deliver a spectacular conclusion to their swashbuckling trilogy with Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. Returning visual effects supervisor Charles Gibson and lead effects house Industrial Light & Magic - along with a large contingent of supporting vendors - pull out all the stops, spicing up the requisite sea lore with even more pirate ships, large-scale sea battles, ghostly effects and fantastic environments than the two previous films combined. Miniatures by Kerner Optical and special effects by John Frazier added to the thrills. Article by Joe Fordham.
Children of Men: The Human Project: To create a dystopian near-future England for his critically acclaimed Children of Men, director Alfonso Cuar?n relied on subtle visual effects by Double Negative and Framestore CFC. Double Negative created altered environments and digital blends for a number of intricately choreographed shots running several minutes each, while Framestore CFC created a digital newborn for a pivotal childbirth scene. Physical effects by Paul Corbould and makeup effects by Nick Dudman added to the gritty realism. Article by Joe Fordham.
OVERVIEWS
Eric Durst & Stu Maschwitz on The Last Mizmy: New Line Cinema founder Robert Shaye called upon visual effects supervisor Eric Durst and a contingent of effects vendors headed by The Orphanage to design and create fanciful, yet realistic effects for The Last Mimzy, a metaphysical tale of two children who rescue mankind from a bleak fate with the help of a strange box of futuristic toys.
John Sullivan on Next: For Next, based on a Philip K. Dick story about a man with the ability to see into his own future, visual effects supervisor John Sullivan, digital artists from seven companies, and special effects supervisor Clay Pinney joined forces to realize high-powered actions scenes and a cataclysmic finale.

Issue 109
April/May/June 2007

Ghost Rider: Hell on Wheels: In Ghost Rider, adapted from the Marvel comic, stunt motorcyclist Johnny Blaze strikes a deal with the Devil that transforms him into a fiery skeletal avenger. For the film's array of Hellfire effects, demonic character transformations, phantom materializations and grisly confrontations, director Mark Steven Johnson called upon visual effects supervisor Kevin Mack to oversee the effort, with lead effects house Sony Pictures Imageworks assigned the majority of the Hellfire and Ghost Rider effects, while supporting vendors CafeFX, Digital Dream and Gray Matter tackled the rest. Article by Jody Duncan
300: A Beautiful Death: The Battle of Thermopylae, in which 300 Spartans fought to the death against a massive Persian onslaught in 480 B.C., forms the basis of 300, a big-screen adaptation of the Frank Miller graphic novel loosely based on historical accounts of the incident. As with Sin City, a previous Frank Miller movie adaptation, director Zack Snyder captured Miller's impressionistic style by shooting most of the action against bluescreen and compositing it into computer generated sets and environments. Visual effects supervisor Chris Watts oversaw the digital work involving nearly a dozen vendors, led by Hybride Technologies, Animal Logic and Hydraulx. Article by Joe Fordham
Pan's Labyrinth: Into the Labyrinth: In Pan's Labyrinth, the acclaimed film written, produced and directed by horror mogul Guillermo Del Toro, a young girl, caught up in the brutality of the Spanish Civil War, escapes her grim reality by immersing herself in a gothic fantasy world of her own creation. To realize the myriad strange creatures and magical environments of her fantasy life, Del Toro relied on long-time collaborators DDT Efectos Especiales for makeup and animatronic effects, while visual effects were provided by CafeFX. Article by Joe Fordham
Zodiac: The Streets of San Francisco: Director David Fincher explores the serial killer theme with Zodiac, a chilling cinematic account of the real-life search to find the infamous murderer who terrorized the San Francisco Bay area in the late 1960s and '70s. Seeking historically accurate, era-appropriate environments for the period film, Fincher called upon visual effects artists at Matte World Digital and Digital Domain to provide the desired look, with effects ranging from simple split-screens to all-CG shots. Additional fix-it and cleanup work was provided by a host of independent artists and vendors. Article by Jody Duncan
OVERVIEWS
Ted Rae on Apocalypto: To realize his epic film, Apocalypto, a look into the ancient Mayan civilization, as seen through the eyes of a young hunter on the run from brutal enemies, director Mel Gibson creates an immersive experience enhanced by a full range of effects that included extensive makeup and animatronics, plus miniatures and visual effects contributed by seven vendors.
Rick Baker & Erik Bruhwiler on Norbit: With the help of makeup veteran Rick Baker and visual effects house Digital Dimension, actor Eddie Murphy once again inhabits multiple roles in the DreamWorks comedy Norbit, playing the meek and nerdy Norbit, his 400-pound bully of wife, Rasputia, and an irascible Asian named Mr. Wong.

