tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7063592677187148799.post4134823041372267590..comments2024-03-27T23:06:28.849+13:00Comments on Matte Shot - a tribute to Golden Era special fx: CITIZEN KANE - a visual effects XanaduNZPetehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13863364769084676156noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7063592677187148799.post-30701017507971581322013-03-31T14:52:58.079+13:002013-03-31T14:52:58.079+13:00Hello Jill
How wonderful to read you brief messag...Hello Jill<br /><br />How wonderful to read you brief message. I'm so pleased you stumbled across my website, and YES, I'd definitely love to hear more and be in touch. It goes without saying that your grandfather was one of the icons of matte art and created so many unforgettable illusions. I'm very keen to learn more and see any imagery that you might still have.<br /><br />Looking forward to hearing from you.<br /><br />Kind regards<br /><br />PeterNZPetehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13863364769084676156noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7063592677187148799.post-79535653155195261382013-03-31T04:12:13.616+13:002013-03-31T04:12:13.616+13:00Hello, NZ Pete. I'm the granddaughter of Mario...Hello, NZ Pete. I'm the granddaughter of Mario Larrinaga. I don't have heaps of his stuff or heaps of information about his career (you seem to!) but I do have some things. I'd be happy to chat with you sometime. Jill McElmurryShermanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14682580034573719853noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7063592677187148799.post-41141867019164986402013-01-09T13:47:33.935+13:002013-01-09T13:47:33.935+13:00Pete - from Deadline Hollywood - met Bill Taylor i...Pete - from Deadline Hollywood - met Bill Taylor in 1976 at USC FX Class -my email dsnyguy@bellsouth.net (please don't publish) Mike Goldberg Nashville<br />Film Academy To Bestow Service Award On VFX Veteran Bill Taylor<br />By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Tuesday January 8, 2013 @ 3:00pm PST<br />Tags: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Bill Taylor, Oscars, Sci-Tech<br /> <br /> inShare.0Comments (2) Bill Taylor, a longtime visual effects supervisor and director of photography, has been voted to receive the John A. Bonner Medal of Commendation from the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The award, for service and dedication in upholding the high standards of the Academy, will be presented at the annual Sci-Tech awards on February 9 at the Beverly Hills Hotel. Taylor, a founding co-chair of the Science and Technology Council and an Academy member since 1972, is the co-founder of Illusion Arts, where he worked on the visual effects of more than 200 films including Lawless, Public Enemies, Milk and Bruce Almighty. He earned a Technical Achievement Award in 1981 for the concept and specifications for a Two-Format, Rotating Head, Aerial Image Optical Printer.<br /><br />Michael G.https://www.blogger.com/profile/03654155012680646422noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7063592677187148799.post-2121839498711351132013-01-03T18:59:10.750+13:002013-01-03T18:59:10.750+13:00Hi Andy
Always good to hear from you. I never kn...Hi Andy<br /><br />Always good to hear from you. I never knew about that KONG process plate - how bizarre! Not sure about Welles' claim on effects numbers as I can think of other shows which way outsize KANE in number of FX shots, but what the hey.... Orson could sell saltwater to fish, such was his gift of the gab. <br /><br />I recall reading in Peter Sellers' bio that Peter felt so threatened by Orson on CASINO ROYALE that most of their scenes 'together' were shot as singles and sharp editing seemlessly tied their joint scenes together.<br /><br />Finally, last word on Orson - my favourite performance has got to be as General Dreedle in CATCH 22. Hilarious. Best line: "Major, why is this man out of uniform" uttered as a stark naked Alan Arkin salutes while on parade!<br /><br />PeterNZPetehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13863364769084676156noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7063592677187148799.post-84580168980768251852013-01-03T12:47:48.349+13:002013-01-03T12:47:48.349+13:00A Happy New Year to you and yours, and - as ever -...A Happy New Year to you and yours, and - as ever - a profound sense of awestruck gratitude for your continuing efforts!<br /><br />You say "May be one of Mario Larrinaga's mattes as that 'jungle' looks distinctly Skull Island inspired to me..."<br /><br />There is, in fact, a shot of Skull Island in Kane - it appears briefly as a background plate during the "beach picnic" sequence. Kane's lifestyle may have been extravagant and weird, but I was always surprised to see that he could lay on a distant pterodactyl for his guests.<br /><br />I read one biography of Welles in which he claimed that Kane held the record for the largest number of FX shots until Star Wars came along. I suspect that's Wellesian hyperbole, but there's certainly a lot - and using so many techniques that it's a massive achievement in itself.<br /><br />(As for your op-ed piece: Couldn't agree more.)AndyMinionhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01489557191299982422noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7063592677187148799.post-75630376692039303952013-01-03T05:42:35.011+13:002013-01-03T05:42:35.011+13:00Happy and Peacefull New Year to you Pete and all t...Happy and Peacefull New Year to you Pete and all the readers of this always great and informative blog.747bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05140039310614748092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7063592677187148799.post-63429970163487120902013-01-02T10:58:19.013+13:002013-01-02T10:58:19.013+13:00Love this blog. Thanks so much.
