The Illusions of Flight: Behind the Scenes of Hollywood’s Aviation Classics (Presented by Ben Burtt and Craig Barron)

"Oscar®-winning visual effects supervisor Craig Barron and Oscar-winning sound designer Ben Burtt will explore the side-by-side advances in filmmaking technology and aviation at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ four-evening series “Hollywood Takes to the Air” beginning on Thursday, August 14, at 7 p.m. at the Linwood Dunn Theater in Hollywood." via FIN




// Hollywood Takes To The Air via Oscars











Here's an interview from 2012 with Craig Barron and Ben Burtt talking about film history and the legacy of filmmaking.

Making of Logan's Run

Also check out this great article about matte painter Matthew Yuricich over on the Matte Shot blog:

// Matt's Mattes: a photo tribute to the career of Matthew J.Yuricich

2001: A Space Odyssey - The Making Of A Myth

Ray Harryhausen Q & A at Will Vinton Studios (1992)

Interview with Harrison Ellenshaw

Here are two great interviews with matte painting legend Harrison Ellenshaw. The first interview 'Harrison Ellenshaw reveal all' is quite in-depth and covers a broad range of Harrison's career as well as his father's (Peter Ellenshaw).









// Harrison Ellenshaw reveals all.... via Matte Shot blog







Also check out:
// Peter Ellenshaw - Art of Matte Painting

Kickstarter Project: Digitize EVERY issue of Cinefex!

Now here is a Kickstarter project worth supporting!


// Kickstarter: Cinefex Classic Collection

BOOK: 1970 The Making of Kubrick’s 2001

  The Making of Kubricks 2001

via SlashFilm

RIP Ray Harryhausen

Amazing artist, animator, and filmmaker.  A legend in his own time. He will be missed.














The Harryhausen Chronicles (1998)

Making of 'RoboCop' (1987)

Q&A with Paul Verhoeven (Night Visions Film Festival 2012)

Star Trek II - Wrath Of Khan: Visual Effects Featurette

More on the Making of Star Trek here

Blade Runner Convention Reel (1982)

'One of the Blade Runner Convention Reels featuring interviews with Ridley Scott, Syd Mead and Douglas Trumbull about making Blade Runner universe. This 16 mm featurette, made by M. K. Productions in 1982, is specifically designed to circulate through the country's various horror, fantasy and science fiction conventions.'

The Making of 'Terminator 2'

Longer extended version
The vid is located here if it's not playing properly Making of Terminator 2

Interview with VFX Supervisor Ken Ralston

/pic from 1981 production of Dragon Slayer/

Star Wars: The Legacy Revealed (2007)

Star Wars: The Legacy Revealed is a documentary about the impact the original 1977 Star Wars film has had upon society and filmmaking, with a focus on the place of the series in the continuum of cultural mythology. via wikia

Dennis Lowe's 'Alien Makers'

Long time special effects / visual effects artist and supervisor Dennis Lowe has an amazing website that showcases dozens of his professional and personal projects. His 'Alien Makers' series has been around for while now and is a real treat for those of you who haven't seen them yet. Also be sure to check out the extensive gallery of images from the making of 'Alien'.


// Alien Image Gallery 
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

// ALIEN MAKERS I

// ALIEN MAKERS II





// ALIEN MAKERS IV




Also checkout

// RESTORING THE 'NOSTROMO' 

Albert Whitlock VES Tribute

//  Albert Whitlock VES Tribute via Making FX

The highlight reel below was put together by Craig Barron VFX Supervisor and founder of Matte World Digital. 

Harrison Ellenshaw : VFX of 'TRON' (1982)

Left to right: TRON producer Donald Kushner, associate producer & co-supervisor of SFX, Harrison Ellenshaw and co-supervisor of SFX Richard Taylor.

A Trip to Mars (1910)

Produced by the Edison Manufacturing Company in 1910 'A Trip To Mars' is one of the earliest American scifi films. It's short and worth a watch or at least a scrub through. The martian is particularity interesting.

Synopsis: After inventing an anti-gravity powder, a man uses it on himself to propel himself to Mars.

Scott Feinberg Interviews VFX Supervisor Joe Letteri

Here Scott Feinberg interviews Joe Letteri about his career and most recently Weta's work on Rise of the Planet of the Apes. It's interesting how Letteri doesn't talk about the importance of animation to performance capture but focuses on the technical aspects that go into creating a performance. At the 21:00 mark Letteri talks about the possibility of a mocap performance receiving an Oscar nomination. Also, at 30:55 he briefly talks about 'the uncanny valley'.

The Making of 'Silent Running' (1972)

Part 1

 Part 2

 Part 3

 Part 4

 Part 5