The Use of Miniatures in Modern Filmmaking
Chris Clough
Abstract:
I have always been amazed by the ingenuity and innovation of the early pioneers of
special effects for film, not using computer graphics but scale miniatures and practical effects, and the oldfashioned methods for combining images on screen. From epic environments to violent explosions, they were all done with cameras before they were done with computers.
In a way, I think it’s sad that digital effects have completely taken over in most modern films. I think the mystery of how these effects were created added a lot to the enjoyment and magic of the cinema experience in the past, but now that we have
entered the digital age, pretty much anything can be created inside the computer and
because of this, I think some of the magic has been lost. I would like to believe that there is still a place for these “oldfashioned� techniques on today’s digital dominated
cinema screens, and so for this project I wanted to learn more about the history of these techniques, and by building a practical model, see how the traditional use of scale miniatures compares to modern digital techniques.
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