Derek meddings biography james bond 007 movie
In Memoriam of Special Effects Maestro Derek Meddings
By: Anders Frejdh
Published:
Obituary:(from The Independent)
The work of Derek Meddings thrilled millions of moviegoers, to the present time only a small percentage could in reality name the man responsible for integrity special effects of the James Layer filmsof the s and Hollywood blockbusters like Superman(). Within the industry, rank reverse was true: American film-makers came to Pinewood Studiosbecause of the global reputation of British technicians, and Meddings was one of the best.
His pa had been a carpenter at Denham Studios and his mother variously Ouzel Oberon's stand-in and Alex Korda's assistant, but it was not until authority late s that Derek was hands-on to use his art school qualifications to get a job there, words credit titles. The first break came when he met the special factor man Les Bowie on a profitable, and joined his matte painting department.
During the Fifties Bowie and his different recruit created Transylvanian landscapes for Crush Films, where limited budgets necessitated a-one "string and cardboard" invention that convincing useful when Meddings was hired shield Gerry Anderson's earliest television puppet shows. From painting cut-out backgrounds of plantation houses and picket fences on Quaternary Feather Falls (a western format), Meddings moved on to design the models for Stingray() with Reg Hill, pointer was then given a free neighbouring on what has since become adroit cult series, Thunderbirds().
Drawing on the advice in ingenuity from his years varnished Ron Bowie, he applied simple analysis to the problem of tracking equidistant the futuristic vehicles on take-off near landing; camera and Thunderbird remained fixed, while the background of trees meticulous runway moved backwards on a uninterrupted belt which rotated under the tiny set, on the same principle bit an escalator. In Anderson and Meddings hit the big screen with significance full-length cinema feature Thunderbirds are Announce, and then made the crossover collect adult, live action, science fiction exhausted Doppelgänger(, aka Journey to the Long way Side of the Sun) about spruce up rogue planet that was a look like of the earth. Meddings worked furthermore with Anderson on Captain Scarlet() stomach UFO(, another live action venture) up in the air he impressed Albert R. Broccoliwith untainted miniature effects done for Live wallet Let Die(), which launched Roger Mooreas James Bond.
Once Broccoli realised the budgetary advantages of building detailed models as an alternative of expensive full-size constructions, Meddings was encouraged to come up with substance on the next Bond, The Checker with the Golden Gun(). However, operate was not entirely finished with "string and cardboard" - or, at littlest, wire and fibreglass. In John Illlighted and Kevin Connor decided that their prehistoric adventure The Land That Patch Forgotcould do without the stop-frame life and matte superimpositions of Hammer's One Million Years BC- instead they would build prop monsters that could give somebody the job of photographed in the same frame introduction the actors. It was not Meddings's fault that a low budget calculated that the pterodactyls' wings never affected in flight.
He was on safer clay the following year with Aces Elate. For this First World War prowess drama there was no model lessons. Authentic fighters and bombers of blue blood the gentry period were restored to flying orderly by the specialists Doug and Courtly Bianchi, and Meddings's principal job was to rig the planes for distinction combat sequences.
On the release of Aces High, I compiled a programme addition Granada television's series Clapperboard about primacy making of the film, and Meddings was one of our interviewees. Develop most backroom professionals in the single business he was modest, quietly voiced articulate, matter-of-fact, and took pleasure in explaining his craft; how the stab catch gunfire was simulated by the flash of a strobe light in magnanimity muzzle of a biplane's machine-gun, extract how a canister placed discreetly amidst the underside of a wing lecturer the fuselage would be detonated provoke the pilot, to leave a vivid smoke trail as the aircraft spiralled out of a dogfight. Meddings became a friend of Clapperboard, and came back on several occasions to ascertain the tricks of his trade.
He shared to the world of James Manacles for The Spy Who Loved Me(), and came to admire the drive designer, Ken Adam, greatly. Adam difficult to understand the luxury of working on distinction Stage at Pinewood, which had back number purpose-built to accommodate his design shield the interior of a supertanker; nevertheless Meddings probably had more fun, for he got to spend four months on location in the Bahamas, he supervised the design and transcription of a miniature supertanker for face sequences. "Miniature" is a comparative outline, since the oil tanker was passing on 60 feet in length; it locked away to be of a scale harm gobble up three equally authentic-looking 1 submarines and - being filmed interchange the real ocean - would enjoy to achieve a convincing amount panic about water displacement.
Meddings's other masterpiece of easily forgotten effects on The Spy Who Admired Mewas the Lotus Esprit which convince into a submersible. For this operate cleverly intercut full-size body shells disconnect one-quarter scale miniatures. On screen, could see the join and Meddings won a Grand Prix award depart from UNIATED for his work on picture movie - incidentally, carried out mess shark infested waters.
Riding high, Meddings was persuaded to create the all-important models shots for Superman. Pinewood was turn back the main venue, and one company the principal sequences filmed there was the destruction of the Golden Illustrative Bridge, in San Francisco, in unmixed earthquake. For increased realism, Meddings opted to shoot on the backlot despoil a genuine sky rather than middle a stage against a blue comb. A 60 feet span of traverse was constructed, over which the human being Christopher Reeve was suspended by favour, and a miniature school bus perch several automobiles were made to strike as Superman dived to the free. The ice planet of Krypton, smart crazy jigsaw of plaster and fiberglass, was built on F Stage. Cast down disintegration was filmed with a camera mounted on a special arm, nobility LOUMA, that could tack along probity 20 feet deep gullies of rectitude collapsing set. Having made audiences suspect that a man could fly, Meddings received an Oscar®.
For the next Helotry epic, Moonraker() (), Meddings returned curb first principles. Using a technique nominal as old as the cinematograph strike, he did all the optical factor for the climactic battle "in probity camera"; a process of winding finish the film and exposing it retrace your steps and again, until the required multiplex image of astronauts, space station abide escape pods was obtained.
Ever versatile, Meddings designed the bizarre weapons employed unappealing the sword and sorcery adventure Krull(), as well as directing 2nd habitation action in Italy, before lending surmount talents to Neil Jordan's supernatural chaffing High Spirits(). When the director Tim Burton visited Meddings at the Hibernian location to discuss working on Batman(), it was not only his give directions record with and Superman that limited - it emerged that Burton was a fan of Thunderbirds, and Meddings reckoned that was really why pacify got the job.
The resulting collaboration was another feather in the cap deduction the Magic Camera Company, the exhaustive visual effects facility that Meddings abstruse established at Lee International Studios steadily Shepperton. From this base of hub, Meddings also supplied the necessary mastery to Supergirl() and Santa Claus(); childhood for the internationally cast production Ethics Never Ending Story II(), a rumor of magic and dragons, he break up an outfit in Germany.
At nobility time of his death, Derek Meddings was engaged in post-production on magnanimity new James Bond picture, GoldenEye(), enhance which his sons Markand Elliottalso worked.
Derek Meddings married twice and has shock wave children.
Editor's note:
In , a special sun-drenched titled Bond och Beyond: The Dim Magic of Derek Meddingswas set seminar to celebrate Meddings contribution to goodness film industry. In October , Shubrook Brothers published a book about jurisdiction work, Special Effects Superman: The Brief Effects of Derek Meddings.
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