message to ILM fan

Hi,

Was wondering, what do you know about ILMs collaboration with Derek Meddings on Hudson Hawk? Were the 2 ever going to collaborate again? why were they both involved when ILM usually use their own model unit? (I mean behind the scenes stories/anecdotes/facts from the inside)-

Any other Derek Meddings info much appreciated!

also, did you know that ILMs Vistavision moviola was used by ex ILM FX man Harrison Ellenshaw on Superman IV? Alot of ILM people worked on that picture.

 

Unfortunately Derek Meddings won't collaborate with ILM or anyone. Mr Meddings passed away in 1995 if I'm not mistaken. I even think Goldeneye was dedicated to him.

I don't have the exact details on the production I would have to make some research, or probably ask the ILM trivia master ShaneP. Anyway probably the film was farmed out to several places, Meedings came first with the model unit so they didn't need ILM to take care of the model stuff. ILM would do some of the other FX involved. That year they also had bigger projects to work on. Hook was a huge undertaking (being the longest production for ILM since ROTJ at that point). They also had to work on Backdraft, Star Trek 6, T2 and the Rocketeer around that time. I'll see what I can find out though I don't think Cinefex covered Hudson Hawk.

 

You're right Malducin, Derek Meddings did pass away just before Goldeneye was released in '95.
As for Hudson Hawk,ZZZzzzz...ohh! you mean the effects work? Well, I think Meddings unit was a part of the production itself. He was also involved earlier than ILM and Supervisors Michael Owens and John Knoll(this film was one of Knoll's first as VFX Supervisor btw, for all you trivia buffs, or dealers in minutae. ). Owens supervised the effects plate photo shoot during production, then Knoll came in and took over in post while Owens moved onto other projects. As Malducin observed, ILM's model shop was pretty busy at the time with Hook, Backdraft, The Rocketeer, Trek 6, as well as commercial work.

 

hey, thanks guys- this is great stuff-

seeing as Meddings Magic Camera Co (now known as Millfilm) had it's own optcial dept. (a very good one at that) why did ILM take the optical chores later on? Any ideas? much appreciated

I will return to ask ShaneP and yourself more questions later-

It was very sad Mr. Meddings passed away (especially as he never got to clean his work up on Goldeneye- that model plane crash is so obviously unfinished)- I always wondered whether the ILM and meddings would ever collaborate together again, especially in the space between 1991 and 1994, I was always asking around back then but nobody gave answers- but Millfilm has the legacy living on today, and as with Hudson Hawk they now collaborate wth ILM on K19 and HP2! Meddings would be proud

 

I can mention one small part of ILM's HUDSON HAWK involvement. I was up there at ILM in 1992 or so, either to do an article on MEMOIRS OF AN INVISIBLE MAN (that got cancelled when the movie did poorly) or to do a piece on DEATH BECOMES HER. Anyway, one of the digital paint touch up guys called up some before and afters of Bruce Willis using the flying machine in HUDSON HAWK, showing how ILM painted in dark 'hair' onto his thinning scalp on a frame by frame basis for one shot. Don't know what else they did, but I guess you could call this 'vanity' fx work!