Once again, I am truly shocked to find out that yet another well known, well loved artist/celebrity has passed away. I can't believe that I'm actually writing that Bernie Mac has died. Bernie Mac. BERNIE MAC!!!! What the hell is going on here?
Always respected his comedy. He did the kind of routines that you would memorize and repeat back with your friends. He was a welcome and familiar face that would pop up on the movie screen. Great in Ocean's 11, completely underused in the following 2 sequels.
Finally got this segment done. Only took me 2 days, but somehow it felt like forever. Editing this video seemed to be more complicated than editing the actual episode. I think it was just due to trying to put all the right pics in order.
This gun was fun to make. It's amazing what you can do with what you've got or can get for cheap. The most expensive things on the gun is the camera, which I already had, and then the spotlight, which was about 30 bucks. Aside from that this gun cost about 30 bucks to make. Put a second one together minus the camera and spotlight for about 20 bucks more. And I'm putting together some new weapons using these same techniques for the next Monster Cops webisode.
The light cycles, the new graphics, and that's right bitches! JEFF BRIDGES!!!! I applauded when I saw him. It's not a remake fuckers, IT'S A SEQUEL!!!! The 80's are back bitches!
Ok so I've set up a google site sepcifically listing what else is needed for the production of Monster Cops: Dead By Dawn. Check it out here and find out how you can help. http://sites.google.com/site/mcopsproduction/Home
I think I've got all 3 Vampire Brides covered, I'll find out today or tomorrow.
Thanks to Richard Gaither we may very well have some locations covered, as well as a coffin, and some fog machines.
We still need a bunch of stuff as well as some locations so check out the site and lemme know if you can help.
So the Halloween Spirit continues to reign. The signs are everywhere and I'm feelin it. Helps that I went to Michael's in search of Monster making materials, only to find they were in the process of putting up their Halloween display. Of course I took pics. They also had one of the latest animatronic displays for this year. A headless bride holding her own head. Motion activated as usual. The body turns around, the head opens it's eyes and her voice can be heard inviting you to her wedding in a very eerie and ghostly tone. See the video below. Yes, of course, I took video!
By 1984 my obsession with movies was in full throttle. Indy, Superman, Rocky, Bond, they'd all gotten good hold of my attention. When 85 hit and movies like Back To The Future and The Goonies came out, my obsession exploded. So when the hits kept coming in 86 I was headed over the edge, right over the edge into the passions of moviemaking, a movie titled FX would put me there.
The story of a special fx artist hired by the government to help fake an assasination. Of course the fake assasination turns out to be a real assasination, and our fx guy hero is framed for the murder. Now on the run from the law, he must use his special fx genius to defend himself and get back at the people who set him up.
How the hell was I not going to love this movie.
By 86 I had already read Tom Savini's Grande Illusion front to back and had every fx diagram memorized, I had watched every ILM documentary I could find, I had created my earliest form of blood squibs (using ketchup, tylenol capsules, and a sling shot. Yes, it hurt), and was already working with latex and make up appliances (my parents were quite confused when I'd ask them for money so I could buy liquid latex and spirit gum, when other kids were buying action figures.) I was at the very beginning of learning how movie FX worked. So of course this movie was right up my alley.
I was propelled back into those old nostalgic feelings when I was flipping channels only to find that FX the Movie was playing. I caught the tail end. It all came rushing back to me. Everthing. The first time I saw this movie. How excited I was. How much cooler it made me feel wanting to work on fx and make movies. The thrill of learning how an fx shot worked. And the fun of learning the hard way how one 10 second shot is usually accomplished through hours and even days of tedious work.
A valuable lesson I learned when I was a kid, something that would prepare me for my work now. Today in fact.
Currently working on some fx stuff for a project. Learning new tricks everyday, every minute, aplying them to the old techniques. It's kind of a fun time right now. Feels like 85, 86, 87, all over again. And in the end that's kind of what I'm working towards. Achieving those old nostalgic feelings I felt when I was kid. Trying to capture that old magic, put it in my own work, and hopefully share it with the world.
OK enough delay. This blog was partially just to get a break from the long and tedious work of keyframes and compositing. 6 hours of work for a 5 second shot. Just like old times.
Once again, I am truly shocked to find out that yet another well known, well loved artist/celebrity has passed away. I can't believe that I'm actually writing that Bernie Mac has died. Bernie Mac. BERNIE MAC!!!! What the hell is going on here?