As to the opening...Love this blog. Thanks so much.<br /><br />As to the opening shots of Xanadu (with all the dissolves), it's pretty obvious that the same painting is used for all of the shots until the final one of the opening fx montage. The clouds are EXACTLY the same in all the preceding shots, as is the perspective and shadows.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7063592677187148799.post-75047528668143889272013-01-01T19:01:42.399+13:002013-01-01T19:01:42.399+13:00Hi Steve
I'm planning on a tribute article on...Hi Steve<br /><br />I'm planning on a tribute article on Rocco in the near future. I've got some interesting material and he's keen to be subject of the ole NZPete 'Q&A'<br /><br />BTW - it's a heck of a lot easier for you Stateside matte appreciation fans to obtain a Gioffre matte. Airfreight and customs duty to places as far a field as 'Middle Earth' are no joke. If you are in LA you could just stop by and pick one up.<br /><br />Peter <br /><br />PeterNZPetehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13863364769084676156noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7063592677187148799.post-29104896228679950192013-01-01T18:22:08.253+13:002013-01-01T18:22:08.253+13:00Hi, Pete - for those of us who might not be able t...Hi, Pete - for those of us who might not be able to buy a wonderful matte painting from Rocco, would you be able to publish more great closeups of them on your blog ? Thanks.Stevenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7063592677187148799.post-8671937057337898372013-01-01T15:10:58.904+13:002013-01-01T15:10:58.904+13:00Pete, sounds awesome! Pete, sounds awesome! Ivanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16443946766217092846noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7063592677187148799.post-23992287957071316522013-01-01T13:35:05.698+13:002013-01-01T13:35:05.698+13:00Ivan
You want to know about 2014 already.... hey,...Ivan<br /><br />You want to know about 2014 already.... hey, lets get through 2013 first... unless of course it's still 2012 where you are??<br /><br />Coming up soon on MatteShot are: a long and really honest conversation with Harrison Ellenshaw where we cover everything imaginable from Percy Day, Peter and Walt, the Disney factory, Nicholas Roeg & John Milius, Black Holes, LucasFilm's Empire and Buena Vista Visual FX and more! <br /><br />Harrison's a great guy and can spin a fascinating tale or two of the people he's worked with and projects he's been assigned to.<br /><br />PeteNZPetehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13863364769084676156noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7063592677187148799.post-14097423654167842692013-01-01T13:00:37.620+13:002013-01-01T13:00:37.620+13:00RKO 281--I'll keep an eye out for it! So, how&...RKO 281--I'll keep an eye out for it! So, how's next year?<br />Ivanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16443946766217092846noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7063592677187148799.post-43190939653571039572013-01-01T12:13:33.633+13:002013-01-01T12:13:33.633+13:00Hi Earl
Yes, Harrison kept me up to date on that ...Hi Earl<br /><br />Yes, Harrison kept me up to date on that and I did find a great hi-rez pic of the matte on display on the net, though there were reflections and junk in the glass. I'd always welcome any good close ups as it's magnificent and probably Peter's best.<br /><br />All the best for 2013 (can't believe it's 2013 already.... everything I saw in sci-fi flicks that was supposed to happen - flying cars and the rest of it - never came to fruition!)<br /><br />PeterNZPetehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13863364769084676156noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7063592677187148799.post-70199810773941699452013-01-01T12:10:07.779+13:002013-01-01T12:10:07.779+13:00Hi Ivan
