--
Looking back at a career thats lived-through 30 years of industry change - from globalization and digitization of staid production efficiencies, to computer graphic visual effects, to there's an APP for that' - award winning Todd Masters, Founder and President of acclaimed creature FX studio MASTERSFX, says he is amazed at how his practical FX continue to STILL be in demand - even more prevalent - in today's crowded field of digital visual effects.
The hand-crafted art of make-up effects, prosthetics and highly realistic artificial bodies, remains at the core of our business for 30 years now! Masters said excitedly, celebrating his milestone. Our physical, on-set practical FX work is very-much in demand these days. I'd even say, we've been busier these last couple of years, more than I can ever recall. That surprises even me.
He states that a current crop of in-the-know filmmakers has helped the resurgence - demanding a more believable and organic look for their film's FX. Many of today's renowned directors were kids when I started this business. And like me, they grew up watching monster movies and dreaming of creation. Because of this childhood wonder, and their passion for realizing these creations - we find that many are prefer having these things show up on set - integrating the onset practical FX, with digital work. Directors like Adam Wingard, Christopher Nolan, Guillermo del Toro, JJ Abrams, James Gunn are poster boys for the love of practical FX.
Masters' company's experience mixing practical work into modern visual effects -- along with many other methodological changes in his company, seems to be the key to their vibrancy. Practical FX work onset not only can help with budgets, but it often grounds the film into some reality. If everything has a magical appearance to it, it's difficult for audiences to grasp story and parse objectively.
Masters points to the recent Star Wars and Star Trek films and how they relish the successful mixing of both practical and digital FX. JJ Abrams comes from making his own hand-crafted films. And like many other modern auteurs, he gets it. He and I were sitting on a plane a few years ago, talking about just how practical FX owes a resurgence - and ways to align with digital, for a better result, as we were doing on Fringe,' for him, at the time. I was showing him shots on my laptop, from Falling Skies' and other projects, where we had integrated practical and digital aliens beautifully. And he loved it.
Today, screens both large and small are filled with MASTERSFX's practical art. Latest projects:
Kate Beckisale's highly anticipated return to leather and Lycans in Underworld: Blood Wars - filmed in Prague at the notorious Barrandov Studios, where MastersFX set up shop to reprise their role creating the practical Lycans FX. MASTERSFX has done similar work on the series last installment. The company works with the film's producer, Lakeshore Studios, often, having also created the title character for the acclaimed film The Boy, last year.
The recent premiers for The Beyond and Shadowhunters, airing on Freeform.
Later this month, SyFy's hotly anticipated Season 2 of the adult-themed fantasy, The Magicians. The Magicians is an interesting project for us, notes Masters. They lean heavily on our practical FX, to avoid an over-CG-everything-look. When CG is used, it's sparing and smart - retaining a very organic, believable magic, unique to this show.
In February comes the premiere of FX/Marvel's Legion. Masters and his team helped expand the world created by show-runner Noah Hawley ( Fargo ) and Producers Lauren Shuler-Donner ( X-Men, Deadpool, ) and John Cameron ( The Big Lebowski, Bad Santa. ) The second-season of SyFy's hit space saga The Expanse also returns in mid-February, featuring make-up FX by MFX's Toronto location.
March brings the much-anticipated Prison Break for Fox -- and Handmaid's Tale on Hulu.
The anticipated release of the James Gunn ( Guardians Of The Galaxy ) penned and produced The Belko Experiment, also hits theatres in March. For this grisly office ensemble, MFX supplied bloody make-up effects as well as visual effects. The film was shot on location in Bogota, Colombia.
Masters further explains why practical FX work remains so prevalent in 2017:
Not only are WE coming off one of our hottest seasons in our studio's 30 year history, but some our colleagues and competitors from other FX shops are also reporting a similar spike in their businesses, too. Practical FX are consistently being featured on both television and the big screen, from hit series like The Walking Dead' and American Horror Story, to the recent hits Deadpool, HBO's Westworld, Monster Calls, Interstellar and Prometheus.