Issue 108
January/February/March 2007

Casino Royale: Back to Basics: In a break from tradition, Casino Royale, the latest entry in the enduring James Bond series, directed by Martin Campbell, reverts back to the franchise's leaner beginnings, eschewing the fancy gadgetry and slick CG tricks of more recent installments in favor of practical effects, exhilarating stunt work and meatier character development. Special effects supervisor Chris Corbould and stunt coordinator Gary Powell teamed with visual effects supervisor Steven Begg and Peerless Camera Company to handle the requisite high-octane action featuring a new, more intense Bond - Daniel Craig - who, having just earned his stripes as a double-0 agent, falls in love and tangles with terrorists in a plot that spans the globe from Madagascar to Miami. Article by Joe Fordham.
Charlotte's Web: Arachnophilia: Adapted from the children's classic about the unlikely friendship between a barnyard pig and a spider, Charlotte's Web offers up a live-action retelling of the beloved tale, directed by Gary Winick. Visual effects supervisor John Berton invited Rhythm & Hues - whose pioneering use of CG muzzle replacement in Babe made it the go-to company for talking animal effects - to craft an even more sophisticated version of that technique in the service of Wilbur, the talking pig. Tippett Studio and Rising Sun Pictures provided CG character animation for the film's other two protagonists, Charlotte and a rat named Templeton, while other contributors to the project included Digital Pictures Iloura, Fuel and Stan Winston Studio. Article by Jody Duncan.
Eragon: Searching for Saphira: For his debut film, Eragon, based on the best-selling novel about a boy and the sapphire-colored dragon he raises from a hatchling, former visual effects supervisor-turned-director Stefen Fangmeier appealed to former colleagues at Industrial Light & Magic for help in conceiving and animating the CG fantasy creature. When the volume of shots grew in postproduction, additional CG dragon shots were assigned to Weta Digital, with visual effects supervisor Michael McAlister coordinating the work emerging from the two facilities. A variety of non-dragon effects were divvied among eight other facilities, with visual effects supervisor John Van Vliet overseeing the work. Article by Jody Duncan.
OVERVIEWS
Q&A: Rob Legato: Operating out of a home-based visual effects unit set up in his basement, Oscar-winning freelance visual effects supervisor Rob Legato discusses his decision to break away from a studio-based paradigm, as well as his most recent work with Martin Scorsese on The Departed, and Robert De Niro on The Good Shepherd.
Flyboys: Visual effects supervisor Peter Chiang elaborates on the clever use of practical, CG and miniature effects to capture authentic aerial battles for Flyboys - a film about the daring escapades of the Lafayette Escadrille, a combat unit of youthful American pilots who battled German forces in Europe prior to the United States' entry into World War I.
Night at the Museum: A Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton and myriad other exhibits in New York's American Museum of Natural History magically come alive in Night at the Museum. Visual effects supervisor Jim Rygiel and associate producer Ellen Somers examine the challenges of mining the film's fanciful premise for its full comic potential.

Issue 107
October/November/December 2006

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest: Beneath the Barnacles: In Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, a rousing sequel to the immensely popular original, Curse of the Black Pearl, returning director Gore Verbinski once again joins forces with Industrial Light & Magic and a host of supporting visual effects vendors to deliver all-new adventures on the high seas with Captain Jack Sparrow and his cohorts. ILM visual effects supervisor John Knoll, whose work on the original garnered an Academy Award nomination, this time pushes the boundaries of motion capture and CG animation in depicting a tentacled sea monster and legendary pirate Davy Jones and his crew, hideously mutated by an ancient mariner's curse. Other key contributors include conceptual artist Mark 'Crash' McCreery, makeup supervisor Ve Neill and physical effects supervisors Michael Lantieri and Allen Hall. Article by Joe Fordham.
The Fountain: Celestial Alchemy: Exploring metaphysical themes of life, death and rebirth interwoven in a narrative that spans past, present and future, The Fountain follows one man's quest for the Fountain of Youth and eternal life. Writer/director Darren Aronofsky, who favored a traditional optical approach over CG, called upon visual effects designers Dan Schrecker and Jeremy Dawson to oversee the effects work, which ranged from ancient Mayan battles to a futuristic starship's exploration of uncharted space. Heading up the roster of visual effects vendors was Intelligent Creatures, a Toronto-based company assigned the majority of shots, many of them featuring spectacular cosmic vistas derived from macrophotographic imagery. Zero-gravity rigs and other practical effects were the work of Les Productions de l'Intrigue. Article by Joe Fordham.
Flags of our Fathers: One for All Time: The iconographic photograph of six young soldiers raising the American flag during World War II's bloody battle of Iwo Jima serves as the focal point of Flags of our Fathers, director Clint Eastwood's latest film, based on the bestselling nonfiction book by James Bradley. Production visual effects supervisor Michael Owens and a team of artists at Digital Domain were challenged to re-create the famous battle and flag-raising, as well as views of 1940s-era New York and other period settings for scenes of the surviving soldiers on a cross-country tour to promote the sale of war bonds. Seeking a gritty photorealism, digital artists augmented live-action, shot mostly in Iceland, with everything from CG environments and set extensions, to virtual ships and assorted atmospheric effects. Article by Jody Duncan.
OVERVIEWS
World Trade Center: Visual effects supervisor John Scheele discusses the challenges inherent in simulating the horrific events of September 11, 2001 for Oliver Stone's World Trade Center, a recounting of the nation's worst terrorist attack as seen through the eyes of two New York Port Authority police officers, buried and later rescued from the rubble of the twin towers.
Lady in the Water: For Lady in the Water, a scary bedtime tale adapted to the big screen by writer/director M. Night Shyamalan, creature effects supervisor Mike Elizalde of Spectral Motion and visual effects supervisor Ed Hirsh of Industrial Light & Magic share their approach to the design and creation of the story's array of mythical creatures.
A Scanner Darkly: Lead animator Sterling Allen elaborates on the novel technique of digitally rotoscoping live-action performances to achieve the uniquely stylized, yet realistic look of Richard Linklater's all-animated film, A Scanner Darkly.

