Urban Landscapes – Part Two
An extraordinary showcase of painted skylines and architectural illusions reveals the hidden artistry that transformed cinema one brushstroke at a time…
29th September 2026
visual effects history
2026
Urban Landscapes – Part One
Discover the hidden artistry of matte-painted cityscapes: breathtaking cinematic illusions audiences never realised were painted by hand….
28th September 2026
The Wonderful World of Disney Matte Art – Part Three
A final deep dive into Disney’s evolving matte artistry celebrating decades of inventive craftsmanship from Ellenshaw’s classic department through the later Buena Vista effects era…
24th September 2026
The Wonderful World of Disney Matte Art: Part Two
A return to Disney’s matte magic exploring cherished big screen memories and the nostalgic artistry that defined generations of cinematic wonder…
23rd September 2026
The Wonderful World of Disney Matte Art – Part One
A heartfelt tribute to Harrison and Lynda Ellenshaw, whose stories and Disney matte artistry expertise bring special effects history vividly to life….
22nd September 2026
Mattes Maketh the Musical
A nostalgic celebration of classic Hollywood musicals, showcasing stunning hand-painted matte artistry and the timeless glamour of the Golden Age….
18th September 2026
Harryhausen’s Least Appreciated Masterpiece Revisited
A nostalgic dive into Harryhausen’s mythical worlds, celebrating the overlooked magic, creatures and childhood awe that shaped generations of fantasy fans…
9th September 2026
The Story of ILM — The Company That Changed Visual Effects Forever
A look at the rebel team that rewired Hollywood’s imagination with handmade wizardry, wild innovation and the kind of creative chaos that built a cinematic empire…
3rd September 2026
A Tribute to Irmin Roberts
A heartfelt salute to Irmin Roberts whose matte artistry shaped cinematic wonder through invisible craft and timeless imagination inspiring generations of filmmakers and fans alike…
28th August 2026
Mattes Go High Definition
A lively dive into the crisp beauty of high‑definition matte shots, celebrating classic artistry with fresh clarity and a collector’s delightfully obsessive enthusiasm for cinematic detail…
27th August 2026
A Conversation With Matte Painter Mark Sullivan
A deep dive into Mark Sullivan’s remarkable matte painting legacy, exploring his artistry, techniques and stories from the final era of traditional visual effects craftsmanship…
21st August 2026
Was That A Matte Shot?
A lively dive into the sneaky artistry of invisible mattes, showcasing clever illusions that quietly transform ordinary shots into cinematic magic without anyone noticing…
20th August 2026
A Visual Effects Xanadu
A playful dive into the dazzling artistry behind classic matte shots where handcrafted illusions, bold creativity and old‑school movie magic shimmer with irresistible retro charm…
23rd July 2026
Ellenshaw Goes All Out
A richly detailed Matte Shots feature exploring Ellenshaw’s breathtaking craftsmanship, revealing ingenious techniques, rare production insights, and the sheer artistry behind his most iconic cinematic illusions…
20th July 2026
Matte Art’s Last Individualist
A richly detailed tribute exploring Jim Danforth’s fiercely independent artistry revealing how his matte work and unrealised visions shaped a unique legacy within effects history…
15th July 2026
The Glass Art of Hammer Films
A gorgeous deep‑dive into Hammer’s glass matte artistry, revealing how painters expanded gothic worlds with handcrafted illusions that shaped the studio’s iconic cinematic identity…
10th July 2026
Matte Art and the Feminine Touch
Exploring the subtle feminine influence behind classic matte artistry, where delicate brushwork and bold imagination merged to build the grand movie worlds audiences still adore today…
9th July 2026
Summer Magic and Johnny Tremain
A compact look at Disney’s matte artistry in Summer Magic and Johnny Tremain highlighting subtle scenic enhancements and classic studio craftsmanship across two mid‑century productions…
8th July 2026
Me Tarzan…You Jane
A thoughtful retrospective exploring the ingenious matte artistry and visual effects behind the classic Weissmuller–O’Sullivan Tarzan films revealing creativity technical daring and timeless cinematic craft…
6th July 2026
From Comic Strip to Matte Painted Wonderland
A vibrant dive into Dick Tracy’s bold comic‑strip aesthetic, celebrating its dazzling matte artistry, stylised production design, and the pulpy escapist charm that makes the film such a visual treat…
1st July 2026
Whitlock Retraces History
Revisits the artistry and techniques that shaped Albert Whitlocks matte painting legacy, tracing the evolution of visual effects craft across decades of Hollywood history…
30th June 2026
Walter Percy Day – The Master of the Matte
A concise look at Walter Percy Day’s pioneering matte artistry tracing his influence from silent‑era innovation to mid‑century visual effects craftsmanship across British and European cinema…
29th June 2026
A Salute
A warm tribute to Fred Sersen’s pioneering effects work at 20th Century Fox, revisiting classics like The Rains Came through a photographic celebration of old‑school movie magic that still dazzles today…
27th June 2026
The Art of the Painted Backing
A breezy wander through the unsung world of scenic backings, where future matte legends quietly honed their craft long before Hollywood realised how vital they truly were…
26th June 2026
The Artist at Work
A loving dive into rare behind‑the‑scenes matte‑painting moments capturing artists mid‑magic reminding us movie illusions are built by steady hands and glorious patience…
25th June 2026
Ellenshaw Sets Sail – Treasure Island
Peter Ellenshaw’s stunning matte artistry lifts Treasure Island into cinematic legend, painting vast horizons and bold adventure with nothing more than imagination, precision, and pure movie magic…
23rd June 2026
The Illusionists of Illusion Arts
A deep dive into the wizards behind Universal’s matte magic, proving once again that movie illusions are crafted by artists who never met a challenge they couldn’t out‑paint…
20th June 2026
The Bookshelf
A guided dive into the NZPete Library, spotlighting standout books and journals on traditional special effects for collectors, researchers and curious FX enthusiasts…
13th June 2026
Fred Sersen Burns Chicago and Floods Ranchipur
A tribute to Fred Sersen’s astonishing miniature wizardry, exploring how he burned Chicago, flooded Ranchipur, and reshaped Hollywood disaster filmmaking with unmatched golden‑age artistry…
11th June 2026
The Art of Invisibility
Exploring the ingenious invisibility effects crafted for classic cinema, revealing the artistry, technique, and clever illusions that brought unseen characters vividly to life on screen…
5th June 2026
