running with paper

I’m fan enough of computer graphics that I once spent at least half of a first day with a guy talking about it and viewing clips back at his place (the modern equivalent of etchings?).

No, really! On his suggestion, I attended my first SIGGRAPH conference in 1997. FUN! Even the behind the scenes stuff is very cool.

But even before computer graphics I was a fan of visual effects; sleight of hand magic tricks, things that change from one sort to another, old movies pioneered by Harry Hausen himself.

Another fan has put this together; a compendium of visual effects in the movies over the years:

Very nice. While he limits himself to a five minute span, I could see a series of these emphasizing the other pioneering techniques – maybe a series of themes to bring the “cool” and “this is what you can do if you stay in school/work on it as a hobby” to VFX.

I was a little disappointed that the Lord of the Rings series were excluded; that table scene with the Gandalf and Frodo! Ohhh! But again, only five minutes!

But happy to see the effects behind Benjamin Button: I haven’t seen the movie, but will keep my eye out to rent it if a full director’s cut and/or effects track is provided. It gives me faith that they can bring my favorite Bilbo instead of this Doctory fellow or the choice Gandalf hinted at (though I must argue that Tom Baker is my Doctor!).

Between the strides made with Andy/Gollum/Sméagol and what I see of Benjamin Button, I think we can get Ian Holm in for the Hobbit(ses) … please?