Issue 106
July/August/September 2006

X-Men: The Last Stand: Dark Phoenix Rising: The X-Men and their mutant adversaries once again come to blows -- this time over thorny ethical issues -- in X-Men: The Last Stand, the third installment in the popular film franchise based on the Marvel Comics series. Faced with a breakneck schedule and a heavy slate of effects, visual effects supervisor John Bruno opted for an in-camera approach whenever possible, relying heavily on practical makeups designed and executed by Spectral Motion for lead mutants - several of them new to the story - and special effects by Mike Vezina. Innovative visual effects - some 900 of them mandated by the ambitious storyline, were distributed among ten vendors from around the globe. Article by Jody Duncan.
Superman Returns: A Hero's Return: In Superman Returns, D.C. Comics' venerable superhero returns to the screen after an absence of nearly twenty years. Director Bryan Singer and newcomer Brandon Routh as the 'Man of Steel' breathe fresh life into the series with the help of physical effects supervisor Neil Corbould, stunt coordinator R.A. Rondell and visual effects supervisor Mark Stetson. Lead effects house Sony Pictures Imageworks and a host of other vendors spread across three continents contributed everything from digital set extensions and atmospherics to fully synthetic environments and CG stunt doubles for the film's exhilarating actions scenes. Article by Joe Fordham.
Poseidon: Wipeout: For Poseidon, an update on the classic 1970s disaster film The Poseidon Adventure, director Wolfgang Petersen traded models and in-camera effects for sophisticated digital imagery to tell the tale of a small band of survivors who attempt a perilous climb out of a giant cruise ship overturned by a rogue wave. Visual effects supervisor Boyd Shermis challenged Industrial Light & Magic to push the boundaries of digital model complexity and fluid dynamics in the creation of an all-synthetic ship, rogue wave and ocean environments. Interior scenes of mayhem were the work of Giant Killer Robots, The Moving Picture Company, CIS Hollywood, Hydraulx, and a handful of other vendors. John Frazier handled practical effects. Article by Jody Duncan.
OVERVIEWS
V for Vendetta: Coming off the Matrix films and Batman Begins, visual effects supervisor Dan Glass discusses the challenges of working on the smaller-scale V for Vendetta, a thriller based on an Alan Moore graphic novel about a masked vigilante in a near-future society, chafing under the rigid rule of a fascist regime.
The Da Vinci Code: For the much anticipated film version of The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown's best-selling and controversial thriller steeped in unorthodox religious ideology, visual effects supervisor Angus Bickerton reveals the methods used to achieve a seamless blend of effects involving real-life ecclesiastical settings that were off-limits to the film crew, and a series of historical flashbacks key to the movie's complex narrative.

Issue 105
April/May/June 2006

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: Dark Lord Rising: For Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, the fourth installment in the film franchise based on J.K. Rowling's acclaimed children's book series, visual effects supervisor Jim Mitchell oversaw the creation of all-new fantasy characters and environments as a teenage Harry tests his mettle in the Triwizard Tournament. Special effects supervisor John Richardson, creature supervisor Nick Dudman, and an international team of visual effects vendors - the largest ever since the series began - joined forces to bring Rowling's increasingly mature themes to fruition. Article by Joe Fordham.
All Sixty: A Cinefex Forum on Effects in Television: In another of its 'roundtable forums,' Cinefex explores the role of makeup and visual effects in episodic television, where the affordability and accessibility of high-end digital tools and viewers' rising expectations have resulted in greater demand for sophisticated imagery. Ten artists currently working in the medium share their insights and views on the subject, elaborating on the unique challenges of practicing their craft in an environment famous for its tight budgets and grueling schedules. Article by Jody Duncan.
TV x 3: Cinefex goes behind the scenes of three of television's most popular effects-driven shows. In ABC TV's Lost, supervisor Kevin Blank relies on a blend of practical and visual effects to unveil the mysteries of a deserted island where survivors of a plane crash find themselves marooned; in the Sci-Fi Channel's resurrected space saga Battlestar Galactica, visual effects supervisor Gary Hutzel and Zoic Studios update the series for modern audiences, delivering all-new ships, space battles and alien planet environments; and in NBC's Surface, visual effects supervisor Mitch Suskin enlists Eden FX to create the fantasy series' strange leviathan sea creatures and an evolving baby sea monster hatchling. Article by Joe Fordham.
OVERVIEWS
The Shaggy Dog: Visual effects supervisor Stephen Rosenbaum expounds on the efforts of Tippett Studio and CIS Hollywood to sell the comic premise of a man morphing into a dog in this remake of the Disney comedy classic, The Shaggy Dog.
Casanova: For the period film Casanova, a comic take on the life and loves of the infamous 18th-century rake, visual effects supervisors Syd Dutton and Bill Taylor of Illusion Arts discuss their methods of turning the clock back 200 years on modern-day Venice.
Zathura: Joe Bauer, visual effects supervisor on Zathura, reveals the seamless meld of practical and digital effects used to depict the bizarre adventures of two young brothers who discover an old board game in their attic that has the power to send them spinning off into the galaxy.