I love that story! Better still, I'd...Hi Ivan<br /><br />I love that story! Better still, I'd love to hear Welles himself tell it, as only Orson could.<br />There is a wonderful semi-fictionalised account of the making of KANE which I neglected to mention in the article, RKO 281 I think it was titled - with John Malkovich. Really fascinating and well worth the look. It even has some pseudo Larrinaga glass paintings of Xanadu (painted by Leigh Took) in the Welles character's production office, which are a real treat.<br /><br />PeterNZPetehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13863364769084676156noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7063592677187148799.post-46207078041513205452013-01-01T12:06:04.776+13:002013-01-01T12:06:04.776+13:00Hi there Brian
It is indeed an honour to have you...Hi there Brian<br /><br />It is indeed an honour to have you stumble across my blogsite, and I'm so glad you enjoyed the article.<br /><br />All the best from Middle Earth<br /><br />PeterNZPetehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13863364769084676156noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7063592677187148799.post-45801168933849298762013-01-01T12:04:37.529+13:002013-01-01T12:04:37.529+13:00Hi Mike
Thanks for that. I'd love to hear yo...Hi Mike<br /><br />Thanks for that. I'd love to hear your own memories from what I'm sure would have been an unforgettable evening with Linwood Dunn. Jim Aupperle once told me about the wonderful before and after clips from shows such as Androcles and The Lion and other RKO films. I'm keen to learn whatever you can recall on Kane.<br /><br />Have a Happy New Year<br /><br />Peter<br />Middle EarthNZPetehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13863364769084676156noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7063592677187148799.post-75788318939257320732013-01-01T09:17:21.152+13:002013-01-01T09:17:21.152+13:00Hello Pete,
F.Y.I., The Peter Ellenshaw matte pai...Hello Pete,<br /><br />F.Y.I., The Peter Ellenshaw matte painting of Rome from Spartacus is now on display at the LA County Museum Of Art (LACMA)as part of the Kubrick exhibit, and photographs are allowed! The exhibit runs through July of 2013. If you have a friend with a good camera (Mine is not) please send them there!<br /><br />I will send you any good photographs I acquire (especially close-ups).<br /><br />And I would agree that you should keep the blog free from politics... I come here for a break from the world. <br /><br />HAPPY NEW YEAR! <br /><br />-Earl Ellis<br />Burbank, CAAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7063592677187148799.post-88577710906716047052013-01-01T06:47:49.931+13:002013-01-01T06:47:49.931+13:00Brilliant article; thanks so much!
I read an inter...Brilliant article; thanks so much!<br />I read an interesting (perhaps apocryphal) story where Welles bumped into Hearst in a hotel elevator around the time of the film's premiere in that city. Welles offered the publisher a pair of tix, gratis, but Hearst stayed silent and stared ahead, ignoring Welles. The elevator ride ended in tense silence, but as Hearst left the elevator, Welles said, "Kane would have gone to see the film."<br />Happy New Year, have a great 2013: can't see what you have planned!<br />--IvanIvanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16443946766217092846noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7063592677187148799.post-44073335970971715452013-01-01T04:50:21.825+13:002013-01-01T04:50:21.825+13:00Great article and images. Thank you and happy new ...Great article and images. Thank you and happy new year!Brian Sibleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02395103557170474777noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7063592677187148799.post-60721549043783207212013-01-01T04:39:06.302+13:002013-01-01T04:39:06.302+13:00One of my alltime favorites! I had the good fortun...One of my alltime favorites! I had the good fortune to meet and listen to Linwood Dunn show his reel of effects shots and explain the Kane tricks. Wonderful article! Your comments on the shooting are appreciated<br />mg<br />Nashville, TNAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com