Latest news with #practicaleffects
Fast Company
30-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Fast Company
How to make a superhero movie that actually stands out
Superman's Fortress of Solitude evokes big emotions for Beth Mickle. 'Literally, I cry every single time that fortress emerges from the snow,' the production designer tells By Design. 'I cry every single time we go through the doors and we go inside.' As the production designer for James Gunn's new Superman movie, Mickle spent months leading a team in building the fortress from scratch, using all practical effects. Her team resin-casted 242 massive crystals, some measuring 40 feet long. Crews worked night and day, moving crystals from a production warehouse to the set. And that's just for one of the sets. On the newest episode of By Design, Mickle explains to hosts Liz Stinson and Mark Wilson why it was so important for her team to use practical effects and to make this take on Superman an optimistic one. She also discusses working with Gunn, and where she believes AI will factor into the future of film. At the beginning of the episode, Liz and Mark discuss the latest in design news, including: whether it's a vibeless summer, Meta's data center tent city, and a certain copycat in the New York City mayoral race. And at the end, the hosts debate their best and worst designs of the month (MAGA Coke, Sam Altman's sunglasses, Anne Hathaway . . .). Listen now on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get podcasts.
The Guardian
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Osiris review – Linda Hamilton drops in to rescue charmingly hokey space-horror
An entertaining-enough space-horror, a mishmash of storylines and character types that sees some special forces commandos abducted by a gang (herd? flock? troop?) of aliens whose intentions are aligned more closely with the likes of the predator than lovely little ET the Extra-Terrestrial. The pop culture off-worlders these beasties most resemble physically, however, are the xenomorphs from James Cameron's Aliens – and not the massive multi-limbed queen, mind you, but the smaller foot-soldier guys who can be played by a fella in a suit. This fella-in-a-suit aspect is the one of the film's strengths. You might argue that it hinders the willing suspension of disbelief, because you always know you're looking at a fella in a suit. But in truth there's something about the physicality of even the hokiest practical effect that is more enjoyable than all but the most skilfully rendered digital efforts. Another area in which the film recalls the earlier work of James Cameron is in the casting of Linda Hamilton (Terminator 2: Judgment Day) in the role of a tough, uncompromising military type. Lest fans get too excited by the Hamilton-heavy marketing for the film, she certainly gives good Hamilton while on screen, but she doesn't appear for the first hour; it's very much an 'and Linda Hamilton' credits situation. And that's fine: it's better to have practical effects and a modest helping of recognisable actors than A-listers sleepwalking through expensive CGI glop for a paycheck. Osiris is far from a perfect film, and it's certainly not an original one, but it understands the assignment and delivers. Osiris is on digital platforms from 28 July.
Geek Tyrant
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS Featurette Reveals Galactus' Practical Costume and More Awesome Behind the Scenes Details — GeekTyrant
Marvel Studios has shared a brand-new featurette for The Fantastic Four: First Steps , giving fans an inside look at how the highly anticipated MCU film is coming together. The video showcases the incredible craftsmanship behind the movie's practical effects, including real-world sets, a scaled-down Excelsior spaceship, and most exciting of all, the practical costume worn by Ralph Ineson as Galactus. Filmmaker Matt Shakman made it clear early on that he wanted this film to feel tangible. Rather than relying entirely on CGI, his team built elaborate sets and practical elements to ground Marvel's First Family in a world that feels lived in. That included creating a physical suit for Galactus, which appears briefly in the footage, though Marvel still isn't giving us a full look at the villain's face. Costume designer Alexandra Byrne faced one of the most ambitious challenges of her career with Galactus' design. The armor had to be crafted with extreme precision so it would maintain its authenticity when digitally scaled up for the towering cosmic entity. 'Every detail needed to be meticulously crafted so that when it was enlarged, it still felt completely real,' Byrne explained. Ryan Meinerding, Marvel's head of visual development, added: 'Galactus and his armor should resemble a spaceship itself. This idea helped shape the design — Galactus could be both a living being and a giant spaceship.' The result is one of the largest and most intricate costumes ever constructed for a Marvel film. Filming Galactus was like working with a massive miniature. The production team used extensive lighting to capture every detail, but that created intense heat inside the suit. To keep Ineson comfortable between takes, the costume was fitted with a personal air conditioning unit because even world-eating titans need to cool down. The featurette also includes glimpses of new footage, including a jaw-dropping shot of Galactus wreaking havoc in New York City. If you've been wondering how Marvel plans to bring the Devourer of Worlds to life, this behind-the-scenes look makes it clear they're aiming for something monumental. You can check out the full featurette for The Fantastic Four: First Steps below. The movie is set to be released in theaters on July 25, 2025.
Geek Tyrant
01-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
Adam Savage on Why Practical Creature Effects Are Worth It — GeekTyrant
In this episode of Tested , Adam Savage talks about practical creature effects in films and why they are worth it as he tours a selection of the practical creatures Spectral Motion, which worked on films like Hellboy II: The Golden Army , Lady in the Water , and the show Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities . 'From animatronic beasts straight out of nightmares to towering costumes for creature performers, this showcase is just a small sample of the decades of incredible work done at Mike Elizalde's studio.' I love when genre films, especially creature feature horror movie lean into the practical effects side of things. I wish we would see more of that from Hollywood.
