Great piece! I co-wrote ED WOOD, so this was a fun trip back in time. I visited those miniature sets a few times, down at Paul’s place. I wish I’d kept one of the tombstones.
I love "Ed Wood" to pieces. It may be Tim Burton's most sustained, most charming movie. Part of its charm was the miniature work, in particular the title sequence (especially with the tentacles rising out of the lagoon). Piercefilm Productions, thank you for this video. And thank you, Scott Alexander, for co-writing such a gem.
This is my favorite segment so far, just because you go into such detail about the funky, barely-held-together, please-let-it-work situation you were in, and the very Woodian building materials you came up with. Seeing model building on a huge TITANIC level budget is one thing, but I truly love seeing model building for a major release done at a level that you could cobble together with the leftovers in an abandoned garage. That's truly inspiring work, as far as I'm concerned.
Absolutely riveting “in the trenches” story of getting that big downtown miniature Hollywood shot! Maybe one of your best interviews yet over all. And that shirt! Yet another fantastic post. Thank you!
Evan interviewed himself since I can't get to America with this pandemic going on. He did a great job mixing tech info with personal model shop stories. And I have many more of his interviews coming up!
@@piercefilm Some people are just born storytellers and he’s definitely one of them. But the great job you’re doing cannot be denied. Its like the ultimate Cinefex issue on steroids.
I consider it TIm Burton's best film, as well as the best movie about making movies of all time. I like Burton just fine but he was channeling something special here
same here lol, i literally go and watch or rewatch all these films that are showcased on this channel to see if i can pick up that it is a miniature or not. fun times
That's an old model railroad construction technique along with the chicken wire. Mostly modelers have used a cardboard lattice covered with Hydrocal-soaked paper towels. Some even manufacture plaster or Hydrocal-soaked gauze (similar to plaster cast material for broken bones). All you have to do is dip it in water and drape it across the under structure. It's very popular along with carving rigid insulation foam or spray foam, or casting foam or plaster rocks in rubber molds.
Thank you, I love these hand-to-mouth existence stories, they almost cure my depression if I look around the place and see EVERYTHING being pretty much similarly makeshift in my 'studio'. But, at least doing things this way we can be sure the end look will be unique! (What I tell myself in order to sleep at night) 😉🤖
Hi Evan, I'm also Evan (not many of us around). I knew Paul in the 80's and he was definitely on the cheap side of things, and I remember visiting the shop. It was fun for me because I was in CG already, but model shops were far more interesting. I bid on something with Paul but I can't for the life of me remember what it was. Anyway thanks for the Ed Wood story, very fun and interesting.
I don't know if it's just me, but it seems like the movies themselves were better when most of the effects were done with miniatures. Ever since they've gone to mostly CGI, sure, it's faster & cheaper, but the movies themselves seem to get lousier & lousier.
No... It's not just you. Most of us film fans feel the same way. My wife and I would rather see a cheap miniature than some God awful CG model fly on screen.
@Tom Says I once saw a segment on the 'special features' of a DVD, in which a couple of SFX artisans from ILM said basically the same thing. In the segment, they talked about how much more fun it was to do film-effects the old-fashioned way, building huge models made of balsa wood & molded plastic with their own hands, gluing in all the little fine details, placing strings of leds in all the right places, and then going out & filming the models in the equivalent of somebody's garage or out in a vacant lot someplace. They pretty much agreed that they got far more enjoyment & satisfaction of doing effects that way than spending hours sitting in front of a computer screen moving a mouse around.
I was about to ask the same. Especially since he used the term in the correct context 😆 Rewound it three times to make sure I heard him right. Another great video, though! 👌
@@Lumibear. Is there another term used frequently over in the Isles because it seems it gets used a little too much - like there is no other expression. (Not that you don't get tired of American slang.)
I love these stories about how to get it done when you're short on time and money. Great stuff. I find myself in a minority here though. As a Tim Burton fan, this is by far my least favorite movie of his. Plan 9 from Outer Space was supposed to be one of the worst movies ever made and I thought Ed Wood wasn't much better. Parts of it were interesting but it just didn't do it for me. I saw it when it came out and I might have finished it but I don't remember. Since everyone here is raving about it, maybe I should take another look.
You should look at the original Plan 9 and check on Bela Lugosi's and Ed Wood's biography. Burton's film is thoroughly enjoyable as a love letter to these actors and that particular time period in Hollywood. Also, check MST3Ks episode on Plan 9 if you want a good laugh.
@@DoctorNemmo I saw the original Plan 9 and MST3K's. It was funny. Bela Lugosi was fine but when he died, the movie quickly went into the toilet. I'm pretty weird though. I've never been an Elvis fan either.
