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.