Episode 014 February 2015
We talk the making of Clint Eastwood’s Firefox with Russian speaker Mike Gower, and we marvel at John Dykstra and Apogee’s technical advances, including “reverse blue screen,” for the effects of the super-stealth fighter. до свидания!
About The Optical
Host Mark Boszko takes you on a journey back through the annals of Cinefex magazine, talking about the movies and topics they covered 30+ years ago. We talk to people involved in the films, people who make movies, and people who love movies, and have a fun time doing it.
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Revisiting:
Cinefex 10
Special thanks to Cinefex for access to these out-of-print back issues.
Even though these are out of print, you can now download and read along with Issue 10 — and every other back issue of Cinefex — in the Cinefex iPad App. Download the free iPad app now!
Special Guest:
Mike Gower
Mike Gower, designer of our ‘aperture’ logo, enjoys designing things, watching movies, flying supersonic jets, and speaking Russian.
Sponsor:
Cinefex
Cinefex — The journal of cinematic illusions.
Sponsor:
Lynda.com
Lynda.com — Start learning today.
Guests:
Follow Along
Show Notes
Research Materials
- Firefox (1982)
- Cinefex number 10
- Revisiting Cinefex (10): Poltergeist and Firefox by Graham Edwards
More Bits
- Firefox (1982) trailer
- John Dykstra and a bit about the formation of Apogee
- A Japanese documentary on Apogee Productions is on YouTube in Part 1 and Part 2 — Even if you don’t speak Japanese, it’s fascinating to watch them build and shoot models.
- A clip from Hollywood Stuntmakers covering Apogee’s miniature effects, and some interview bits with John Dykstra and John Swallow. It also shows their Graphlite motion control boom setup circa the late 1980s (a few years after Firefox).
- Air brakes vs flaps
- The “melty guy from Raiders” — Ronald Lacey
- Regarding a “Class II” Academy Award: ‘Starting with the 1978 (51st) Awards, the “Class I” Scientific and Technical Award became the Academy Award of Merit, and “Class III” became the Technical Achievement Award.’ via About — The Scientific and Technical Awards at oscars.org
- Mitchell Camera
- Vistavision format and its usage for optical visual effects
- Reverse Blue Screen article by Jonathan Erland from American Cinematographer, Vol. 63, No. 9, September 1982
- Microballoons, a.k.a. glass microspheres
- Maurice Jarre, composer of many luscious orchestral scores, including Lawrence of Arabia
- Legend (1985) scores by Jerry Goldsmith and Tangerine Dream
Musical Guest:
Digital Droo
As Ever
- The Optical Aperture Logo by Mike Gower
- The Optical Theme Music by Digital Droo
