A look at the use of visual effects in movies made in the last 100 years (YouTube video, 5 mins approx).
As one commenter points out, 2001: A Space Odyssey is noticeably absent from the films that are featured.
A short history of visual effects in movies in the last 100 years
Posted by John Lampard on Tuesday, 1 September, 2009 to the movies subset
![]()
The pen that floated to the Moon and other special effects
Posted by John Lampard on Tuesday, 10 March, 2009 to the movies subset
Another link for 2001: A Space Odyssey fans, an explanation of some of the special effects and production techniques, including Dr Heywood Floyd’s floating pen aboard the Moon shuttle.
The pen, too, was suspended on a string (actually a special very thin filament) in the more distant shots inside the Orion, but for the close [...]
![]()
The best of special effects at the movies
Posted by John Lampard on Wednesday, 7 January, 2009 to the movies subset
A collection of some of the best instances of movie special effects (SFX) use, going back to 1927’s Metropolis.
The optical printer mechanisms that combined the various passes of the SFX shots for Star Wars were in active use in the 1920s. When George Lucas assembled Industrial Light And Magic V1.0 in the mid-1970s to bring [...]
![]()
The force of Star Wars’ influence is indeed strong
Posted by John Lampard on Friday, 5 September, 2008 to the comment subset
Since its release in 1977 Star Wars has done far more than spawn a six-movie series, as this diagram, originally published by Wired, depicts.
Fascinating, as Star Trek’s Mr Spock, would say.
Via Kottke.
![]()