If you told me, say, 20 years ago, when CG really started taking hold within film and TV production, that we'd be so busy today, I would have been greatly surprised. But we've learned to stop worrying - and just embrace the continued and ever growing demand for our art! Masters adds.
Among the reasons for the consistent prevalence of MASTERSFX work are:
The skills of their in-house digital departments and award-winning Visual Effects. MASTERSFX adds their practical FX seamlessly in blending CG.
Cost: Practical FX versus digital FX are constantly facing off in budgeting, typically practical is most production friendly
Speed: Television in particular demands a high pace of modern production -MASTERSFX consistently delivers
Not a tennis ball: Practical, onset character FX are able to be directed - actors can touch them, perform off them, and can offer live, on-set performances. In this manner, filmmakers get the most out of their FX, when they can direct them and integrate them into t
Most recent headlines
04/08/2024
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, is excited to announce Santiago Solanas as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO)....
03/06/2024
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, a...
28/04/2024
Mediahaus delivers the first SRT live-streaming sports production over 5G with U...
23/04/2024
Entitled Our Creative Future, the manifesto calls for radical new action' t...
23/04/2024
The company has secured investment from private equity firm PAI Partners, which also holds a stake in outside broadcasting company EMG
By Jenny Priestley
Pub...
23/04/2024
Cameron also said he recognised Marlow as a potential UK and European base for his new company, LIGHTSTORM 3D
By Matthew Corrigan
Published: April 23, 2024 ...
23/04/2024
The five categories cover Content Creation, Content Distribution, Content Everywhere, Social Impact and Environment & Sustainability
By Matthew Corrigan
Publ...
23/04/2024
He played a central role in securing key broadcast rights, including the FIFA World Cup 2018 and 2022
By Matthew Corrigan
Published: April 23, 2024
He pla...
23/04/2024
IBC is preparing to honour the highest achievements in technological innovation and social impact with the launch of its prestigious IBC2024 Innovation Awards, ...
23/04/2024
BREA, Calif. Bolin Technology is integrating Network Device Interface (NDI) across its product line, bringing support for the latest NDI technologies to its PTZ...
23/04/2024
WYOMISSING, Pa. PENN Entertainment has announced that longtime Disney and ESPN executive Aaron LaBerge has been named chief technology officer effective July 1,...
23/04/2024
In response to an FCC ruling in March proposing a $1.2 million fine against Nexstar and a ruling that Mission Broadcasting sell WPIX, Nexstar has filled a respo...
23/04/2024
Sony has announced new details about how the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) is using Sony's Ci Media Cloud platform to streamline its workflows and spe...
23/04/2024
Esports' rapid rise to popularity can be attributed to many factors, from technological advancements that have enhanced the quality of modern gaming experie...
23/04/2024
OpenDrives, Inc., the global provider of software-defined media workflow solutions and data management capabilities, has been selected as a winner in the 2024 N...
23/04/2024
BCNEXXT is pleased to announce that Vpe has won the 2024 NAB Show Product of the Year Award in the Asset Management, Automation and Playout category. The offici...
23/04/2024
Gravity Media, a world leading global provider of complex live creative production and media services, today outlined the broadcast technology and television pr...
23/04/2024
Scality, a global leader in cyber-resilient storage for the AI era, today announced the appointment of Peter Brennan as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Scality...
23/04/2024
Blackmagic Design today announced ATEM 1 M/E Constellation 4K and ATEM 2 M/E Constellation 4K switchers, two new Ultra HD models of the ATEM Constellation famil...
23/04/2024
Blackmagic Design today announced Blackmagic Videohub 120x120 12G, the newest model in the Videohub 12G router family. The massive Blackmagic Videohub 120x120 1...
23/04/2024
Blackmagic Design today announced new lower prices for Blackmagic Video Assist 3G and 12G models. Customers can save US$200 on all models. These lower prices ma...
23/04/2024
Adder Technology continues to shine brightly, with its groundbreaking product, the ADDERLink INFINITY 3000 (ALIF3000), once again taking center stage. Hot on t...
