Movie Magic HD episode 08 - Matte Painting

How matte paintings are incorporated into special effects shots with an emphasis on the 1993 sequel, Addams Family Values.
Documentary series dealing with every aspect of special effects in movies, from low-budget make-up to multi-million-dollar computer-generated graphics. The clear presentation includes descriptions of the creation and technical problems of the effects, and interviews with effects technicians, directors, stars and other crew. Each episode deals with one topic, effect or technician (eg theme park rides, CGI, Stan Winston), concentrating on one or more current or recent films.

[@2FRESH-4U]

Man I started crying realizing how blessed I’ve been to witness this amazing moment in this human experience growing up in the 80s it always felt like we were waiting for the future I realize now I was living in a golden age of wonder

[@clarewillison9379]

I wish something like this had been shown on UK TV when I was growing up. Always wanted to do fine art but was told there’s not a living to be made from it (even if you’re insanely talented which I wasn’t). Now in my sixties through KZbin channels I learn about props making, matte painting, animation and myriad other careers that I would have adored. My ‘careers advisor’ (met for ten minutes at age 15) suggested hotel management. I was a graphic artist, designer and art director who made fancy cakes and other stuff for friends. Just having an angry grief moment at missed life. This video is just wonderful and despite the rant very glad to watch and admire.

[@jamobee6178]

Yes, I certainly have felt that way, I painted billboards in the 90's and I'm pretty sure having worked on a famous movie would've been much more rewarding than risking my life painting a 10 foot jar of pickles.

[@richochet]

Guys never give up on dreams/purpose, adapt maybe, but never give up

[@GRMNCVS]

I'm sorry to hear this, but I hope you can let go of any grief and do what you love. It's never too late!!!!! I'm in my 30s and too was told, when younger, that I was a failure and I'd never accomplish anything. But I'm so happy just making music for myself I don't even care anymore

[@TheDayDreamingOwl]

To be fair, careers like this aren't simply entered into immediately after college. One must still perform a series of other jobs not in the field of interest to earn work experience and a living, slowly making their way up the ladder. Even then, a career like this isn't a guarantee. Anyway, all this is to say that it's easy to assume that "had I only known/done this back then," I would've gained everything I wanted, but that is a common fallacy. Did you say you're a graphic designer and art director for deserts? That's awesome! That sounds like a pretty spot on alternative, that is very much in the creative arts world.

[@clarewillison9379]

@@TheDayDreamingOwl Totally agree with everything you said. In fact I didn’t go to college but learnt the trade and then the art through great teachers and exemplars on the job. Later I started my own studio and employed people, funnily enough several of the college graduates were not ready for a real job and needed to learn about sticking to a brief, meeting deadlines, doing the boring stuff and even answering the phone professionally! They were all extremely creative however. The cakes were a fun sideline, only done for friends and a few commissions that I again did mostly for fun to test my abilities and didn’t charge nearly enough for! No real regrets though, I met and worked with some truly wonderful people, learnt a lot, worked on great projects and earned a good living. If it hadn’t also adversely impacted my health I might not even feel the small regrets I do have. But thanks for your wise words, I hope they’ll also help anyone who reads them. 💐

[@Westile]

Incredible. Just 10 mins of watching this has answered centuries of questions I've had about movies.

[@HalfWarrior]

You’ve been alive for centuries? I get your meaning 👍🏻

[@GRMNCVS]

@@HalfWarriorhe's the Hocus Pocus guy

[@EleyReiHer]

I love this show back when I was young!!!!!! I couldn't believe I would ever gonna see it again. I was glued in front of tv... The ancipation of it

[@pianoatthirty]

I KNOW RIGHT??? Holy moly I ADORED watching this as kid and never thought i'd see again!!!!

[@reviewbomb85]

i used to watch this every Saturday night on discovery when i was young

[@taterboob]

This show was the reason I knew who guys like Rick Baker, Phil Tippett, Stan Winston, and Tom Savini were as a kid. The Halloween episode in particular used to scare the crap out of me, because it was a lot of effects work on stuff like Day of the Dead and The Exorcist.

[@redmi9anio]

Traditional Matte Painting is true art...we hope more people would keep it alive even with the Digital Matte Painting made using computers today.

[@lao-ce8982]

Yessirski!! Will never stop!

[@justaguy2365]

It'll all be done by AI soon unfortunately

[@Zero-te9rw]

@@justaguy2365 Does not mean people still can't do it.

[@JhonatanLopezProductions]

Now, we have live projection.

[@InTheLifeOfAnArtist]

This gives me so much hope to try to do myself.

