Special Effects: The History and Technique

This absolutely perfect book, I'm going to study VFX, and I have to study some of the technique before and this is exactly what i need. History of effects since 19-20 century until present, a lot of photos for example( Lord of the Ring, King Kong, Matrix, Underworld, Troy...many others,
capitols:
1. History of special effects
2. Optical effects
3. Models
4. Animation
5. Matte Paintings
6. Make Up
7. Physical effects
8. Sound
9. Conclusion
academy awards, bibliography .....

i really recommend this book to everyone who is interested in visual effects or film industry.

MAGIC CAPTURED (3/3 people found this helpful)

Recently, while searching for an appropriate textbook to assign my students for the course I'm teaching at UCLA on the history of Visual Effects, I was faced with the decided challenge of identifying one book that would capture the magic of visual effects in a comprehensive fashion.

Richard Rickett's book does that and much more. The book brilliantly covers the entire scope of visual and special effects techniques throughout film history and up to the recent past while documenting the historical milestones and technical accomplishments that are so central to many of the most magical moments in film history.

At the same time, it provides a face to the effects industry - paying homage to the giants of years past as well as an introducing many of today's greatest artists.

The book is a wonderful addition to the library of anyone who believes themselves to be serious about film production or film history.

The Best on the Subject (3/3 people found this helpful)

I recently got my copy of `Special Effects: The History and Technique' after waiting quite a while for a new edition to be published.

This is a really fantastic book which anyone interested in effects ought to own and enjoy. As someone who works as a `techie' in the industry, as well as someone who enjoys the history of special effects, this book really satisfies all my areas of interest.

Richard Rickitt has managed to do an excellent job of balancing the science of special effects with the art and the craft. He has covered every conceivable variety of special effects from the first crude methods to the latest computer generated marvels and as well as describing the technique, he has often revealed the aims and aspirations of those pioneering individuals that worked on them - so it's not all just about the technology.

There are literaly hundreds of fantastic photos, many of which i have never seen before. There are also excellent technical diagrams - not the science text-book type illustrations that other books on the subject have, but nicely designed, colourful images with some nice design flourishes.

I'd also like to comment on the writing. I am sometimes asked to write about special effects and can tell you that trying to explain a technique so that it will satisfy the experts but also be understandable to the uninitiated is no mean feat. I can spend hours on a single sentance! The author of this book must have spent a long time working out how to explain some of the more complicated techniques - which he manages to do in a concise, accurate, yet easy to read manner.

The only thing I might disagree with is the author's selection of the 50 most important effects films - but he does say it is a very personal choice, so who am I to argue?

This book is really worth the money - especially since it has an interesting foreword from the master, Ray Harryhausen.

Fantastic Effects Book (5/5 people found this helpful)

Special Effects is THE BEST book you could wish for on the subject. I have a shelf full of old, an mostly inaccurate books about special effects, but with this new book I could throw the rest away. Also, don't bother with magazines like Cinefex anymore, which are very dry and heavy going. this book is a pleasure to read and has interviews with everyone who is important in the business. There are hundreds of cool photos as well which makes it very good value. Anyone who works in special effects, or is just interested in the movies should read this book. Congratulations to the author Mr Rickitt who has condensed 100 years of movie magic into a single lavish book. Dont take my word for it - BUY IT!

Essential background, but expensive (6/6 people found this helpful)

Large and luxuriant, this volume is built for comfort rather than for speed. Intended for the coffee table, it cover the entire history of special effects with generous portions devoted to the recent contributions of digital effects artists. You won't find detailed tutorials for Maya, but you''ll be able to read all the basic theory behind camera work, optical effects, model making, make-up, matte painting, animation and audio effects.

Nearly all the right companies have been contacted, from Cinesite to ILM and on to Sony Pictures Imageworks. On top of the plain-talking and superb examples of digital creativity cited, the book is illustrated with great photos and diagrams. The only slight drawback is the price tag, but quality doesn't always come cheap.

Special Effects: The History and Technique

Richard Rickitt

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