special effects – Retrenders

A Look into the Weta Workshop

March 10, 2017 by kellyannbrooke Leave a Comment

One of the things New Zealand is known for is the Weta Workshop. They world’s premiere movie making special effects and design studio. Adam Savage from Tested got a taste of their magic for the upcoming Ghost in the Shell movie with the Major’s iconic thermal silicone suit.

Google Doodle Tribute to Eiji Tsubaraya

July 7, 2015 by Stephen Jang Leave a Comment

If you remember watching Ultraman or those badly dubbed Godzilla flicks from Japan back in the day, well, today’s Google Doodle is a tribute to the sci-fi monster maker Eiji Tsubaraya. The famous director passed away in the 1970s and today would be his 114th birthday. Google Doodles honors the man with neat little video on monster making.

Polar Bear Roaming London

February 5, 2015 by Stephen Jang Leave a Comment

If you find yourself commuting in London on the ‘Tube and spot a giant polar bear … it’s not real. To promote Sky Atlantic’s new program Fortitude, a team of Hollywood SFX crew made a animatronic polar bear. And inside, you will find 2 people controlling the bear.

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Filed Under: Culture Tagged With: animatronic, commuting, Fortitude, Hollywood, London, polar bear, sfx, Sky Atlantic, special effects, Tube

The Art of Films: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes & Rise of the Planet of the Apes

July 18, 2014 by Stephen Jang Leave a Comment

As I kid, I remember watching Planet of the Apes with Charlton Heston on TV and like Star Wars, Star Trek and Buck Rogers made an sci-fi impression on me. And then I got all excited in 2001, with Tim Burton’s vision of Planet of the Apes and that was hot mess of suck, kind of like X-Men 3: The Last Stand. Now after many years, 20th Century FOX has gotten the re-boot Planet of the Apes franchise in the right direction. To celebrate, Titan Books publishes The Art of the Films: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes & Rise of the Planet of the Apes.

Behind the Scenes: Star Trek Into Darkness

January 10, 2014 by Stephen Jang Leave a Comment

What makes a movie or TV show great? Yes, the acting and cast are among the very important aspects, but like movie reviewer Grace Randolph says “World Building” is also a vital part. Here ILM takes us behind-the-scenes of how they built a “real” futuristic 2259 San Francisco for Star Trek Into Darkness.