The title of this spot.com.mentary column is also the title of an imaginative adidas spot from 2005 in which the centerpieces are beautifully crafted, life-like models of NBA players Kevin Garnett, Tracy McGrady and Tim Duncan.
Directed by Rupert Sanders (now with MJZ) for agency TBWAChiatDay, San Francisco, the memorable spot featured visual effects by Method, Santa Monica, and the Stan Winston Studio in Van Nuys, Calif. Stan Winston passed away last month at the age of 62 due to complications from multiple myeloma.
“Made To Perfection” is aptly titled when it comes to describing the makeup, creature creation and visual effects work of Winston who is best known for his feature film accomplishments, perhaps most notably on Aliens, Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Jurassic Park which collectively earned him four Academy Awards.
Winston’s talent was reflected in such other films as Batman Returns, Lost World and Edward Scissorhands. For the latter, Winston and his studio colleagues designed and created the makeup, the scissors and blade appendages for the lead character.
Among team Winston’s latest endeavors were creating the crystal skeletons for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, and the character suits for Iron Man and the Iron Monger in the movie Iron Man.
Winston’s makeup also garnered a pair of Emmys, including one for The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman for which actress Cicely Tyson was aged into a 110-year-old woman.
Yet somewhat overshadowed–and not all that well known in the general public–were Winston’s artistic contributions to assorted commercials over the years. In fact last month the two Film Grand Prix winners at the Cannes International Advertising Festival–Cadbury’s “Gorilla” and the Xbox Halo 3 fare–had the indelible imprint of Winston Studio artistry.
Also graced by the Winston touch were such SHOOT Top Spots over the years as Altoids’ “Half-Deer Edward,” Orkin’s “Pizza Delivery,” the FedEx Super Bowl commercial “Stick” and Hummer H3’s “Monsters.” Add to that ad menu such creations as the Aflac duck, Burger King’s king and the Budweiser frogs and lizards.
At next month’s SIGGRAPH conference, as part of the Computer Animation Festival proceedings, three studios are slated to make evening presentations. One of them, Sony Pictures Imageworks, decided to change the focus and theme of its session upon learning of Winston’s death. The effects studio will present a tribute to Winston and his work.
During a SIGGRAPH press preview event, Don Levy of Sony related, “We took a right turn from what we originally planned to this tribute recognizing Stan, who was an industry changing influence on how we approach filmmaking and visual effects.”
Winston is survived by son, Matt; wife, Karen; daughter, Debbie; brother, Ronnie; and four grandchildren.
In Stan Winston’s memory, his family requests that instead of flowers, donations be made to the Institute for Myeloma & Bone Cancer Research in West Hollywood, Free Arts For Abused Children in Los Angeles or the United States Fund for UNICEF in New York.
“Se7en” Turns 30, Gets A Special Restoration From David Fincher For Its Re-Release
For David Fincher, seeing “Se7en” in 4K was an experience he can only describe as harrowing. That or a high school reunion.
“There are definitely moments that you go, ‘What was I thinking?’ Or ‘Why did I let this person have that hairdo’?” Fincher said in a recent interview with The Associated Press.
He’s OK with the film being a product of its time in most respects. But some things just could not stand in high-definition resolution.
“It was a little decrepit, to be honest,” said Fincher. “We needed to resuscitate it. There are things you can see in 4K HDR that you cannot see on a film print.”
Ever the perfectionist, he and a team got to work on a new restoration of the film for its 30th anniversary re-release. This weekend the restored “Se7en” will play on IMAX screens for the first time in the U.S. and Canada, and on Jan. 7, the 4K UHD home video version will be available as well.
The dark crime thriller written by Andrew Kevin Walker and starring Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman as a pair of detectives looking for a serial killer was somewhat of a career-reviver for Fincher, whose directorial debut “Alien 3” had not gone well. “Se7en” was not a sure thing: It was made for only $34 million (and only got that when Fincher managed to persuade studio execs to give up $3 million more). But it went on to earn more than $327 million, not accounting for inflation, and continues to influence the genre.
Fincher has over the years overseen several restorations of the film (including one for laser disc) but decided this needed to be the last. It’s why he insisted on an 8K scan that they could derive the 4K from. He wanted to ensure that it wouldn’t have to be repeated when screens get more... Read More