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Visual effects and animation journalist Ian Failes

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Recent Posts

  • Announcing ‘befores & afters’
  • A new VR animation tool, for first-timers
  • LEGO Movie 2 at 3D Artist
  • Inside the fx of Bird Box
  • New 3D World has Alita, DNEG and more

Retro VFX: The tech of Terminator 2

An oral history with ILMers behind the CGI.

The social (VFX) lives of Hollywood

Behind the scenes vfx pics posted by the stars

Retro VFX: Contact

The famous mirror shot in ‘Contact’ was almost something else entirely

Retro VFX: Men in Black

‘Men in Black’ and its crazy collection of real and CG creatures

Retro VFX: Batman & Robin

The forgotten freeze-frame moments from the film

Retro VFX: Predator

Optical compositing, thermal cameras and *that* red suit

Retro VFX: The Mummy

Re-visit the digital make-up, mocap and other VFX innovations from the 1999 film

RETRO VFX: The Lost World

Animation director Randal M. Dutra reflects on those early days of the digital age

Retro VFX: The Fifth Element

Multi pass and motion control: re-visiting the VFX of 'The Fifth Element'

Retro VFX: Terminator 2

Full liquid metal, now in 3D: re-visiting the freakin’ T-1000 walking out of the fiery truck crash
Full liquid metal, now in 3D: re-visiting the freakin’ T-1000 walking out of the fiery truck crash

Retro VFX: Dante’s Peak

The race to finish Dante’s Peak...20 years ago

Retro VFX: CG Jabba

You’re a wonderful human being: re-visiting CG Jabba 20 years later

Retro VFX: Mars Attacks!

Behind the ILM Mars Attacks! tests that convinced Tim Burton to go CG

Retro VFX: Twister

It’s been 20 years since ‘Twister’ brought us that flying cow

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Masters of FX

My book featuring 16 of the world's best vfx supervisors is available at Amazon.com

Tag: syfy

Making The Tick tick

Syfy_TheTick

I talked to FuseFX about their vfx for The Tick. This is a fun show, and that also meant: fun vfx. Read it at SYFY WIRE.

Posted on November 30, 2017Categories UncategorizedTags syfy

The new bullet time?

satellitelab_05

A flashback to Valkyrie’s battle against Hela in Thor: Ragnarok is shown in deep slow-mo – it’s one of the coolest scenes in the film, and new in-camera lighting tech on a rig reminiscent of bullet time from Satellite Lab and VFX by Rising Sun Pictures helped make it possible. Find out more at SYFY WIRE.

Posted on November 7, 2017November 7, 2017Categories UncategorizedTags syfy

Thor vs. Hulk

HulkvThor

During the filming of this cool scene in Thor: Ragnarok, vfx supe Jake Morrison mixed up the scales of the stunt doubles. And ILM did a stellar job helping to re-imagine CG Hulk. Find out more at SYFY WIRESYFY WIRE.

Posted on November 6, 2017Categories UncategorizedTags syfy

Special effects secrets

Bloodboard

For SYFY WIRE, I got to chat to the team at Blood Brothers FX about the joy of practical effects for horror films (warning, slightly gory).

Posted on October 24, 2017Categories UncategorizedTags syfy

Kill mouths and fridge monsters

RodeoFX_IT_001_final_wm_cc

For SYFY WIRE, I got the chance to speak to Rodeo FX about their impressive work for IT. In particular, I love that the VFX in this film never takes over – in fact, there’s a very cool mix of practical and just another digital to tell the terrifying story.

Posted on October 13, 2017Categories UncategorizedTags syfy

The super-small miniatures of ‘Blade Runner’

BR-MS-TyrellBldg-0065

I asked Mark Stetson, chief model-maker on the original Blade Runner, about the super tiniest miniatures made for the film. Here’s what he said, at SYFY WIRE.

Posted on September 26, 2017Categories UncategorizedTags syfy

Looking back at old-school Trek TV

DanCurry_aliens

For SYFY WIRE, I got to interview Star Trek visual effects supervisor Dan Curry about his work on the 80s/90s/00s TV series. Was fun to consider how much was done in miniatures and the move to digital.

Posted on September 22, 2017Categories UncategorizedTags syfy

The rise of CG in horror films

Syfy

My second piece for Syfy is already online, and looks at the rise of CG in horror films. Loved re-visiting Event Horizon, Final Destination 2, The Host and Mama. Check it out here.

Posted on September 7, 2017Categories UncategorizedTags syfy

Now writing for…Syfy!

TheFly

I got the chance to contribute some fx-related pieces to Syfy.com – here’s the first which looks back at some of the best creature fx from the 70s and 80s. And I managed to speak to The Fly’s creature creator Chris Walas.

Posted on September 6, 2017September 6, 2017Categories UncategorizedTags syfy
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