The Optical

By Mark Boszko

TV & Film

What's The Optical about?

A journey back through the annals of Cinefex magazine, talking about the movies and topics they covered 30+ years ago. We'll talk to people involved in the films, people who make movies, and people who love movies, and hopefully have a fun time doing it.

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LAST EPISODE

The Optical 026 - The Adven...

05.08.2017

Complete show notes (with links) available at http://opticalpodcast.com/episode/026 (coming soon) We explore the fascinating history of sound in films — the trial and error that led from silent films to the first talkies — with Fritzi Kramer of Movies Silently. ...

The Optical episodes:

05.08.2017 The Optical 026 - The Advent of Sound Complete show notes (with links) available at http://opticalpodcast.com/episode/026 (coming soon) We explore the fascinating history of sound in films — the trial and error that led from silent films to the first talkies — with Fritzi Kramer of Movies Silently. ...
07.29.2016 The Optical 025 - Barco Escape Complete show notes (with links) available at http://opticalpodcast.com/episode/025 Star Trek Beyond is currently playing in a new immersive super-widescreen theatrical format called Barco Escape. For details about the presentation format, we chat with Ted Schilowitz, Barco Escape’s Chief Creative Officer ...
02.26.2016 The Optical 024 - IMAX Projectionist Jenn Bentz Complete show notes (with links) available at http://opticalpodcast.com/episode/024 We talk with Jenn Bentz, IMAX Projectionist at Pacific Science Center, about the IMAX projection experience, the move from film to DLP to LASER, and her experience running the Hateful Eight 70mm ...
01.29.2016 The Optical 023 - Howie Weed Remastered In a special edition of the podcast, remastered audio of our 2014 interview with Howie Weed, long time artist at ILM, who tells us about blowing up the Enterprise, a recipe for fake blood, mass producing Gremlins, an alligator, alien ...
09.18.2015 The Optical 022 - The Right Stuff Complete show notes (with links) available at http://opticalpodcast.com/episode/022 We talk about The Right Stuff with Joel Page, where at the height of excellent motion control camera work, the USFX team took the shots of supersonic jets and crashing capsules, and ...
06.19.2015 The Optical 021 - Jurassic: From Park to World Complete show notes (with links) available at http://opticalpodcast.com/episode/021 Cinefex Editor Jody Duncan comes on to discuss the evolution of digital VFX technology from the original Jurassic Park to the new Jurassic World, including her time on the set of The ...
05.23.2015 The Optical 020 - Return of the Jedi Complete show notes (with links) available at http://opticalpodcast.com/episode/020 We chat about the effects of Return of the Jedi with Filmumentaries creator Jamie Benning, covering advances in motion tracking, Steadicam, and what life was like inside Jabba the Hutt. Listen for ...
04.26.2015 The Optical 019 - Robert Swarthe, One From the Heart, The Outsiders, and Early HD Video Complete show notes (with links) available at http://opticalpodcast.com/episode/019 We chat with animator and VFX artist Robert Swarthe about his work on One From the Heart, The Outsiders, a short film test with an early HD video camera, and his unproduced ...
04.13.2015 The Optical 018 - Robert Swarthe, Close Encounters Special Edition, Star Trek: The Motion Picture Complete show notes (with links) available at http://opticalpodcast.com/episode/018 We chat with animator and VFX artist Robert Swarthe about his work on Close Encounters of the Third Kind — both the original and Special Edition, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, and ...
03.26.2015 The Optical 017 - Matte Painter Jesse Silver Complete show notes (with links) available at http://opticalpodcast.com/episode/017 We chat with matte painter Jesse Silver about his work on Tron, Something Wicked This Way Comes, Labyrinth, moving from real paint to digital for Super Mario Bros., and one high-pressure effects ...
03.13.2015 The Optical 016 - Something Wicked This Way Comes Complete show notes (with links) available at http://opticalpodcast.com/episode/016 We chat with Brian Covey about the making of Something Wicked This Way Comes, and discover that it might be an overlooked CGI first. Listen for your chance to win a free ...
02.27.2015 The Optical 015 - E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial Complete show notes (with links) available at http://opticalpodcast.com/episode/015 Cinefex Associate Editor Joe Fordham joins us to discuss the making of Steven Spielberg’s E.T. — The Extra-Terrestrial, we try to figure out how E.T.’s innards worked, and discuss Spielberg’s unproduced Night ...
02.15.2015 The Optical 014 - Firefox Complete show notes (with links) available at http://opticalpodcast.com/episode/014 We talk the making of Clint Eastwood’s Firefox with Russian speaker Mike Gower, and we marvel at John Dykstra and Apogee’s technical advances for the effects of the super-stealth fighter. до свидания! ...
01.30.2015 The Optical 013 - Poltergeist Complete show notes (with links) available at http://opticalpodcast.com/episode/013 Mike Gower chats with us about the making of Poltergeist, and we learn how to make ectoplasmic goo and body-sausage water guns. Listen for your chance to win a free 1-year print ...
01.13.2015 The Optical 012 - Planet of the Apes: The Evolution of the Legend Complete show notes (with links) available at http://opticalpodcast.com/episode/012 We talk with Joe Fordham and Jeff Bond, authors of Planet of the Apes: The Evolution of the Legend, covering all incarnations of the Apes! Listen for your chance to win a ...
11.28.2014 The Optical 011 - Douglas Trumbull, Part 2: Back to the Future… The Ride to Magi and UFOTOG Complete show notes (with links) available at http://opticalpodcast.com/episode/011/ We talk with Douglas Trumbull about his history as a creator and inventor of VFX and immersive film technology, making Back to the Future… The Ride, and his latest project: the 120 ...
10.31.2014 The Optical 010 - Douglas Trumbull, Part 1: From 2001 A Space Odyssey to Brainstorm Complete show notes (with links) available at http://opticalpodcast.com/episode/010/ We talk with Douglas Trumbull about his history as artist, animator, and VFX legend, from 2001: A Space Odyssey to Brainstorm, and hear about what caused him to become a champion of ...
09.26.2014 The Optical 009 - Tron, Harrison Ellenshaw, John Van Vliet, Cinefex 8 Complete show notes (with links) available at http://opticalpodcast.com/episode/009/ We chat with visual effects artists Harrison Ellenshaw and John Van Vliet about their work on the 1982 cult classic Tron, and hear about the hand-drawn animation that people think was CGI, ...
08.26.2014 The Optical 008 - King Kong, Willis O’Brien, Stop-Motion Animation, Cinefex 7 Complete show notes (with links) are available at http://opticalpodcast.com/episode/008/ We chat with creator and publisher of Cinefex, Don Shay, about the life and work of stop motion pioneer Willis O’Brien, including The Lost World, King Kong, Mighty Joe Young, and ...
07.15.2014 The Optical 007 - Raiders of the Lost Ark, Mark Mangini, Dragonslayer, Go-Motion, Cinefex 6 Complete show notes (with links) are available at http://opticalpodcast.com/episode/007/ We interview sound designer Mark Mangini about his career, including his early work on Raiders of the Lost Ark, and chat with film/TV editor Brian Newell about Dragonslayer, and the invention ...
06.23.2014 The Optical 006 - Raiders of the Lost Ark, Thaine Morris, Filmumentaries, Joe Fordham, Cinefex 6 Complete show notes (with links) are available at http://opticalpodcast.com/episode/006/ We chat with Cinefex writer Joe Fordham and film/TV editor Brian Newell about Raiders of the Lost Ark, and interview mechanical effects and pyro legend Thaine Morris about his career and ...
05.26.2014 The Optical 005 - Ray Harryhausen, Clash of the Titans, The State of 3D, Roy Arbogast, Caveman, Cinefex 5 Complete show notes (with links) are available at http://opticalpodcast.com/episode/005/ We chat with Jose Vazquez about Clash of the Titans, Ray Harryhausen’s other stop-motion creature films, Roy Arbogast’s work on the shark for Jaws and other physical effects, and experience the ...
04.28.2014 The Optical 004 - Outland, Altered States, Open Moco, Sensory Deprivation Tanks, Cinefex 4 Complete show notes (with links) are available at http://opticalpodcast.com/episode/004/ We chat with film fan Brian Covey about the development of the front-screen Introvision technique for Outland – or as I like to call it, Sean Connery: Space Cop! – and ...
03.12.2014 The Optical 003 - Walter Murch, Sound Design, Saul Bass Title Design, Phase IV, Cinefex 3 Complete show notes (with links) are available at http://opticalpodcast.com/episode/003/ We chat with TV writer and producer Ian Brier about Walter Murch’s early sound design for THX 1138, American Graffiti, The Conversation, and Apocalypse Now, as well as Saul Bass’ science ...
02.03.2014 The Optical 002 - The Empire Strikes Back, Howie Weed, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, 1941, Cinefex 2 Complete show notes (with links) are available at http://opticalpodcast.com/episode/002 In our second episode, we chat with passionate fan Rob Rhyne about The Empire Strikes Back, interview modelmaker, creature creator, and digital artist Howie Weed about his career and work on ...
01.07.2014 The Optical 001 - Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Alien, Daren Dochterman, Cinefex 1 Complete show notes (with links) at http://opticalpodcast.com/episode/001 In our premiere episode, we talk about Star Trek: The Motion Picture and Alien, chat with Daren Dochterman, VFX Supervisor on Star Trek: The Motion Picture — Director’s Edition, I admit my 2001 ...

