There is an interest and maybe a bit of a longing for practical movie effects. Since most effects in movies and TV today are the result of moving pixels around, it's fascinating to watch older productions and see miniatures and matte paintings and other "practical" or in-camera effects. These effects utilize one-of-a-kind models and special lighting. Here's a reel of some of the many effects that the Lydecker brothers (Howard and Theodore Lydecker, always known—and billed—as such, were Howard "Babe" Lydecker (June 8, 1911 – September 26, 1969) and Theodore Lydecker (November 7, 1908 – May 25, 1990).) Their father, Howard C. Lydecker, pioneered special effects, working for Douglas Fairbanks. The brothers began working in the 1930s -- first on the Republic serials and then for other clients and TV shows.
From Chris Enss:
Howard and Theodore worked together on conceptualizing the small scale sets. Theodore would then draft the plans for the building and oversee the construction. Howard’s job was to film the miniature models of towns, spaceships, buildings, trains, automobiles, stagecoaches, and whatever else a script might call for. In a short time, the Lydeckers earned the reputation as the kings of special effects. The approach they took when preparing for a sequence was simple: build large, photograph the subject matter from every possible angle, and always use natural light.
In addition to using detailed models and filming sequences with the miniatures against real location backdrops, Howard Lydecker shot the scenes in slow motion. He realized that during such shoots, film ran through the camera at a higher speed than normal (determined by the scale of the models) and when projected at normal speed, the slow-motion effect gave the end product the right appearance of mass and size. Utilizing all the techniques the Lydecker brothers developed and subsequently perfected, the visual effects on the movies Republic Pictures produced were superior to that of any other studio.
More at The Pulp Reader.
The opening shots of Hitchcock's "The Lady Vanishes" are clearly a huge model, as are later long shots of the train. Not as convincing as the Lydecker work, but the artificiality oddly enhances the film. It feels like there's no real world outside the train for the heroes to escape to. "Young and Innocent" features a car chase on another huge model, but there the effect is almost comic. We're impressed but not fooled.
ReplyDeleteDisney's "Darby O'Gill and the Little People" offers plenty of handsome mattes and some optical trickery, but most of the shots combining Darby with the leprechauns are done in-camera via forced perspective. The DVD had a nifty little documentary revealing the various tricks.
Ha ha. Yes, I know the shots from The Lady Vanishes. The Criterion Channel had a good number of Hitchcock's early movies and he was not shy about using model shots in his movies. Creaky looking now, but effective then. I like them and willingly suspend my disbelief.
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