Special+Effects+Supervisor

**﻿﻿Special Effects Supervisor! ** By: Samm Williams 

**Role Title **  A Special Effects supervisor overseas the team on Special Effects Technicians on a television or film set and works very closely with the __Visual Effects Supervisor.__ They are also responsible for all special effect creations during the production. “Special effects” refers to any technique used to create an illusion in a motion picture or video production. The S __pecial effects S ____ upervisor __ is also responsible for the safety of the production’s cast and crew in dangerous stunts and explosions. 

**Role in Production process**  There are many different types of special effects, there is, Computer Generated imagery (CGI), __Make-up effects__ like wounds and age effects ect. __Set design__ can also be special effects if there is a collapsing building or car accidents. Each sub-category is the responsibility of separate technicians but the __Special Effects supervisor__ managers all of those areas under instructions from the director and/or the high-level technician, for example, the __Stunt Coordinator__.  //__Pre-Production:__// In Pre-Production the Special Effects Supervisor is in control of the planning for all special effects and allocates roles to everyone in the Special Effects Team. They are also in charge of the Special Effects teams safety, so they also have to do the paperwork and plans for safety during all o f the Special Effect stunts and creations.  //__Production:__// During Production the __Special Effects Supervisor__ is in control of making sure the whole Team is doing their allocated job and it is to the highest standard. They are also in control of Collaborating with other areas like __ Stunt Coordinator, __ __Make-up Artist__ ect. They then oversee the final project to see if it is what the __Director__ is looking for or if they need to re-shoot or change and aspect of the Effect. //__Post-Production: __// After all of the Effects have been completed it is then the job of the Special Effects Supervisor and their team to edit any mistakes and to put their effects into the final film or television product.

** Training Requirements ** <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left;"> To become a Special Effects Supervisor you usually have to be a part of the Special Effects team for years and work your way up to the Supervising position. <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left;"> __Courses in Australia__
 * Film Special Effects course at Box Hill Institute of TAFE
 * Film Special Effects course at Australian Film, Television and Radio School (AFTRS)
 * [[image:lhcmedia/effects1.jpg width="363" height="267" align="right"]]Film Special Effects course at Filmmaking Summer School

**<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">O,H & S ** **requirements** <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left;"> It is the Special Effects Supervisor’s role to make sure that everyone on their team is safe and that they have planned and insured all safety paperwork is done and completed. They have to ensure that all stunts are planned and organised especially explosions. Basically anything that can go wrong the Special Effects Supervisor has to have a plan to prevent it.

<span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 150%; text-align: left;">** Impact of technology & industry development ** <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left;"> As technology develops special effects become more realistic and can they can do more with the technology. For example, the concept for Avatar was made many years ago but they had to wait for the technology to develop so they where able to create what they wanted. Over the years the technology as advanced greatly. We have come from blob monsters, filming a normal fish tank saying the fish are gigantic and giant stop motion gorillas, to giant realistic blue people, monsters that are terrifying and gory scenes that can make anyone scream. Technology has come A LONG WAY. This makes the Special Effects Supervisors job much easier. With the improvements in technology the possible Effects are endless and gives the supervisor a chance to create almost anything and make the movie they are working in as realistic and as amazing as possible. This helps the Special Effects Supervisor immensely.

<span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 150%; text-align: left;">** Famous Special Effects Supervisors ** <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left;"> __Neil Corbould__ has been a special effects supervisor in many famous films such as:
 * Black Hawk Down
 * Kingdom of Heaven
 * Gladiator
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; line-height: 21px;">Saving Private Ryan
 * King Arthur
 * Clash of the Titans
 * Blood Diamond
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; line-height: 23px;">Superman Returns
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; line-height: 21px;">Pirates of the Caribbean: On Strangers Tide

<span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left;"> __Chris Corbould__ (Who is Neil’s brother) has also been the special effects supervisor in many well known movies such as:
 * Casino Royal
 * X-men First Class
 * <span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Tomb Raider
 * <span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Inception
 * <span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">The Dark Night
 * <span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">The Mummy

**<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Notable examples ** Note: YouTube clips do not work at school (that's what the gaps are ;D) ﻿All of the special effects have been

<span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left;"> __Transformers (2007) & Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009):__ The realistic Alien Robots and the amazing fight scenes and transformations. This is amazing because all of the explosions during the fights would be up to the Special Effects, including the gun shots from their alien cannons ect.media type="youtube" key="Y2qu1cPrdOA" height="247" width="396" <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left;"> __Terminator 3 (2003):__ All of the mechanical bodies and how they heal themselves and how realistic they look because it is not easy to make a scene with a metal skeleton this would take great skill and the supervisor would point out mistakes and sujest ways to make them better. <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; line-height: 24px; text-align: left;">media type="youtube" key="zFfD6NcmZVU" height="234" width="384" <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left;"> __Back to the Future: Part II (1989):__ All of the futuristic gadgets and the flying cars. How amazing the effects look. The Special Effects supervisor would have to create plans for all the gadgets and make them so they work, or atleast see, like they work. <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; line-height: 24px; text-align: left;">media type="youtube" key="K54xnt4QRW4" height="234" width="384" <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left;"> __War of the Worlds (2005):__ The simulated explosion and giant mechanical aliens are a great example of Special effects. The sdupervisor would of had to plan the explosiions and ensure the safety of all crew members as well as setting it up and make machanical Robots Aliens. <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; line-height: 24px; text-align: left;">media type="youtube" key="VFLFoatiPSA" height="234" width="384" <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left;"> __King Kong (1933):__ This is a great example of how Special Effects used to look like and how far we have come. This was amazing in the 30’s. How the special effects supervisor would of had to organise the tiny figures and the stop motion prosedure so it looked as real as possible. <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; line-height: 24px; text-align: left;">media type="youtube" key="psiNZEP_4Is" height="234" width="384" <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left;"> __Jurassic Park (1992):__ They used mechanics and visual effects to create the giant t-rex and other realistic dinosaurs in this movie. Which would involve a lot of machanical work, creating the dinosaur skeleton, creating the skin, then machanicly alowing the dinosaur to move, run, roar and eaty people. <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; line-height: 24px; text-align: left;">media type="youtube" key="2QMnaJr0ZIU" height="234" width="384" <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left;"> __Metropolis (1926):__ This is an iconic movie with groundbreaking scenes with miniature models and stop-motion to create an amazing movie. <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; line-height: 24px; text-align: left;">media type="youtube" key="mOeYurcoJpU" height="234" width="384" <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left;"> __The Day After Tomorrow (2004):__ This movie has many simulated disasters from floods to blizzards and tornados. This movies special effects are very effective and amazing. This would involve designing the disasters, creating the tornadoes, floods, hail storms ect. and place all these effects in many cities around the world. All the construction and planning would be up to the Supervisor and he would then instruct his team on what they need to do. <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; line-height: 24px; text-align: left;">media type="youtube" key="glBlzr9bNKg" height="234" width="384" <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left;"> __Minority Report (2002):__ This whole movie is based in the future with new gadgets and futuristic gadgets that no one has ever seen before. The use special effects very well and make the whole movie believable. The Superviosor would have to create all the gadgets and plan the function of the machine and how it appears to work. <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; line-height: 24px; text-align: left;">media type="youtube" key="PDX59ck4_Hk" height="234" width="384" align="left"

<span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 150%; text-align: left;">** References ** <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left;"> [] <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left;"> [] <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left;"> [] <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left;"> [] <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left;"> [] <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left;"> []

<span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 150%; text-align: left;">** External Links ** <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left;"> []