The hi-tech wizardry of digital visual effects woven through summer blockbusters such as Avengers Assemble and its comic book brethren are spectacular and give way to some of the most impressive and inventive action sequences we’ve seen. The epic effects of Joss Whedon’s billion dollar hit are seemingly limitless and a far cry from the use of miniature models among other practical special effects used in other films.
With the progress of technology the moment Tony Stark’s Malibu mansion is blown-up into smithereens in Iron Man 3 by a barrage of missiles looks aesthetically impressive but more importantly realistic and believable; gone are the days of when buildings or cars are blown-up with real explosives every time.
With the ubiquity of visual FX dominating the cinema landscape we want to look back over the magic time of practical effects, asking the question what makes a great movie miniature? We take a look at some recent examples of the good and the not-so-good…
1. The Dark Knight
The man and his team responsible for giving Gotham’s ‘Golden Boy’ a new lease of life took an altogether old-school approach to one particular scene in The Dark Knight.
A chase sequence with Harvey Dent in police custody sees the Joker introduce a little anarchy as he pursues Gotham’s ‘White Knight’: Cue the introduction of Batman in his tank-like Tumbler.
As the Caped Crusader comes to the rescue, he drives head-on into a garbage truck in a sequence constructed entirely with the use of 1:3 scale miniatures.
Masterminded by Visual Effects Supervisor, Ian Hunter from New Deal Studios, the combination of great cinematography, with interior and exterior shots of the Tumbler as it heads for its target, disguise the special effects well.
The final edit is a scene to behold , one that really makes the miniature believable in the fluid chase sequence. The camera goes from the Joker shooting at the police to Batman crashing into garbage truck, who then turns to pursue his arch nemesis.
A seamless, well pieced together, scene achieved through clever editing that creates a great action scene with the use of a miniature set that’s near impossible to notice.
Main Photo courtesy of Musée Cinéma et Miniature
