In 1976, a new film was to be made. In light of the advances in special effects, it was now possible to make people believe a man can fly. Unlike STAR WARS, however, this new film depended wholey on photo-realistic, BELIEVABLE special effects. They could not be stylised and exciting, but had to appear as if the events were actually happening.

Superman: The Movie - The special, visual, optical and make-up effects Wally Veevers [BSC], FX technician of  THINGS TO COME, DR. STRANGELOVE, 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY, DAY OF THE TRIFFIDS, DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER, A BRIDGE TOO FAR, was called in by Alexander and Ilya Salkind. Veevers was trained in all aspects of FX, from *physical* to *optical* special effects. He passed away in 1983 while working on the post-production of THE KEEP.

With hundreds of other FX to go, the Salkinds had to contract MORE A-grade FX artists. To co-ordinate the overall FX and supervise the *matte paintings* was British FX legend Les Bowie.A veteran of the Hammer horror films, Bowie had contributed ground-breaking FX to such films as THE DAMBUSTERS, for which FX guru Linwood Dunn ( the American FX pioneer of CITIZEN KANE fame) cringed when Bowie pushed the potential of the *optical printer* over the edge, for that film's fantastical finale. He also worked on CASINO ROYALE, DRACULA A.D. 1972, MOON ZERO TWO, STAR WARS, QUATERMASS AND THE PIT, the prologue for the Harryhausen-FX opus ONE MILLION YEARS B.C., and the physical FX of SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. Bowie is, without a doubt, like Wally Veevers, a key figure in the look of modern film special effects. An artist more than a technician, Bowie would utilise EVERY recent FX technique, and even most of the old ones. Bowie's motto was that 'if it can be pulled off using an elastic band, then why not do it using an elastic band? Although modest budgets were for the most, the only tools Bowie could use, he had shown his innovative excellence in numerous non-Hammer affair, and Superman was to be the one time Bowie would let his wings spread. Bowie decided to give the bulk of the FX concerning miniature models to his long-time apprentice, Derek Meddings.

Meddings had worked for Bowie at the famous Anglo-Scottish pictures, a company that specialised in television commercials during the 50's and 60's. When Bowie was offered FX chores on the Gerry Anderson Television show 'Supercar' in 1958, he was already occupied with SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON in Tobago. Meddings was given the many FX tasks, which lead to a long-time association with Anderson, that lasted right up to 1971's UFO tv series. Meddings worked on all of the model and miniatures for THUNDERBIRDS, CAPTAIN SCARLETT, FIREBALL XL5 and he instantly became a special FX icon. After UFO, he moved onto the Bond films LIVE AND LET DIE, THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN, THE SPY WHO LOVED ME, as well as the films SHOUT AT THE DEVIL and ZERO POPULATION GROWTH. Meddings preferred to produce FX in-camera, as opposed to leaving them for opticals. His techniques always stayed the same as they did on THUNDERBIRDS, but his budget increased for films dramatically.
Most of Medding's work (rightfully ) is unnoticeable to the audience's eye. The rule he played with was: 'If the audience detect that the shot is done with models, and they begin to say " That was a good model effect" then you'd had it!"

An equally important part of the miniature effects, despite how detailed the models may be, and how well constructed they may are, if the model isn't lit to scale, the illusion isn't there. A newcomer to Meddings, Paul Wilson [BSC] had worked as a camera assistant on John Huston's MOBY DICK, for that film's miniature effects, so wasn't entirely alien to the field. He was brought on by Richard Lester, a Salkind associate who would later direct the first and second Superman sequels, and Wilson had photographed many of his commercials. Here, Paul Wilson was given the job of photographing the main model effects sequences.
Superman began a seventeen year partnership with Wilson and Meddings, that brought many memorable miniature sequences in the films MOONRAKER (for which they received an Oscar nomination), SUPERMAN II, FOR YOUR EYES ONLY, KRULL, SUPERGIRL, SANTA CLAUS:THE MOVIE, SPIES LIKE US, THE LAND OF FARAWAY, HIGH SPIRITS, STEALING HEAVEN, BATMAN, CAPE FEAR, HUDSON HAWK, GERMINAL, THE NEVERENDING STORY 3 and GOLDENEYE.
GOLDENEYE was Derek Medding's last film, as he died from cancer (aged 64) during post-production, leaving the film's Mig crashes unfinished. Wilson also worked on the films THE DARK CRYSTAL, LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, LABYRINTH, THE PRINCESS BRIDE, THE WITCHES and TOMORROW NEVER DIES as visual effects cinematographer.
Derek Meddings surrounded himself with a number of highly talented miniature effects gurus, including model-maker Terry Reed.
Reed was hired by Les Bowie after seeing his model work on the Gerry Anderson series SPACE 1999, for which Reed had worked for FX supervisor Brian (ALIEN) Johnson.

He was joined by Tad (BATTERIES NOT INCLUDED) Krznowski, a Polish born model-maker who is now one of Hollywood's premiere miniature FX geniuses. Between them, and a number of other model-makers, work began on a number of intricately detailed, scale-models. Built atop Pinewood Studio's paddock tank, the largest out-door tank in Europe was a large-scale miniature of the Boulder dam. This was used for the wide-angle and many close-up shots of the dam exploding and collapsing.

For the scenes set on the planet Krypton, a miniature approximately 20 feet high off of the ground was built, while shots with with other Krypton cities visible in the background were achieved by the use of *matte paintings*, painted either by Doug (JUDGE DREDD) Ferris or Ray (CHARIOTS OF FIRE) Caple.
The giant glowing red-sun shown in the background was front-projected into the shot, by placing a piece of reflective front-projection material behind the miniature. The scene for which the camera pulls back from Jor-el and Lara gazing at their child leaving the planet, a background plate was filmed of Marlon Brando and Susannah York. This was then rear-projected behind a space in the miniature, and the shot was achieved wholey in-camera.

For the spectacular and thought provoking collapse of the Golden Gate bridge, the model-makers built a miniature section of the bridge on the Pinewood backlot. The model was built from etched brass, and the vehicles driving below were models pulled along by wires, ALA THUNDERBIRDS.

Other miniature chores were given to Brian Smithies and photographed by Les Dear [BSC] and Harry Oakes [BSC]. Smithies, Dear and Oakes later went on to do the model effects of  the Oscar winning ALIENS. George (WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT?) Gibbs supervised additional model effects, and Bob (OUTLAND) Kindred lit them.

Miniature effects are only ONE of Superman's visual effects aspects..... Another area of the FX that created highly memorable (and in many cases, unnoticable) sequences, is the optical department. *Optical effects* are visual effects that are NOT composed in-camera, but composed in an *optical printer*

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