Week Lucky Thirteen

Special Effects and Bad Movie Day.Features: FUBAR, Director: Michael Dowse

and Ed Wood, Director: Tim Burton

Film Studies

Discussion about Spirited Away?

Special Effects

We will be looking at examples of in-camera mechanical SPX (production-phase) and digital SPX (post production). The duties of SFX are fulfilled by the “special-effects unit” who is charged with preparing and executing process shots, miniatures, matte work, computer-generated images (CGI), and other technical shots.

According to Barsam: Special Effects (SPX) is a term reserved for technology that creates images that would be too dangerous, too expenseive or impossible to achieve with ordinary cinematographic materials.

Special Effects

Other TOPICS See Barsam pages 188 - 192

• The goal of SFX -- Verisimilitude.

•First SFX, The Execution of Mary Stuart, in 1895.

•Metropolis, (Fritz Lang, 1927). Otto Hunt, designer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrYd4-YbXrE

• Production phase effects, In Camera, Mechanical, and Laboratory Effects. Example, Alien (Ridley Scott, 1979).

•CGI. Kubrick’s 2001, first film to seamlessly link footage shot by the camera with that prepared by the computer.

•Example, Terminator 2 (James Cameron, 1991)

•The Uncanny Valley.

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“Bad” (ie cheap) Movies as Cult Classics

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Michael Dowse — FUBAR (Fucked Up Beyond All Recognition)

What do we know about Dowse?Michael Dowse was born (1973) and raised in Calgary. He has

worked as a film editor on John Hazlett's BAD MONEY (1999) and Matt Bissonnette and Steven Clark's LOOKING FOR LEONARD (2002). His short film 237 (2000) was followed by his feature debut, the cult hit FUBAR (2002), which premiered at the 2000 Sundance Film Festival. IT'S ALL GONE PETE TONG (2004) is his second feature, and has already garnered praise, winning the City Award at the 2004 Toronto International Film Festival. As Dowse puts it, with his second film he really wanted to, “Rip cinema a new asshole.” Michael Dowse has listed some of his creative influences that have nuanced his work:• Franz Kafka “One of the most influential writers of this century. Virtually unknown during his lifetime, the works of Kafka have since been recognized as symbolizing modern man's anxiety-ridden and grotesque alienation in an unintelligible, hostile, or indifferent world.”

Bad Movies as Cult Classics

FUBAR (Michael Dowse, 2002)

Fubar (2002) Directed by Michael Dowse Writing credits Michael Dowse, David Lawrence  Genre: Comedy Tagline: Just Give 'R Plot Outline: Headbangers Terry and Dean explore the depths of friendship, and the art and science of drinking beer like a man. Cast overview, first billed only: Paul Spence .... Dean MurdochDavid Lawrence .... Terry CahillGordon Skilling .... Farrel MitchenerTracey Lawrence .... Trixie Anderson

QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressorare needed to see this picture.

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Tim Burton — Director of Ed Wood

What do we know about Tim Burton?After high school, he won a Disney scholarship to attend the California

Institute of the Arts in Valencia, California. He studied animation for three years. Burton's first job in animation was working as a cel painter on Ralph Bakshi's The Lord of the Rings.

Discography: Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)Big Fish (2003)Planet of the Apes (2001)Sleepy Hollow (1999)... aka Sleepy Hollow (Germany)Ed Wood (1994)Batman Returns (1992)Edward Scissorhands (1990)Batman (1989)Beetle Juice (1988)

Good Movies about Bad Movie-makers

Ed Wood (Tim Burton, 1994)

Plot Outline: The mostly true story of the legendary director of awful movies and his strange group of friends and actors.

Cast overview,

Johnny Depp ... Ed WoodMartin Landau ... Bela LugosiSarah Jessica Parker ... Dolores FullerPatricia Arquette ... Kathy O'HaraJeffrey Jones ... CriswellVincent D'Onofrio ... Orson WellesBill Murray ... Bunny Breckinridge