Issue 104
January/February/March 2006

King Kong: One of the most beloved fantasy adventures of all time returns to the big screen in director Peter Jackson's adaptation of the 1933 film classic about a giant ape who reigns over an island of prehistoric beasts, but who falls for a winsome blonde and is transported to civilization for an epic rampage through the streets of New York. Jackson's longtime dream project, and his first film since completing The Lord of the Rings trilogy, King Kong comes alive through the efforts of Jackson's own Oscar-winning effects companies, Weta Digital and Weta Workshop in New Zealand.
The Chronicles of Narnia: Several generations of children and adults have been captivated by C.S. Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia, about four young children who step into an enchanted wardrobe and find themselves in the frozen land of Narnia, inhabited by witches, fauns and other magical beasts. Now, director Andrew Adamson, drawing upon the talents of three top visual effects companies (Industrial Light & Magic, Sony Pictures Imageworks and Rhythm & Hues), brings to film the first installment of the Narnia series, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
The Legend of Zorro: Visual effects supervisor Pete Kozachik dissects the stop-motion animation and visual effects in Tim Burton's The Corpse Bride. Visual effects supervisor Michael Shelton discusses the subtle, but creepy, digital makeup employed in The Exorcism of Emily Rose. And visual effects supervisor Kent Houston talks about exploding trains and other effects in the rollicking sequel, The Legend of Zorro.

Issue 103
October/November/December 2005

War of the Worlds: Alien Apocalypse: In War of the Worlds, a gritty, contemporary retelling of the 1950s George Pal film, adapted from the novel by H.G. Wells, director Steven Spielberg reunites with longtime collaborators at Industrial Light & Magic and actor/producer Tom Cruise to put a modern spin on the classic alien invasion story, told from a more intimate point of view. Working at breakneck speed to accommodate a compressed shooting and postproduction schedule, ILM crews, under senior visual effects supervisor Dennis Muren and visual effects supervisor Pablo Helman, took advantage of upgraded digital tools and a revamped pipeline to produce the fearsome army of extraterrestrial tripod war machines intent on destroying the world. Article by Joe Fordham
Batman Begins: Starting Over: Following an eight-year hiatus, D.C. Comics' masked crusader returns to the big screen in Batman Begins, directed by Christopher Nolan. For the newest installment, which traces the traumatic events of Wayne's childhood and his early adulthood as a means of exploring the psychological underpinnings of a superhero, Nolan rooted the film in a real-world sensibility that serves as a counterpoint to its comic book origins. Dan Glass and Janek Sirrs headed up the visual effects work, which included elaborate miniatures by Cutting Edge and Steve Begg, and digital effects by Double Negative, The Moving Picture Company and Buf Compagnie. Chris Corbould supervised the film's extensive physical effects, including a radically remodeled Batmobile. Article by Joe Fordham
Stealth: Gamer Cool: Director Rob Cohen once again demonstrates his penchant for visceral displays of speed in Stealth, a cautionary tale of technology run amuck in a not-too-distant-future where computer-controlled drone fighter jets are used in combat. For thrilling aerial scenes involving the drone and a fleet of futuristic stealth bombers, Cohen turned to a Digital Domain crew headed by visual effects supervisor Joel Hynek, tasked with creating digital planes and environments, as well as a host of miniature effects for the film. Physical effects supervisor John Frazier led the practical work, which included construction of an elaborate hydraulic gimbal enabling Cohen to shoot his actors in dynamically moving cockpits. Article by Jody Duncan
OVERVIEWS
Visual effects supervisor Kurt Williams discusses makeup and visual effects employed by a dozen vendors to create the superheroes and villains for director Tim Story's film adaptation of the Marvel Comics favorite, Fantastic Four.
Industrial Light & Magic visual effects supervisor Eric Brevig reteams with director Michael Bay to create futuristic effects for The Island, about two members of a clone community who discover that they have been bred and raised as involuntary organ donors.
Visual effects supervisor Nick Davis delves into the creation of Oompa Loompas and a fanciful candy factory for director Tim Burton's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Visual effects supervisor John Van Vliet goes behind-the-scenes with a discussion of the physical and visual effects needed to manufacture a Volkswagen with a mind of its own in Herbie: Fully Loaded.

