A Matter of Perspective

Matte Shot – a tribute to Golden Era & Traditional Special Effects

It’s that time again whereby I unleash yet another of my favourite sub-genre’s of matte artistry – that being the art of the painted perspective, though before I embark upon that I must draw my readers’ attention to a new blog on matte art which has arrived on the web. Though the blog may be new the man behind it has in fact been an active and authoritative researcher and collector on the topic for many years. Madrid based special effects technician and author Domingo Lizcano has, for well over a decade, run his exhaustively thorough Art in Movies website (link at right) – a site that I have often made mention of in my own writings.

By Domingo’s own admission Art in Movies was becoming a little too cluttered and tricky to navigate, leading it’s author no choice other than to seriously reconstruct same as a larger, easier journey for those interested to embark on it’s myriad of treasures hidden within. I’ve had a look at some of the new, as yet unreleased format and it’s very impressive indeed. In the mean time Domingo has set up the aforementioned blog Movie Matte Painting (see link at right) whereby he has assembled some rarely seen (mostly new to me) matte magic from obscure European and Russian cinema as well as little seen small epics from some US production houses. Domingo really knows his stuff, and has been of great help to me with any of the non US or UK matte art shows I’ve profiled with his friendship and work with noted effects icons such as the great Emilio Ruiz del Rio and others proving vital…

…Read the Full Article @ Matte Shot

A tribute to the artistry and ingenuity of traditional matte painters, this collection celebrates the hand‑crafted movie magic that once shaped cinema — from grand, epic vistas to invisible effects even seasoned viewers might miss. It’s designed for both casual fans and dedicated enthusiasts, offering a renewed appreciation for skills largely forgotten today. I’ve also reached deeper into the Matte Shot archives to bring even more of this remarkable work forward, and I hope you enjoy the journey as much as I do.