[@Stinktierchen]

Because of such matte painting movies actually looked like movies and took you away from reality into their world. Now... everyhitng looks, fake real. I miss this type of "effects".

[@chrisddawson]

Loved this show. Was inspiring then and still today.

[@OctopusOwl]

Gods! This brings me joy to see again after all these years.😊

[@airfiniticustoms]

I remember this use to come on tv on a Sunday good times.

[@jessebbedwell]

I used to watch this show! Thank you for uploading it. What a gem.

[@johndorlean1133]

HA! I loved this show as a kid so much that I became an animator. This brings me back

[@K.KILLORAN]

This was the best show. I used to wait all week for a new episode and then record it on the family vcr and watch it over and over.

[@entsaga]

I got chills listening the intro, this was sooo cool when I was a child, now is cooler

[@ThisIsTheRoad]

Holy shit, the shot of the town at night in "Hocus Pocus" is so gorgeous! 😍 😭

[@mortalkombatarcadelover4479]

Hand matte painting looks and feel so natural.

[@x1101126]

Oh, my god, this melody from the opening make me go direct back to that golden age 😭😭😭😭

[@MysticWolf1223]

I remember watching this show as a kid. Never thought I'd see it again

[@matttheking1655]

Movie Magic was 👌👌 when i was younger....so much nostalgia from seeing this now...😊 Much Appreciated 🙏

[@officialsquadrilogystudio]

Technology can never replace talent. Remember its the artist not the brush.

[@SavedByGrace_CitizenEmperor]

Fascinating. I just watch movies but rarely care about how they were made. I admire creative people and artists. 😊

[@christophedevos3760]

Very insightful, it is just stunning and beautiful what these artist have achieved. Thank you for sharing this.

[@jerrymcpommes8473]

Wow that’s really interesting. And it looks better than CGI.

[@ATMAHATMAN]

No ) it's look way better than bad cgi😢

[@halfvader8015]

You get the catch-22 there right?

[@HarryNicNicholas]

i used to work in VFX and i recall one time going to shepperton studios to be briefed on a new gerry anderson cop show, and the two things that stick in my mind was wandering around the set of thomas the tank engine,, and walking along one of the corridors which was lined with matte paintings, gorgeous photo real paintings just leaning against the wall in a corridor, one of the interior of a submarine, and another from the movie "princess carribou", but there were dozens. when i first moved to london i think there was an exhibition on at the natural history or science museum of effects work for ben hur, which was probably my first introduction to film effects, and somewhere along the line it dawned on me that gone with the wind was a major effects movie - i recall the bodies lying around in one scene were dummies that had an arm attached to string to make them seem like they were moving. way back in the 70's 15:30 i did a set extension shot (one of the longest in the movie) for resident evil, where they walk in between the boxes containing the creatures...

[@clarewillison9379]

Was that Space Precinct? (I made a birthday cake for Ted Shacklefield on behalf of the production company!)

[@davidradecky5399]

Boy I tell ya I wish I was older when they were doing this in Hollywood I've could have been another great artist but unfortunately I was born too late. But I was a kid growing up when this technique was being used regularly in film making. I was just starting my journey as an artist. When I discovered matte painting it was becoming an obsolete craft. The computer took over the art world the days of doing spectacular paintings on glass were over. It went all to digital these days. So as an artist I make matte paintings in my studio for fine art purposes than for film making. At least I can always do the craft.

[@troublewithweebles]

Just filmed my first monster movie, it's in editing now. This show deeply inspired me to work towards film making with my life.

[@RogerMusic]

Idk why I always thought it was called Mega Movie Magic. Thanks for this!

[@petergedd9330]

Fascinating to see the nitty gritty of film making.

[@garrethboland5646]

I was only like 4 years old in 1993, but I really miss the 90s

[@Stickers2Go]

i love the glass painting in Dracula 1931 of the castle

[@PeterRichardsandYoureNot]

This is such an underrated art form. I mean, people go Gaga over art like Monet or Picasso, or Michael Angelo…..because they are more of a classical artwork. These artists that create matte paintings have to do amazing artwork in a very limited timeline. And it has to be super lifelike. It’s amazing how they do this. The pieces should be worth more than most classical works if you ask me. Not only because of the quality of the art but the fact that they are part of a layer in a shot in a movie that will sell a setup or scene that literally transports the viewer into the movie itself.

[@leonardodalongisland]

Yes, but who is "Michael Angelo"?

[@nicolight_]

All the classical painters as you said bring new techniques and new aesthetics to the world of painting before photography and any film. All de classics deserves that recognition. While the mate patting artist were more like craftsman rather than artist in the sense that they does not revolutionary anything particularly in the world of painting. But of course those guys have a lot of skill and deserve a great recognition within the filmmaking process.