Issue 102
July/August/September 2005

Star Wars Episode III Revenge Of The Sith: All the visual effects firepower of Industrial Light & Magic was applied to complete the final installment of the second Star Wars trilogy, in which writer-director George Lucas chronicles Anakin Skywalker's surrender to the dark side of the Force and the fall of the Galactic Republic.
Sin City: Maverick filmmaker Robert Rodriguez shares directing credit with Frank Miller in a cinematic adaptation of Miller's graphic novels about police officials hunting a street fighter on a rampage of violence. Makeup artists at KNB EFX and visual effects artists at Hybride and The Orphanage contributed to the film's future-noir look.
The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy: Jim Henson's Creature Shop and the visual effects team at Cinesite apply their talents to the long-awaited big-screen adaptation of Douglas Adam's comic radio show and novel about a bewildered earthling stranded after the destruction of his home planet.
Constantine: Alan Moore's graphic novel, about a world-weary investigator of supernatural mysteries prone to walking a thin line between good and evil, is brought to the screen by director Francis Lawrence. Visual effects supervisor Michael Fink oversaw an assemblage of nine effects companies to bring the effects extravaganza to fruition.

Issue 101
April/May/June 2005

State of the Business: A Cinefex 25th Anniversary Forum: Cinefex continues its visual effects forum, begun in Issue 100 as a 'roundtable discussion' on the state of the art. This time around, some 35 industry luminaries share their experiences and insights into the highly volatile nature of visual effects as a business. Their entertaining and often brutally frank assessments of the challenges they have encountered in the past and envision for the future are accompanied by cartoons from the portfolio of freelance visual effects supervisor John Van Vliet, whose witty observations on life in the visual effects trenches have earned him a devoted following. Article by Jody Duncan.
The Aviator: Angels and Demons: Exploring the untapped early years of famed aviator and industrialist Howard Hughes in The Aviator, director Martin Scorsese called upon Oscar-winning visual effects supervisor Rob Legato to oversee effects that involved the re-creation of historic aircraft and the reenactment of thrilling aerial sequences through a blending of contemporary digital technology with old-school in-camera filmmaking techniques. Heading up the digital work was Sony Pictures Imageworks and a handful of ancillary vendors, while miniatures were the purview of New Deal Studios, and full-scale effects were provided by special effects supervisor R. Bruce Steinheimer. Article by Joe Fordham.
Son of the Mask: Acme Effects: In a zany sequel to The Mask, the 1994 comedy hit that provided fertile ground for the comic contortions of actor Jim Carrey, Son of the Mask introduces an all-new plot and cast of characters, whose encounters with the transformative Mask wreak havoc on their household. Director Lawrence Guterman, in search of Chuck Jones-inspired animation and a classic cartoon aesthetic, turned to visual effects supervisor Jamie Price, and a team that included special effects supervisor Brian Cox, makeup effects and animatronics artists at Captive Audience Productions and animators at Tippett Studio, Industrial Light & Magic and nearly a dozen other digital vendors. Article by Joe Fordham.

Issue 100
January/February/March 2005

State of the Art: A Cinefex 25th Anniversary Forum: Cinefex marks the occasion of its 100th issue with a probing 'roundtable' discussion of the past, present and future of visual effects by more than 50 of the industry's leading effects practitioners. Filled with insightful observations from those who have been in the trenches, pushing effects technology to new and dazzling heights over the years, the article also offers color reproductions of every Cinefex cover to date. Edited by Jody Duncan. Interviews by Don Shay & Joe Fordham.
The Polar Express: A Dream of Christmas: For his adaption of the award-winning children's book by Chris Van Allsburg, about a young boy who embarks on a journey to the North Pole on a phantom locomotive, director Robert Zemeckis pulls out all the stops in The Polar Express. Entirely computer generated, the film relies on new and innovative techniques in performance capture and rendering to retain the charm and artistic vision of Van Allsburg's classic tale. Spearheading the effort were Oscar-winning visual effects veteran Ken Ralston and supervisor Jerome Chen, working with a team at Sony Pictures Imageworks. Article by Joe Fordham.
Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events: A Series of Persnickety Effects: Trouble looms around every corner for the Baudelaire orphans in Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, directed by Brad Silberling and based on the first three installments in the immensely popular children's book series. Industrial Light & Magic led the visual effects effort, providing some 500 shots for the production that ranged from digital matte paintings and models of the Baudelaire mansion to a CG version of the youngest Baudelaire, baby Sunny. Makeups for Jim Carrey as the evil Count Olaf, whose schemes to claim the orphans' inheritance entail an elaborate series of disguises, were designed and implemented by Bill Corso. Article by Jody Duncan.

