A recent article in Los Angeles Magazine had a short blurb on "Movie Magic", disclosing some unique tricks of foolery behind many famous movies. Cutting across many decades and films as diverse as THE BIRDS, THE EXORCIST, STAR WARS, MY DINNER WITH ANDRE, and BOOGIE NIGHTS, it brings to light how creative things can get on the set. Here are a few of our favorites from the article, as well as a listing of some of the DIY spirit we promote via our how-to videos.
THE BIRTH OF A NATION -- Shoe polish transforms a white guy into a black guy.
THE BIRDS -- The ravens are actually trained monkeys in bird costumes.
THE EXORCIST -- Linda Blair's spinning head is accomplished by having the priest slowly circle her while wearing roller skates.
STAR WARS -- The design for the lightsaber was taken from an actual nerd's actual lightsaber.
MY DINER WITH ANDRE -- the two actors are shot alone talking to themselves and then CGI'd later (by the way, we at FiveSprockets highly recommend this film).
BOOGIE NIGHTS -- Mark Wahlberg is the prosthetic attached to a real penis.
CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS -- the "meatballs" are a glutton-free, vegan concoction.
In the DIY spirit, check out our How-To Videos, including Build Your Own Boom Microphone, Make Your Own Green Screen, and Build a Light Diffuser.
Comments
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Some of these are tongue-in-cheek, right? Is that true about, "My Dinner with Andre" or is that just a joke? Hahaha! I did just do a recent report on the cringe-worthy "Birth of a Nation" for a graduate presentation, and that movie...I could talk about it for hours...
Yeah ...
It's pretty much all tongue-in-cheek except for our how-to videos! Do share more about "Birth of a Nation", please!
Birth of a Nation...
spurred murders, including one in Indiana where a man walked out of the theater and shot a black teenager on the spot. A horrific testament to the power of propoganda. It also spurred the KKK to move North en masse for the first time. There were multiple historical inaccuracies in it, including a quote from Woodrow Wilson, that the film claimed to be true. It actually financed several of the first major film studios and made anyone who invested in it incredibly rich and played in theaters for years. Thankfully, it was protested frequently and banned in many places. Also, it was the first long-form movie in the format that we now know today, before that it was all short films of 30 minutes or less.
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