Re: Movie history comment

[P3D Marvin Jones <72657.3276@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> It's always dangerous to assign a "first" in film history (I've had to eat my
> hat a number of times and I am supposedly a professional writer in the
> field), but while Star Wars did make use of motion control camera systems on
> a scale never before attempted (even barely dreamed about), it's hard to call
> it a "first" as "motion-control" shots have appeared thoughout the history of
> film -- even back to silent film days. Though in terms of modern technology
> Star Wars owes it's most immediate roots back to the camera systems developed
> by Douglas Trumbull for 2001 and before that to the experimental films of
> John Whitney.

I once wrote in an article on early films that it was my opinion that NOTHING
was ever done for the first time in the movies--no matter how early an instance
of it you find, there is always an earlier one!

> By the way, Larry Cuba who was responsible for creating the computer graphics
> used in Star Wars (the Death Star technical readouts that are projected in
> the conference room scene at the end), is also an active stereographer and
> member of the Stereo Club of So. Ca., or was, the last time I was there.

I just checked our (SCSC) membership roster and he is not currently on it. We do
have, of course, many people who work professionally in the small fraternity of
3D movie production.



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