Issue 99
October/November/December 2004

Alien Vs. Predator: Predator and Prey: In an ancient pyramid beneath the Antarctic ice shelf, iconic monsters from two celebrated film franchises battle each other and a team of hapless scientists in director Paul W.S. Anderson's science fiction thriller, Alien Vs. Predator. Practical creature effects for the Prague-based production were created by Alec Gillis and Tom Woodruff Jr. of Amalgamated Dynamics Incorporated, while visual effects supervisor John Bruno directed the work of five English and Czech effects houses, which together produced nearly 500 visual effects shots in only three months. Article by Jody Duncan.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban: Something Wicked This Way Comes: With a new director at the helm -- Alfonso Cuaron -- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban rejoins the young wizard-in-training as he returns for his third year at Hogwarts amid concerns that he is being stalked by an infamous murderer who has escaped from prison. Providing massive effects support to the third film based on J.K. Rowling's bestselling novels were series regulars including special effects supervisor John Richardson, creature and makeup effects designer Nick Dudman, and eight visual effects houses under the supervision of Roger Guyett and Tim Burke. Article by Joe Fordham.
Spider-Man 2: Armed and Dangerous: Reluctant superhero Peter Parker, yearning for a normal life, continues to pine for Mary Jane Watson while attending college and battling a new adversary in the form of Doc Ock, a fiendish genius with mechanical tentacles fused to his body. Enlisted by returning director Sam Raimi to provide digital effects for Spider-Man 2 were visual effects designer John Dykstra and the team at Sony Pictures Imageworks. Providing on-set animatronics for the production was animatronic supervisor Steve Johnson and his Edge FX company. Article by Joe Fordham.
I, Robot: Ghosts in the Machine: As the world's most advanced domestic robot is about to undergo mass distribution, one of them is accused of murdering a human in apparent violation of the immutable Thee Laws of Robotics. Actor Will Smith plays a detective assigned to the case in director Alex Proyas' near-future film, I, Robot, based on Isaac Asimov's classic short story collection. Supplying computer generated robots and futuristic environments were visual effects crews at Digital Domain and Weta Digital. Article by Jody Duncan.

Issue 98
July/August/September 2004

Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow: Brave New World: Written and directed by first-time filmmaker Kerry Conran, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow is a stylized and imaginative spin on the old Republic serials, achieved via an unorthodox approach to effects filmmaking. With remarkable result, artists at World of Tomorrow, the production's own effects company established to handle the task -- and aided by more than a dozen visual effects subcontractors -- relied exclusively on bluescreened performances by the film's principal actors, composited into backgrounds constructed entirely from digital models, photographic and archival material. Article by Joe Fordham.
Troy: Bronze Age Ballistics: In his epic film Troy, loosely adapted from Homer's The Iliad, director Wolfgang Petersen called upon effects artists across three continents to re-create the fabled city and depict its subsequent destruction. Led by visual effects supervisor Nick Davis, physical effects supervisor Joss Williams and makeup effects supervisor Daniel Parker, artists conjured expansive views of ancient cities, complex battle scenes involving thousands of warriors, and the arrival of the massive Greek armada -- a feat made possible through the clever combination of live-action and innovative digital technology. Article by Joe Fordham.
The Day After Tomorrow: Freeze Frames: When global warming causes a sudden catastrophic climate shift, storms, floods, tornadoes and other extreme weather phenomena are unleashed upon earth's inhabitants in director Roland Emmerich's disaster film, The Day After Tomorrow. Visual effects supervisor Karen Goulekas commanded a veritable army of effects companies and artists charged with using modern digital technology to depict the calamitous conditions and wholesale destruction of cities and recognizable landmarks with frightening reality. Article by Jody Duncan.
Van Helsing: Man Made Monsters: Serving up a smorgasbord of creatures in homage to the Universal horror films of old, Van Helsing resurrects Dracula, Frankenstein's monster and the Wolf Man, among others, to battle the venerated vampire killer of the film's title. Principal effects vendors Industrial Light & Magic and Illusion Arts - along with a dozen other companies -- provided director Stephen Sommers with creature designs and character animations, as well as digitally derived 19th-century Transylvania locales, while Captive Audience Productions tackled special makeup effects. Article by Jody Duncan.