@@grantrichards4950 I'm pretty sure I'd have hated Plan 9 when I was younger. I didn't like Elvis or Sinatra either. But then the years pass and you begin to find comfort in silly, simple things. There's something inherently heartwarming in watching an already stablished director like Burton sharing a piece of his childhood in this film, and seeing how a transvestite, alcoholic director and a heroin-addicted old actor in his last years -individuals who otherwise would have been considered outcasts or simply bad influences- managed to fascinate him and imprint on him his future career.
Sold out on Amazon. But the DVD is only a teaser trailer for my TH-cam channel. I am posting much more here including brand new interviews not on the DVD. Much more coming up soon! Every week a new segment is posted.
@@piercefilm I think it's great. I do scale modelling for about 50 years now and watched all that movies. Some movies I missed, now viewed because of your channel!
Not bong... Boss. Evan worked for a few years at Boss Film doing effects before working at Boyington. He also talks about his work at Boss in other segments.
Great piece! I co-wrote ED WOOD, so this was a fun trip back in time. I visited those miniature sets a few times, down at Paul’s place. I wish I’d kept one of the tombstones.
It's a great film! "Pull ze strings!" Amazing characters and storytelling. Great work.
Great work, mr Alexander!
Just wiki'd you out of curiosity and wow! ed wood, people vs larry flint, man on the moon and dolemite is my name... love these movies!
Great film. Love it.
I love "Ed Wood" to pieces. It may be Tim Burton's most sustained, most charming movie. Part of its charm was the miniature work, in particular the title sequence (especially with the tentacles rising out of the lagoon). Piercefilm Productions, thank you for this video. And thank you, Scott Alexander, for co-writing such a gem.
My First model making job. 7 in the morning till 10 at night, 6 days a week for 6 weeks. Minimum wage. and it was awesome.
This is my favorite segment so far, just because you go into such detail about the funky, barely-held-together, please-let-it-work situation you were in, and the very Woodian building materials you came up with. Seeing model building on a huge TITANIC level budget is one thing, but I truly love seeing model building for a major release done at a level that you could cobble together with the leftovers in an abandoned garage. That's truly inspiring work, as far as I'm concerned.
I loved Ed Wood, great movie. I've seen it several times, I guess I need to see it again.
Excellent segment! Thanks for this one!
Absolutely riveting “in the trenches” story of getting that big downtown miniature Hollywood shot! Maybe one of your best interviews yet over all. And that shirt! Yet another fantastic post. Thank you!
Evan interviewed himself since I can't get to America with this pandemic going on. He did a great job mixing tech info with personal model shop stories. And I have many more of his interviews coming up!
@@piercefilm Some people are just born storytellers and he’s definitely one of them. But the great job you’re doing cannot be denied. Its like the ultimate Cinefex issue on steroids.
one of my top 3 films of all time, what a great segment 👍🏻
Great shirt.
Amazing shirt Evan!!!!! also @ 10:13 describing the extender as wanky...a combination of wonky and janky...I'm stealing that...hahaha
Just be aware wanky in the uk means ‘rubbish’ derived from wank which can be a verb ‘to wank’ or an adjective ‘that’s wank’ ie that’s shit. 😀
@@honestmcgyver oh I’m not only aware from having done my semester abroad in London.. but it makes it a million times funnier !!
I never saw Ed Wood, now I'll have to give it a view!
Great film about making low budget movies. And wearing angora sweaters...
Me me neither, me too! 👀
I consider it TIm Burton's best film, as well as the best movie about making movies of all time. I like Burton just fine but he was channeling something special here
same here lol, i literally go and watch or rewatch all these films that are showcased on this channel to see if i can pick up that it is a miniature or not. fun times
Excellent movie, highly recommended.
My favorite movie - this was awesome thanks!
Also a favorite of mine. Thanks for watching!
This made me love this movie even more.
I love the aluminum foil trick! Necessity is the mother of invention
That's an old model railroad construction technique along with the chicken wire. Mostly modelers have used a cardboard lattice covered with Hydrocal-soaked paper towels. Some even manufacture plaster or Hydrocal-soaked gauze (similar to plaster cast material for broken bones). All you have to do is dip it in water and drape it across the under structure. It's very popular along with carving rigid insulation foam or spray foam, or casting foam or plaster rocks in rubber molds.
That guy's retro sci-fi rockets shirt is great!
The results, coupled with Howard Shore's theremin-and-bongo-fueled music, are riveting.
Fabulous channel, thank you.
Thanks for watching. More coming up soon!
That shirt is FANTASTIC!!
Thank you, I love these hand-to-mouth existence stories, they almost cure my depression if I look around the place and see EVERYTHING being pretty much similarly makeshift in my 'studio'.