23/04/2024
Pliant Technologies' CRP-C12 Compact Radio Pack is an Audio Production, Processing and Networking category winner in the 2024 NAB Show Product of the Year A...
23/04/2024
SipRadius, the specialists in live media transport and transcoding, will showcase their world-leading implementation of AV1 and JPEG-XS over transport streams a...
23/04/2024
Composer Rafael Krux has added a Prism Sound Dream ADA-128 modular conversion system to his production studio where he creates music for commercials, trailers, ...
23/04/2024
PMC proudly provides the ultimate large-scale Dolby Atmos audio system for the legendary musician Steven Wilson at the High End, Munich. He will share his exten...
23/04/2024
Particles emitting from a 3D rotating shape's edge
Graham Quince April 22, 2024
0 Comments
In Fixin' FX, people send me their problematic proj...
23/04/2024
Hollyland Technology Announces a New Line of Video Transmitters: Introducing the...
23/04/2024
Charlotte Deleste, anchor at WISC Madison, Wisconsin, is leaving the station. Her final day on the air is April 24. Deleste has spent 18 years there....
23/04/2024
Top WNBA draft choice Caitlin Clark will appear on local broadcast for 17 games next season in a deal between Tegna and the Indiana Fever....
23/04/2024
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
We thank TK for his leadership and dedication to our customers' success. We wish him well on his retirement, said Yannick ...
23/04/2024
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
On April 23rd 2024, Thales, the German Navy and German military procurement agency, BAAINBw (Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipm...
22/04/2024
22 April 2024 - Award-winning broadcaster UKTV has today announced it has invested in the award-winning online care marketplace, Elder, using its multi-million ...
22/04/2024
It's a beautiful day to be a Swiftie. On April 19, Taylor Swift dropped her ...
22/04/2024
SBS marks Earth Day with Australian TV milestone as The Cook Up with Adam Liaw b...
22/04/2024
In this video, LEE Filters ambassador Jordan Banks ventures into Snowdonia National Park in Wales. Faced with less-than-ideal weather conditions, he adapts his ...
22/04/2024
The Nexstar Media Group has decided not to renew affiliation agreements for The CW broadcast network with stations owned by Scripps in seven markets....
22/04/2024
INDIANAPOLIS and Tysons, Va. In the wake of record viewing levels for the NCAA Women's Championship games, Tegna has announced that it has signed an agreeme...
22/04/2024
Digital Domain Unveils Masquerade3 : Revolutionary Markerless Facial Motion Cap...
22/04/2024
Pixotope brings the power of Unreal Engine to automated and news broadcast graph...
22/04/2024
Brand New Color Slice tool in DaVinci Resolve 19!
Kasia Jarco April 22, 2024
0 Comments
In this video i would like to show you the newest Color Slice ...
22/04/2024
Apple Motion's Best-Kept Secret
Simon Ubsdell April 22, 2024
0 Comments
A seriously useful technique that I have employed in many of my tutorials ...
22/04/2024
After Thursday night's sneak peek, the National Academy of Television Arts a...
22/04/2024
Nexstar Media Group said it does not intend to renew the affiliations of The CW stations owned by the E.W. Scripps Co. in seven markets....
22/04/2024
The Chameleon solution provides access to real-time data from a range of sources, enabling users to construct tickers, L-bars, snipes, web widgets and full fram...
22/04/2024
TVBEuropes editor Jenny Priestley highlights some of the main talking points at this years NAB Show
By Jenny Priestley
Published: April 22, 2024
TVBEurope...
22/04/2024
WRAL-TV Anchor/Reporter Brian Shrader made a big announcement on Friday, April 19, 2024. After 16 years as morning traffic anchor, Shrader will be moving to ...
22/04/2024
Prime Video has ordered a second season of Fallout. The show, based on a videogame and set 200 years after the apocalypse, comes from Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Jo...
22/04/2024
CBS News and Stations debuts a multi-part investigation called Anything For Love: Inside the Romance Scam Epidemic Sunday, April 21. Airing across CBS News and ...
-- 