Issue 97
April/May/June 2004

Q&A: Phil Tippett: In an exclusive interview, Oscar-winning visual effects maestro Phil Tippett, founder of Tippett Studio -- one of the industry's top-rated computer animation facilities -- discusses his recent foray into film directing, with Starship Troopers 2, and the remarkable 27-year career that has carried him from stop-motion animation in Star Wars to go-motion in Dragonslayer to 3D character animation in Jurassic Park and beyond. Interview by Joe Fordham.
The Passion of the Christ: Passion Play: Unflinching in its depiction of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, Mel Gibson's controversial film, The Passion of the Christ, presents the horror of the event like no other. To realize his vision, Gibson chose makeup effects creator Keith Vanderlaan and his company, Captive Audience, to handle all of the film's effects work, marking the facility's debut as a full-service shop. The result was a deft blending of makeup and animatronics with sophisticated digital effects to deliver shockingly realistic images in the service of Gibson's gritty interpretation. Article by Jody Duncan.
Matte World Digital: A Company of Artists: Having transitioned successfully from traditional matte painting to the digital backlot approach used in modern filmmaking, Matte World Digital is one of a handful of companies to survive the swift technological advances in the visual effects industry over the past decade. Co-founder Craig Barron details the company's efforts to stay at the forefront of the digital revolution and its impact on his craft, as canvasses and bushes gave way to computer workstations and sophisticated software tools. Article by Jody Duncan.
Hellboy: To Hell and Back: Based on the graphic novels of Mike Mignola, Hellboy features the demon head of an occult crimefighting team gathered to counter the forces of evil. Charged with delivering the effects-heavy film on a modest budget, director Guillermo del Toro relied heavily on practical effects by Nick Allder and makeup and animatronics by Cinovation Studio, Spectral Motion and DDT Efectos Especiales. Complementing the practical effects were some 800 visual effects shots featuring miniatures, CG environments and character animation, with visual effects supervisor Edward Irastorza and principal vendors Tippett Studio and The Orphanage leading the effort. Article by Joe Fordham.
The Matrix Revolutions: Heavy Metal: The Matrix Revolutions -- the final installment in the Wachowski Brothers' post-apocalyptic trilogy -- marked the close of a four-year odyssey for visual effects supervisor John Gaeta and ESC Entertainment, the company formed to lead the visual effects effort for both sequels. Working with effects vendors and physical and miniature effects teams in the U.S. and abroad, Gaeta and his collaborators devised new virtual technologies, and in Revolutions, capitalized on those advances to deliver stunning scenes of the machine world's final war against humanity. Article by Joe Fordham.

Issue 96
January/February/March 2004

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King: Journey's End: In The Return of the King, the stirring finale to New Zealand filmmaker Peter Jackson's acclaimed adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, the director pulls out all the stops, bringing the epic fantasy to its long-awaited conclusion. Once again, Jackson's homegrown effects facilities, Weta Digital and Weta Workshop, faced daunting challenges in creating more creatures, more environments and even greater epic battles. Chief among the accomplishments were the depictions of Shelob, Gollum and a host of other fantasy CG characters, the super battle at Pelennor Fields, the majesty of Minas Tirith and the final assault on Mount Doom. Article by Joe Fordham
Q&A: Peter Jackson: In an exclusive interview, Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson reflects on the odyssey of the past eight years that has taken him from relative obscurity to world-class status. Included are insights into Jackson's philosophic and creative choices in adapting Tolkien's material, as well as his approach to the increasingly sophisticated visual effects challenges inherent in the final epic installment. Interview by Joe Fordham
Master and Commander: Victory at Sea: A rousing tale of adventure based on the seafaring novels of Patrick O'Brian, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World depicts life aboard an early nineteenth-century British sailing vessel navigating the dangerous seas of the Napoleonic era. Determined to capture the same degree of historically accurate detail as the novels, director Peter Weir called upon visual effects supervisors Nathan McGuinness of Asylum and Stefen Fangmeier of Industrial Light & Magic to oversee visual effects, which were used in combination with full-scale ship replicas and miniatures to recreate two major ship-to-ship battles and a raging storm at sea. Article by Jody Duncan
Peter Pan: New Toys for Lost Boys: A perennial favorite, Peter Pan has seen many incarnations on both stage and screen during the hundred years since J. M. Barrie first penned his children's tale of perpetual youth in Never Never Land. In the latest film adaptation, director P. J. Hogan takes advantage of modern visual effects technology to bring a live-action Peter Pan to the screen, heightening the story's magical elements with the use of sophisticated flying rigs by special effects supervisor Clay Pinney and visual effects by artists at Industrial Light & Magic, Digital Domain and Sony Pictures Imageworks, who brought to bear all of their tools and talents in the service of the story's fantasy settings and characters. Article by Jody Duncan