But, at least doing things this way we can be sure the end look will be unique! (What I tell myself in order to sleep at night) 😉🤖
Great video :)
One of the best movies I ever saw
Hi Evan, I'm also Evan (not many of us around). I knew Paul in the 80's and he was definitely on the cheap side of things, and I remember visiting the shop. It was fun for me because I was in CG already, but model shops were far more interesting. I bid on something with Paul but I can't for the life of me remember what it was. Anyway thanks for the Ed Wood story, very fun and interesting.
Ed Wood is my favorite Burton/Depp movie.
Damn, I thought of Ed Wood last night and here I get an Ed Wood video in my recommendations.
My cuz owns some of the real Ed Wood's props and clothing.
I don't know if it's just me, but it seems like the movies themselves were better when most of the effects were done with miniatures. Ever since they've gone to mostly CGI, sure, it's faster & cheaper, but the movies themselves seem to get lousier & lousier.
No... It's not just you. Most of us film fans feel the same way. My wife and I would rather see a cheap miniature than some God awful CG model fly on screen.
Agreed
@Tom Says I once saw a segment on the 'special features' of a DVD, in which a couple of SFX artisans from ILM said basically the same thing. In the segment, they talked about how much more fun it was to do film-effects the old-fashioned way, building huge models made of balsa wood & molded plastic with their own hands, gluing in all the little fine details, placing strings of leds in all the right places, and then going out & filming the models in the equivalent of somebody's garage or out in a vacant lot someplace. They pretty much agreed that they got far more enjoyment & satisfaction of doing effects that way than spending hours sitting in front of a computer screen moving a mouse around.
How the heck did they get the transitions from miniature to full-scale with actors so seemless?
Motion control and good compositing. Also the lightning flashes helped hide the combination.
The opening of Tim Burton’s Ed Wood alone cost more to make, than any of the entire budgets of any of the movies that Ed Wood directed.
Wow
10:12 it was what?
It wasn't the most modern, steady motion control.
@@piercefilm haha, it’s just an interesting choice of wording, especially if you’re British.
I was about to ask the same. Especially since he used the term in the correct context 😆
Rewound it three times to make sure I heard him right.
Another great video, though! 👌
@@Lumibear. Is there another term used frequently over in the Isles because it seems it gets used a little too much - like there is no other expression. (Not that you don't get tired of American slang.)
@@spinsandneedles oh my, if I answered that question I’d get banned for life, but yes.
Grover Godzilla in the background
I love these stories about how to get it done when you're short on time and money. Great stuff. I find myself in a minority here though. As a Tim Burton fan, this is by far my least favorite movie of his. Plan 9 from Outer Space was supposed to be one of the worst movies ever made and I thought Ed Wood wasn't much better. Parts of it were interesting but it just didn't do it for me. I saw it when it came out and I might have finished it but I don't remember. Since everyone here is raving about it, maybe I should take another look.
You should look at the original Plan 9 and check on Bela Lugosi's and Ed Wood's biography. Burton's film is thoroughly enjoyable as a love letter to these actors and that particular time period in Hollywood. Also, check MST3Ks episode on Plan 9 if you want a good laugh.
@@DoctorNemmo I saw the original Plan 9 and MST3K's. It was funny. Bela Lugosi was fine but when he died, the movie quickly went into the toilet. I'm pretty weird though. I've never been an Elvis fan either.
@@grantrichards4950 I'm pretty sure I'd have hated Plan 9 when I was younger. I didn't like Elvis or Sinatra either. But then the years pass and you begin to find comfort in silly, simple things. There's something inherently heartwarming in watching an already stablished director like Burton sharing a piece of his childhood in this film, and seeing how a transvestite, alcoholic director and a heroin-addicted old actor in his last years -individuals who otherwise would have been considered outcasts or simply bad influences- managed to fascinate him and imprint on him his future career.
Is this DVD, sense of scale, available anywhere???
Sold out on Amazon. But the DVD is only a teaser trailer for my TH-cam channel. I am posting much more here including brand new interviews not on the DVD. Much more coming up soon! Every week a new segment is posted.
@@piercefilm I think it's great. I do scale modelling for about 50 years now and watched all that movies. Some movies I missed, now viewed because of your channel!
I want the shirt Evan is wearing.
👀👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾🎬🎥😷
Was funny when he accidently called it "Bong" and quickly said "Boington".
Not bong... Boss. Evan worked for a few years at Boss Film doing effects before working at Boyington. He also talks about his work at Boss in other segments.
My parents called it junking and they hated it forbid my usein the camera
Not sure what you mean....
Can I hazzz dat shirt? 😀
Also thanks for all these priceless SFX videos people 😊
A lot more video segments coming up!