[@Lurker1979]

I miss the old-style matt paintings. The digital stuff is too perfect and clean-looking.

[@snoot6629]

theses sucks , why cant just they build it from scratch or go to location , lazy and fake film making

[@nebularain3338]

​@@snoot6629 I take it you have worked in both VFX and traditional practical effects departments on multiple films to be able to make that statement? If so, then I'm surprised you don't know that the old ways are now cost prohibitive, not becasue studios aren't willing to spend, but the materials are far more expensive today than back then. Also, as a VFX artist I'm sure you've been on a crunch where you've had to sleep on the floor for the last few weeks of a project like literally every VFX studio has had to do. Hardly the definition of "lazy". Or maybe you're just talking crap about stuff that you know nothing about?

[@fkdump]

@@snoot6629 Just a way to save budget so the celebrities and producers can have fatter profits, wonder how much these matt painters were paid, they were so underrated but probably were treated better than the VFX artists nowadays.

[@Aaron067]

​@@snoot6629how is putting several dozens of hours on a singular piece of work being lazy? Either your English is the same level as that of a 1st grader's or you genuinely have no clue about what you are talking about.

[@snoot6629]

@nebularain3338 cgi vfx lmao All fake computer no skill nonsense If you want an explosion just do it None of that computer crap , looks so fake lmfao

[@mainmanmainlining7575]

Such a fantastic show. Pre-net this was it.

[@matsnilson7727]

I love it! Sure, mattes made with computers today can be more detailed (and look fantasic, of course) but there's just something about these old glass paintings, and the careful planning to make everything work together, that will always impress me more.

[@2FRESH-4U]

True movie magic

[@guts2k3]

thanks for the upload ^_^ this was one of my favorite episodes back then :D

[@VenusHeadTrap2]

I wanted to see more of that Batman Returns re shot ending with Catwoman .

[@TheCombatartist]

True artisans - can’t be many left

[@Dr.W.Krueger]

This is how I started in this industry; doing matte paintings in oil and model building. :)

[@Vuusteri]

These should be in art galleries. They are physical pieces of art. Today with computers everything is just files.

[@Vesalempinen]

There are some, but they are cumbersome & heavy, as they were painted on a glass.

[@RealMakerOfStuff]

I loved this series!

[@user-ko3um5sm3r]

FANTASTIC! Yes! Matte Paintings are true works of art. The immense effort they need to put on one movie alone. Sadly, it's now part of the past. I do not know if in some country they still use it.

[@kennydolby1379]

I remember watching this show as a kid in the 90s.

[@gromotion933]

Crazy...now you could fill in the promt "Remove background and fill in some awsome clouds" into the KI of Videoeditor and the job is done in nearly he same Quality in seconds.

[@flooko]

true masters, and one of my fav old shows !

[@pablosantander5739]

Amazing documentary. Thanks

[@MrGuion77]

You are the best!!!! Thanks for this. 💯🤘👍

[@jugandoclasicos]

I miss these kinds of techniques, I saw them in movies like The Running Man or Blade Runner, the futuristic thing looked so real.

[@QuentrixMovies]

My favorite part is how they scratch off the paint to let light shine through for the nighttime scenes. So simple but effective.

[@CoreyJohnson193]

This is hilarious and awesome! Amazing how much work it took!

[@AbigailJrney-1]

This is truly amazing!!

[@keaton718]

CGi is basically a matte painting done with computers, and where matte paintings are usually just a single frame shown for multiple seconds CGI is 24 frames per second instead. I think because matte paintings just used a single frame they put a bit more effort into them. For an experienced painter it was probably a bit cheaper to come up with some wild stuff in a painting vs needing CGI experts to develop the same thing in motion.

[@beltenebrosgr1904]

Magical... just magical!

[@danieldemayo6209]

Funny, I just watched Dennis the Menace again the other day and that Matte is amazing. I actually paused to look at it for a while because my brain was trying to figure out if it was real or not. "What a sight, I bet they don't even lock their doors" lol. Just saw this sold at auction for $575 a few years back.

[@AllanGildea]

Stunning skill. Thank you.

[@vctr7524]

the planet Bajor!

[@user-dk3up2nl1m]

The House of Quark!

[@user-dk3up2nl1m]

Star Trek has tonssss of Matte paintings in all their series

[@GeorgeStreicherMusic]

Great video quality on this! I used to love this show when they'd show it on Discovery Channel.

[@mreinstein48]

Fantastic work!!!!

