Frank Ordaz

 Biography:  Extract from his website.http://ordazart.com/

From age 10, Ordaz studied with famed California master artist and renowned art instructor Theodore Lukits.

 Ordaz attended the University of Southern California on an art scholarship. After two years, he transferred to the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena to study illustration.

 Upon graduation in 1980, Ordaz was highly recommended for a job with Industrial Light and Magic (ILM), working for filmmaker George Lucas in Northern California. There, Ordaz did background matte paintings for specialized movie production effects and worked on films like “ET”, “The Wrath of Khan”, “Return of the Jedi” and “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom”, rubbing shoulders with well-known actors, musicians, directors and working with a talented production staff.

 Ordaz even had a small bit part in Indiana Jones. He won an Emmy for his work as part of a team of artists working on the 1985 television movie, “Ewok — The Battle of Endor.”

 After leaving movie work and going self-employed, his award-winning paintings and illustrations have appeared in a line of Christian books, professional sports posters, specialty greeting cards, and even jigsaw puzzles.

Frank Ordaz with a painting for “Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure" (1984).

Ordaz working at the ILM matte department. The painting was made for “Return of the Jedi” 1983.

An extreme perspective of the interior of the Death Star's tunnels painted by Ordaz for Return of the Jedi. 

For "Starman" (1984), Ordaz worked on several matte paintings, such as this one that appears at the end of the movie.

Filmography:

 - All I Want for Christmas (1991) (matte artist)

 - Star treck IV(87)Matte art)

 - Howard the Duck (1986) (matte painting supervisor (ILM visual effects unit))

 - The goonies(85)(matte artist)

 - Enemy mine(85)(matte artist)

 - The Ewok Adventure (1984) (matte painting)

 - Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984) (matte painting)

 - Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) (matte artist)

 - Starman (1984) (matte artist)

 - The NeverEnding Story (1984)

 - Return of the Jedi (1983) (matte painting artist)

 - Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) (matte painting artist)

 - E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) (matte painting artist)

Matte paintings at Spanish Cinema.

1940. Pierre Schildneck Russian designer, who moved to France and when II World War begun, went to Spain. He painted glass shots for “La florista de la Reina” (1940) and “Pepe Conde (1941) with Enrique Alarcón as assistant. Schildneck used the technique of matte painting he learned with Percy Day in France. He filmed the shot masking the areas which he will paint over, and then paint the glass in his studio, filming again the glass on the original negative.

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1942. Enrique Salva and a young Emilio Ruiz as his assistant, begun to paint in camera glass shots for art director Sigfredo Burmann in “El abanderado” They use the technique of ” glass shots” placing the glass in front of the camera, and painting the miniature with direct reference of the real stage, filming the painting with the actors at once.

Les croix de bois (1932) Matte paintings and miniatures

 Director: Raymond Bernard

Cinematography: Jules Kruger/ René Ribault

 Art Direction: Jean Perrier

Matte painting: Unknown, but probably art director Jean Perrier.

 According to Leon Barsacq´s book ” A history of film design” When Percy Day leave France to return to    England around 1932, some art directors like Jean Perrier begun to execute their own glass paintings for  their films. There is a chance that Percy Day made these paintings before moving to U.K., but most  probably it was done a Jean Perrier or some other French artist.

The soldier´s hat disappears behind the painting during some frames.

  That dawn on the battlefield looks like a miniature tabletop with a painted backing.

Les misérables (1934) Matte paintings and miniatures

 Director : Raymond Bernard 

CinematographerJules Kruger

Production designer: Lucien Carrier / Jean Perrier

After Walter Percy Day returned to England art director Jean Perrier, who had Per Day several times  painting on his films, started to use those tricks on his own way. I cannot be sure if he executed the   paintings himself or if he just designed the trick shots and had some scenic artist for the paintings.

Three glass shots.

That ceiling  on the last image, I am not sure if it is a foreground miniature or a glass shot.

 Miniatures were used very often on French films during those early years.

  In this Blog, you will find mostly matte paintings and miniatures for films. CGI and digital matte paintings are fully covered on many blogs and web sites. This small place is dedicated to the art of traditional matte painting.

The blog is organized into four categories shown on the right sidebar.

1- Articles and history of mattes and miniatures. 

2. Matte painters from all around the world in alphabetical order

3. Matte painting movies.   Titles from all countries showing samples of glass and matte paintings. 

4. Matte paintings from all around the world.

It still remains many professionals and movies I have to add, but if anyone has information that thinks it should be on this page, I'd love to hear from you.

moviemattepainting@gmail.com

Doug Ferris

Biography:

From John Grant (matte camera)

 “Doug must be accredited with the introduction of the `soft matte technique` because in the early days, the painting was used as its own matte, this made it very hard for the camera crew as they had to wait for the artist to finish painting before they could start work. The introduction of the independent soft mattes made it possible to carry out much of the photographic work before the painting had to be photographed. It also made joining the original scene and painting easier as one did not have to contend with hard join lines, it also helped with camera unsteadiness. This was a great step forward and I don`t think Doug was truly given the credit for it"

From Martin Body (matte camera)

 “The artist I worked with most often was Doug Ferris. We were both employed on Roy Field’s projects in the early to mid eighties: ‘Superman III’, ‘Santa Claus’, ‘Supergirl’, ‘Labyrinth’, ‘The Adventures of Baron Munchausen’, ‘The Last Days of Patton’, Erik the Viking’, etc. In my opinion, Doug Ferris was possibly the best of the British matte painters.”

