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Rodger Shaw
For the good versus evil finale of 'Supergirl', the filmmakers needed
to create the illusion of a demon summoned from a glowing orb by villainess
Selina. Visual Effects supervisors Derek Meddings and Roy Field wanted
a more effective effects process than mixing 3-D stop-motion or cartoon
cel animation.
Enter the late Rodger Shaw, who began his career creating the mechanical
background droids for 'Star Wars'.
At the time of 'Supergirl' he was busy working for Steven Spielberg on
'Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom'. On that project he was creating
and filming a fully articulated torso of a young man, used for the shots
of victims lowered into the fiery pit.
After being briefed by Meddings and director Jeannot Szwarc, Shaw constructed
the demon as a miniature, mechanical puppet that could be filmed on Meddings
miniature sets at high speed.
After 'Supergirl' Shaw was responsible for the human-to-wolf transformation
of Neil Jordan's acclaimed dark fairytale 'The Company Of Wolves', the
three limbed Kirbi Trilat alien of the Taliafilm's 'Hypersapien: People
From Another Star', followed by the supervision of all of the animatronic
effects on robe Reiner's much loved fantasy, 'The Princess Bride'.
Sadly, this proved to be Rodger Shaw's final film, as he passed away
before the film made post production. He had been in the film industry
for only ten years.
Tad
Krzanowski & Tony Dunsterville>>>
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