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This blog is intended primarily as a tribute to the inventiveness and ingenuity of the craft of the matte painter during Hollywoods' Golden Era. Some of the shots will amaze in their grandeur and epic quality while others will surprise in their 'invisibility' to even the sophisticated viewer. I hope this collection will serve as an appreciation of the artform and both casual visitors and those with a specialist interest may benefit, enjoy and be amazed at skills largely unknown today.

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This extensive blog post by Peter Cook delves into the art of matte painting and special effects in cinema, highlighting notable films and artists throughout history. It features retrospectives on various films, including 'The Way...
The text is a blog post celebrating the golden era of special effects in movies, focusing on matte painting and traditional special effects. It includes detailed descriptions of specific films and their special effects, as well as...
The text is a tribute to the Golden Era special effects, particularly matte and effects films. It includes a tribute to the late Gene Hackman, a selection for a hall of fame matte, a review of the film 'The Burmese Harp', a flashb...
The blog post is a tribute to the inventiveness and ingenuity of the craft of the matte painter during Hollywood's Golden Era. It includes a collection of incredible films with terrific visual effects sequences, and features matte...
The blog post is a tribute to the Golden Era special effects in Hollywood, focusing on matte paintings and effects in films. It showcases rare and unseen mattes from various movies, including insights into the work of artists like...
The blog post is a tribute to the Golden Era special effects films, focusing on matte and effects films. It includes a variety of films and shots that are often overlooked or unseen, showcasing the work of matte painters like Alan...
The blog post is a tribute to the Golden Era special effects in Hollywood, focusing on matte and effects films. It covers various topics such as uncredited matte work from Albert Whitlock, TV matte painting demo from Albert Whitlo...
The blog post is a tribute to the Golden Era special effects in Hollywood, focusing on matte paintings and trick shots. The author discusses the collection of original matte paintings by Matthew Yuricich, including some never-befo...
The blog post is a tribute to the Golden Era special effects in Hollywood, focusing on matte and effects films. The author discusses various films, including a musical comedy from MGM, a WWII drama, and a disaster picture from the...
The blog post is a tribute to the Golden Era special effects in Hollywood, showcasing various matte paintings from different films and genres. It includes rare and unseen matte shots by artists like Albert Whitlock and Peter Ellen...
The blog post is a tribute to the Golden Era special effects films, focusing on matte paintings and other traditional photographic effects. The post discusses the film 'HEARTBEEPS' (1981) directed by Allan Arkush, highlighting the...
The blog post pays tribute to the Golden Era special effects in Hollywood, showcasing various matte shots and trick shots in comedies. The author highlights the work of various matte painters and effects artists, providing detaile...
The blog post is a tribute to the special effects used in comedy films, showcasing various matte paintings and trick shots from classic movies. The author discusses the work of special effects supervisors and matte artists, highli...
The blog post is a tribute to the special visual effects in low-cost films, showcasing various examples of matte paintings, miniatures, stop motion, opticals, and special make-up effects. The author delves into the artistry and in...
The blog post is a tribute to the matte painters of Hollywood's Golden Era, focusing on the work of Industrial Light & Magic. It covers various films like 'The Dark Crystal,' 'Cocoon,' 'Explorers,' 'Enemy Mine,' 'Young Sherlock Ho...
The blog post is a tribute to the matte painting work done by Industrial Light & Magic during the Golden Era of Hollywood. It covers the matte work done for films like Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back, showcasing the intricat...
The blog post is a tribute to the lost art of traditional matte painting and old school trick photography from Hollywood's Golden Era. It covers the lost 35mm sample reels of Russ Lawson's matte shots, including before and after s...
The blog post is a tribute to the late Bill Taylor, a respected VFX cinematographer, inventor, magician, and collector. It includes anecdotes from Bill's career, his collaborations with other industry professionals, and his innova...
The blog post is a tribute to the special visual effects of the film 'Mighty Joe Young' (1949) and the work of visual effects pioneer Willis O'Brien. It discusses the intricate stop-motion animation, matte painting, and behind-the...
The blog post is a tribute to the Golden Era special effects matte painters, showcasing various matte paintings from different films and TV shows. The post highlights an upcoming auction of hand-painted mattes from visual effects ...
The blog post is a tribute to the Golden Era special effects, focusing on matte paintings. It includes rare and never-before-seen matte paintings by Albert Whitlock and Matthew Yuricich. The post also discusses the upcoming auctio...
The blog post is a tribute to the Golden Era special effects, focusing on matte painting in Hollywood. It includes announcements about the closure of Cinefex, showcases forgotten photographs, and highlights matte art collectors. T...
The blog post is a tribute to Cliff Culley, a British matte painter and effects artist who worked on numerous films, including James Bond movies, Disney films, and other lesser-known productions. The post includes rare behind-the-...
The blog post is a tribute to the Golden Era special effects, focusing on matte painting in particular. It reviews overlooked films such as 'The Black Hole', 'The Great Man's Lady', and 'Equinox'. The post includes behind-the-scen...