Filmography provided by Doug Ferris and John Grant

Shepperton Special Effects  Matte Department

 1962 – The Day of the Triffids.

 1962- The Victors.

 1962- Heavens Above

 1963 – Lord Jim

 1963- Dr. Strangelove

 1964-Bedford Incident.

 1964- The Tomb of Ligeia

 1964- Circus World

 1964- Danger Man (tv series)

 1965-Great St Trinians Train Robbery.

 1965- The Skull

 1965- Daleks’ Invasion Earth: 2150 A.D.

 1965- Dr, Who and the Daleks.

 1965- The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders

 1965- Monster of Terror.

 1965- Genghis Khan

 1966-Psychomania.

 1966- Family Way.

 1966- The Spy with a Cold Nose.

 1966-Half a Sixpence.

 1967-The Fearless Vampires Killers.  

 1967- Oliver.

 1967- Viking Queen

 1967- Billion Dollar Brain .1968-Best House in London (Town).

 1968- Anne of a Thousand Days.

 1969-Cromwell

 1969- Valley of Gwangi

 1970-Dads Army.

 1970- Scrooge

 1971-Macbeth

 1971- Mr. Forbush and the Penquins

1972-Alices Adventures in Wonderland

 1972- Creeping Flesh.

 1972- The Asphyx

 1972- Under Milk Wood

1973-Tales From The Crypt.

 Bray Studios – for Vee Films

 1974 – Mohammed, Messenger of God (Original Negative Painting)

 1974- The Four Musketeers ( redoing Matte paintings originally shot in Spain)

1975- Rocky Horror Picture Show (Opticals, Lighting & Painting)

 1975- The Man Who Would Be King( Snow mountainscapes paintings & Photo-Cutouts)

 Shepperton Studios in Vee Film block

 1976- The Prince and the Pauper ( Cathedral glass paintings in Hungary and split screens)

1977-The Medusa Touch (painting opticals and falling model cathedral)

 1977- Man in an Iron Mask. 

 1977-A Bridge too Far (painting aeroplanes & parachutes

In the third image, the distant bridge was painted by Doug Ferris

1978-Superman  (matte painting in association with wire removal, night shots, opticals)

The matte painting of the railroad tracks with Superman was painted by Ferris.

  1979- SOS Titanic (colouring B&W prints and opticals)

 1979- Raise the Titanic (painting by Bob Spencer)

 1979- Alien . Ferris painted several matte paintings that were ultimately not used in the final cut of the film.  The only one that made the cut was one painted by Ray Caple. 

 1980- Superman II ( matte painting)

 1980- Elephantman Man

 1982-The Keep (painting & opticals)

Optical Film Effects:

 1982-Super Girl (painting & wire removal)

 1984-Santa Claus (painting of snow scenes & stars, factories, New York streets & girls houses )

 1986 - Last days of Patton (painting of ruins and military hospital)

 1986 - The little shop pf Horrors (matte painting)

 1987-Labyrinth. Some of the matte paintings for Labyrinth were created by ILM's matte department, led by Sean Joyce and Carolen Green. On the British side, Doug Ferris created 14 matte paintings for Roy Field's company, Optical Film Effects.  

1990-A Kiss Before Dying (painting of the factory)

 1990- Robin Hood Prince of Thieves (painting of castles)

 1990- Ironclads.

JJ Images:

 1986-Princess Bride (painting with Bob Cuff)

 1987-The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (painting with Bob Cuff & Leigh Took)

1988-Eric the Viking (painting and effects with Bob Cuff)

 1990-Batman. With Derek Meedings serving as visual effects supervisor, the matte paintings were created by  Leigh Took, Doug Ferris, and Ray Caple.  

   Other work during this period .Comercials : Green Peace Mont Blanc Wonder Green Power Foot-Locker Winalot Vitaweat Camel Cigarettes.Shepperton –

 Magic Camera Company :

 1990-Les Amant (paintings)

 1993-Never Ending Story 3 (paintings)

 1993- Princess Cariboo (paintings)

 1994- Return of the Native

 1994- Brother Cadfael (tv series)

 1994- First Knight

 1994- Judge Dredd  (Prison matte painting)

 1994- War of the Buttons

 1994- Charlemagne (miniseries)

1995-  Wind in the Willows

 1995- Muppets Treasure Island

 1995- City of Joy

1996-The Borrowers .

 1996- Hamlet.

 1997-Seven Years in Tibet.

Doug Ferris working on  a glass painting for Seven Years in Tibet.