The models seem rather small, with the camera running at an insufficient frame rate to appear at all convincing. Perhaps in a comedy this was thought part of the joke.
The technique of miniature ship visual effects.
Sunday, 17 August 2014
Kind Hearts and Coronets 1949
A reader Ian Jopson put me onto this classic Ealing comedy which has a short sequence featuring the collision and sinking of two out of three miniature Victorian battleships. According to IMDB this story point could have been a reference to a real-life disaster in 1893 which involved the battleships HMS Victoria and HMS Camperdown.
The models seem rather small, with the camera running at an insufficient frame rate to appear at all convincing. Perhaps in a comedy this was thought part of the joke.
The models seem rather small, with the camera running at an insufficient frame rate to appear at all convincing. Perhaps in a comedy this was thought part of the joke.
Sunday, 8 June 2014
Lifeboat 1944
There is some masterful miniature work here by Fred Sersen's department at 20th Century Fox. Made and set during the second World War, pretty much the entire film is a special effect with most of it shot against a rear projection process screen.
The opening title sequence is a large scale close up miniature of a smoking funnel which in a long continuous shot sinks into the sea. A German supply vessel is blown up and sinks with very effective pyrotechnics and some effective split screen composites of foreground lifeboat, midground live action row boat and background miniature.
The opening title sequence is a large scale close up miniature of a smoking funnel which in a long continuous shot sinks into the sea. A German supply vessel is blown up and sinks with very effective pyrotechnics and some effective split screen composites of foreground lifeboat, midground live action row boat and background miniature.
The King and I 1956
As with this story's earlier incarnation in "Anna and the King of Siam" ( 1946) there is a paddle steamer miniature in the opening shots, along with a painted Bangkok, this time in full colour and featured in two shots of its own uncovered by credits or cast.
It could well be the same miniature that appears in another 4 features, as previously discussed in "Anna and the King of Siam".
The Special Photographic Effects supervisor was Ray Kellog who headed the department at 20th century fox at the time. For more information on the 20th Century Fox's "scenic art department" as the special effects department was known, I direct you to this entry in NZ Pete's excellent Matt Shot blog.
It could well be the same miniature that appears in another 4 features, as previously discussed in "Anna and the King of Siam".
The Special Photographic Effects supervisor was Ray Kellog who headed the department at 20th century fox at the time. For more information on the 20th Century Fox's "scenic art department" as the special effects department was known, I direct you to this entry in NZ Pete's excellent Matt Shot blog.
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