The Epics – The Final Chapter

I’ll make this my final posting in the series dedicated to epic films, as I have so many other topics I wish to cover. I have terrific mattes from a number of Disney pictures, a pictorial on mattes and miniatures for Hollywood War Pictures, a look at RKO’s Visual Effects Department, an in depth retrospective on the Shepperton Studios Matte Department and more still on the back burner.

This edition of my ‘epic’ coverage takes a look at some sensational matte painted effects from mostly lesser known films that fall way outside of the typical big budgeted Hollywood extravaganzas we usually associate with this particular genre. Today’s posting is somewhat of a mixed bag, in as much as the first two films aren’t really films at all – they were both made for television miniseries, although one did receive theatrical release in Europe under a different title. The first two ‘films’ in today’s lineup are superb showcases of the artistry of Albert Whitlock and his tight knit team at Universal Studios.

Also on show here is a small sample of the work of Whitlock’s former Disney mentor Peter Ellenshaw and another of Pop Day’s former trainees, Ivor Beddoes. For more on Beddoes’ astonishing matte work in THE RED SHOES, click here. Finally, I have some mysterious uncredited mattes from two big Anthony Mann historical shows, filmed in Spain and almost certainly painted by Spanish or Italian based effects artists, which are certainly worth a look. I’ve also somewhat belatedly added some great silent era matte effects by Paul Detlefsen, Paul Grimm and Ferdinand Pinney Earle in an effort to cover as many bases as possible…

…Read the Full Article @ Matte Shot
A Tribute to Golden Era Special FX

Please Note: I go further back into the archives of Matte Shot – A Tribute to Golden Era Special FX to feature even more articles from this great site.