as a kid, i loved movies, naturally.
but i grew up at a time when people first started being interested in the making of movies. the special-effects-heavy tales of the late 70s and early 80s were full of camera tricks, intricate models, live stunts, and elaborate costumes. many of these techniques (even the costumes!) have been replaced now by computers, which produce better looking images (sometimes) faster.
and while some are no doubt fascinated with the computer age of filmmaking (i am!), it doesn’t hold the same cultural allure as the cinematic magicians of my childhood.
in the days of Huston and Ford, fight scenes with 100s of people and horses were spectacular achievements of planning and choreography. nowadays computer algorithms do a lot of the leg work, so even thousands of people in a huge fight scene barely raises an eyebrow. even as far back as King Kong, audiences were enthralled by vivid depictions of fantastic events. a modern day King Kong doesn’t hold the same fascination; it’s like we all know some nerd pushes a button and a couple of monsters jump out of a computer and fight each other… it’s just not the same.
a recent post was about the HBO opening that first aired in 1983:
i think that 14-minute “making of” featurette was probably my first introduction into the world of how a film was made.
also in 1983, Return of the Jedi came out. it quickly became my favorite of the original trilogy, and held that spot for a long time. one reason why was this 48-minute making of. i haven’t watched it in years, but i must have seen it on HBO a dozen times. we probably taped it onto VHS, where i watched it dozens more.
today, a 5-minute press package showing behind the scenes of the latest Marvel movie is a common sight. but the HBO making of featurettes, like this one (again, 48 minutes!) are what paved the way.
Lucas embraced television as a partner for cinema rather than a competition, and used the “making of” as a type of marketing for the film (and of course the toys). i saw models being made, i saw concept drawings, i saw blue screens, explosions, latex masks, Ewok costumes… i was totally fascinated. i was probably one of the few 5-year-olds who knew what a matte painting or an optical printer were, or who Phil Tippett and Dennis Muren were.
i loved the movie already. but seeing behind the curtain did not ruin the magic for me, even at 5 years old. instead, it made me want to do those things. Tatooine, Endor, Dagobah… i already knew these worlds were not real; i could not visit them or live there.
but the exotic, creative world of making movies, that was a real place. and i could live there.
what movie made you fall in love with moviemaking?