Issue 95
October/November/December 2003

Seabiscuit: Photo Finish: Written and directed by Gary Ross, and adapted from the Laura Hillenbrand best-selling book, Seabiscuit recounts the legendary rise of America's favorite Depression-era racehorse. To achieve dynamic race scenes set on authentic-looking period tracks, Ross relied heavily on live-action camera work aided by Michael Lantieri's practical effects, while visual effects supervisor Richard Hoover oversaw digital effects in some 240 shots provided by Sony Pictures Imageworks, Pixel Playground, The Orphanage and New Deal Studios. Article by Jody Duncan
Spy Kids 3D: Game Over: Comin' at Ya! Maverick filmmaker Robert Rodriguez, whose credo of low-budget filmmaking was put to the test in the immensely popular Spy Kids series, offers up a third eye-popping installment in the franchise - Spy Kids 3D: Game Over. Having shot the film in digital video and anaglyphic stereo, Rodriguez - who wore many hats including that of visual effects supervisor -- worked with an array of vendors to produce some 850 effects shots, most rendered twice for stereoscopic effect. Article by Joe Fordham
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines: Winds of War: In Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, director Jonathan Mostow picks up the reins of James Cameron's futuristic tale, introduced in his breakout film The Terminator and revisited in the sequel, Terminator 2: Judgment Day. Back for a return engagement are the film's star, Arnold Schwarzenegger, as well as creature creator Stan Winston and the maestros of Industrial Light & Magic, who pushed the saga to new heights with a powerful blend of cutting-edge animatronics and digital technology used to depict the Terminator and an even deadlier threat from the future - a T-X female cyborg. Article by Barbara Robertson
The Matrix Reloaded: Neo Realism: Delivering the first of two sequels to their 1999 hit, The Matrix, which took audiences by storm with its tale of alternate realities, the Wachowski Brothers are back with The Matrix Reloaded. This time, returning visual effects supervisor John Gaeta and an international array of visual effects vendors -- led by ESC Entertainment -- advanced synthetic imaging techniques and motion capture technology. The results are virtual-world visuals that defy description and action scenes whose complex choreography and camera work reflect a total liberation from real-world constraints. Article by Joe Fordham

Issue 94
July/August/September 2003

The Hulk: Green Destiny: From the pages of Marvel Comics through a popular eighties television series and several movies-of-the-week, the Hulk has endured as one of the most memorable characters of its genre. However, his big-screen debut in The Hulk, directed by Ang Lee, promises to be his most impressive, thanks to the work of award winning visual effects supervisor Dennis Muren and a team at Industrial Light & Magic, who were charged with bringing the green-skinned behemoth to life as an entirely computer generated character. Article by Joe Fordham
X-Men United: Generation X2: The reluctant heroes and singular villains of X-Men, a film based on the popular Marvel Comics series, are back for a return engagement in the sequel, X2: X-Men United -- this time accompanied by a new generation of 'X-kids.' Also returning to the fold was visual effects supervisor Michael L. Fink and many of the original film's effects artisans, who tackled the sequel's more ambitious workload - new and improved looks for returning characters, the fleshing out of new characters and the execution of several spectacular action sequences. Article by Brad Munson
The Core: Innerspace: A subterranean odyssey undertaken by terranauts to save the earth from destructive magnetic forces is the focus of The Core, directed by Jon Amiel. To realize the film's fantastic premise -- which included an exploration of the earth's core by the terranauts in an experimental vessel, as well as a series of spectacular natural disturbances that rock the earth's inhabitants above-ground -- visual effects supervisor Gregory McMurry relied on an international contingent of effects vendors and a panoply of effects techniques. Article by Joe Fordham

Issue 93
April/May/June 2003

Adaptation: Twin Geeks: Witty, imaginative and highly unorthodox, Adaptation, directed by Spike Jonze, pits the film's real-life screenwriter Charlie Kaufman against his fictional twin brother, Donald - both portrayed by Nicolas Cage -- as the two go head-to-head in a comical search for artistic truth and familial redemption. Twinning and other effects were the work of visual effects supervisor Gray Marshall and his Gray Matter FX team, while makeup artists Joel Harlow and Kevin Yagher provided facial and body prosthetics. Article by Joe Fordham
Daredevil: Blind Justice: Continuing the tradition of comic book characters making the leap from panel to screen, Daredevil follows the crimefighting adventures of vigilante lawyer Matt Murdock, whose heightened sensory powers are a by-product of a freak accident in childhood that blinded him. Director Mark Steven Johnson called upon visual effects supervisor Rich Thorne and principal vendors Rhythm & Hues, Digital Domain and Pixel Magic to render his superhero's antics, making extensive use of digital doubles in combination with practical effects and live-action stuntwork. Article by Joe Fordham
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets: When Harry Met Dobby: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the second in a series of films based on J.K. Rowling's popular children's books, serves up more of everything - more effects, more complex action and environments, more 3D creature work. Reuniting for the sequel were director Chris Columbus and many of the first film's core effects contributors, including special effects supervisor John Richardson, creature creator Nick Dudman and London-based vendors Mill Film, The Moving Picture Company, Cinesite and Framestore CFC. Leading the visual effects effort was Jim Mitchell of Industrial Light & Magic. Article by Barbara Robertson
Star Trek Nemesis: Through a Glass Darkly: Following a lengthy hiatus, Paramount Pictures' most enduring film franchise returns with Star Trek Nemesis, the tenth installment in the series and fourth based on the Emmy-winning Next Generation television show. First-time Trek director Stuart Baird challenged veteran production personnel such as makeup head Michael Westmore and production designer Herman Zimmerman, as well as Trek rookie Mark Forker -- who headed the visual effects team at Digital Domain -- to infuse the show with a fresh perspective. Article by Bill Norton

All magazine covers are copyrighted by their publishers. No rights are given or implied. They are presented here for their historical significance and the edification of magazine fans and collectors, everywhere.
By using moviemags.com you agree to its Cookies Use. Only Google cookies are used, for analytics reports.