15 Major Milestones In Movie Special Effects
Ah, the art of special effects! It is the stuff of dreams and nightmares, of amazement and terror. From the earliest days of cinema, filmmakers have been striving to create new and innovative ways to bring their stories to life. From Alfred Clark’s 1895 substitution shot to Hironobu Sakaguchi’s 2001 attempt at a photorealistic CGI movie, special effects have come a long way.
This list is a tribute to the pioneers of special effects, the people who have pushed the boundaries of what is possible and made our movie-going experiences all the more enjoyable. From Edwin Porter’s compositing to George Lucas’s Industrial Light and Magic, these are the people who have revolutionized the world of special effects, and made it possible for us to experience the magic of cinema. So, without further ado, let’s take a look at some of the most significant milestones in special effects history – not counting blue cat-people in space.
Alfred Clark: The man who made special effects possible.
Pioneering film: Edwin Porter’s ‘The Great Train Robbery.’
Norman A. Dawn’s revolutionary 1907 discovery.
Electric Hotel: Stop-motion magic brought to life.
Stop motion pioneer: 1912’s “Modelling Extraordinary.”
Shoot against a blue screen, print onto film, and voila!
The audience was unimpressed – but history was made.
1973: the birth of pixelization.
Sixty seconds of history: Computer-generated cinematic image sequence created in 1982.
Sherlock Holmes meets cutting-edge tech.
Friendly Ghost? Check. Box-office hit? Check.
1995: The year "Toy Story" revolutionized cinema.
“The Matrix” revolutionized slow-motion: bullet-time.
“Antz” revolutionized water effects – scientists at Los Alamos made it possible.
Sakaguchi's ambitious 3D movie: Spectacular visuals, but costly failure.