[@macabo]

i miss these days. Its nothing like this now.

[@omdraws7325]

Great upload!

[@frydaynightlive]

the first time i heard about matte paintings was the scnen from ROTJ, in which you could see hundreds of stormtroopers, when the imperator arrives. It blew my mind, that these were actually painted!

[@rpmcnee]

amazing talent

[@alansmith9814]

GREAT ART

[@Hyperdeath.Kisses]

Such a neat effect! This is a great video and I've learned a lot! :)

[@toi_techno]

Double exposure Amazing

[@defface777]

That was interesting! Thanks

[@FilmFloozy]

Terrific!

[@jeffcox6539]

This series made me want to work in movies, in an age before CGI everything.

[@davidmusset3435]

I used to watch this in the 90s on French tv

[@DarkStar-wu9nq]

He is an amazing Artist

[@montybrewster7]

Awesome vid. Thanks vfx geek.

[@RX-8GT]

Can you imagine the amount of money these guys get with their incredible talent

[@v7bdv7bd34]

Здорово. Как же сейчас всё упростилось.

[@carolinependleton8445]

That was very interesting thnankyou

[@ScarysReviews]

still better than cgi, green, blue screen

[@user-il9zw2pk3e]

This is actually works today with Unreal Engine Screen used in Mandalorian series. Awesome

[@The_Pretend_Elite]

BRAVO BRAVO !!!

[@HouseOwl]

5:14 "It's Already Painted In My Head"

[@princepeterwolf]

The level of talent some people have is truly extraordinary

[@contimaze]

Toàn hoạ sĩ trường kiểu phái siêu thực luôn 😮😮 vẽ nhìn khủng thiệt

[@esheppshepard]

Its like time travelling. Its true art but i go with ci gi eye

[@marklola12]

matte paintings did look good BUT even as a kid i could always tell what was a Painting. like how today you can mostly tell what is CGI....zero difference but older people look back with rose tinted glasses and make believe it was better back then when it was the same as it is now

[@user-dk3up2nl1m]

Same here. As a kid i could tell on Star Trek ofcourse

[@chauffeurmarco]

Simon would say: Humans got talent

[@jimw7916]

God will make you pay for that "magic of cinema"

[@Jeffdraws101]

This was a good time to film this episodes, as this was probably the last great utilization of matte painting.

[@FekLeyrTarg]

Even though much has been digitized these days, the basic principles remain the same. I still see people doing matte paintings even though many them use a drawing tablet and a program like Photoshop. The results are impressive nonetheless. 🙂

[@nonenoneonenonenone]

Digitizing adds too much detail, that's why CGI "extras" look like ants, and their movements are too uniform.

[@nonenoneonenonenone]

Digital "art" is never as good as human. Look at maps. They can never make a nicely shaped curved line.

[@just_delightful]

Kind of. They kind of lost the "realistic" camera movement.

[@snoot6629]

@@nonenoneonenonenone i knooow , just look at magic the gathering art or any picture book done in digital

[@cz941]

@@nonenoneonenonenoneWe are not talking about AI "Art", we are talking about digital matte paintings made by humans and they require as much skill and dedication as the traditional method

[@mistrfinga]

Why don't they make anything like this anymore,? Faceoff and the hebson one are just soap opera drama. I just want to watch artisits being artits and figuring out slick ways to pull things off with limited time and/or money. This series was my childhood!

[@canturgan]

Amazing skills. Ingenious.

[@deadstar44]

That young matte painter Robert Stromberg went on to direct the live action Maleficent starring Angelina Jolie in 2018 after working and winning an academy award for Best Set Design on Avatar.

[@Misterword20]

This is the real magic! I appreciate them most them the sh-/it of cgi we have today.

[@fatkungfu5088]

☑️ SUBSCRIBED!! 🤩🤩🤩

[@edwinnoermansyah]

wow

[@flashback7273]

Interesting that they store film in the freezer. I remember parents putting old film rolls from cameras in the fridge. So condensation isn't a problem then? Or do they set the temp just right? Very interesting.

[@tapthatt2012]

I recorded a bunch of these shows on vhs.

[@mego73]

Albert Whitlock is the Dick Smith of matte paintings

[@theceralbox]

Oof the last lines broke my heart a bit if he only knew what would haooen in 5 years time

[@Bitingyouintheeye]

Are they using acrylic or oil paints ??

[@alfredolopez-vo5ly]

cuando el cine tenia magia

[@Nikopol5]

Excellent image quality. It's rip from Japan LaserDisk?

[@VFXGeek]

It's AI upscaled.

[@MitchellElder]

@@VFXGeekwhat program?