The Optical

What's The Optical about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

The Optical episodes:

The Optical 026 - The Advent of Sound

The Optical 025 - Barco Escape

The Optical 024 - IMAX Projectionist Jenn Bentz

The Optical 023 - Howie Weed Remastered

The Optical 022 - The Right Stuff

The Optical 021 - Jurassic: From Park to World

The Optical 020 - Return of the Jedi

The Optical 019 - Robert Swarthe, One From the Heart, The Outsiders, and Early HD Video

The Optical 018 - Robert Swarthe, Close Encounters Special Edition, Star Trek: The Motion Picture

The Optical 017 - Matte Painter Jesse Silver

The Optical 016 - Something Wicked This Way Comes

The Optical 015 - E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial

The Optical 014 - Firefox

The Optical 013 - Poltergeist

The Optical 012 - Planet of the Apes: The Evolution of the Legend

The Optical 011 - Douglas Trumbull, Part 2: Back to the Future… The Ride to Magi and UFOTOG

The Optical 010 - Douglas Trumbull, Part 1: From 2001 A Space Odyssey to Brainstorm

The Optical 009 - Tron, Harrison Ellenshaw, John Van Vliet, Cinefex 8

The Optical 008 - King Kong, Willis O’Brien, Stop-Motion Animation, Cinefex 7

The Optical 007 - Raiders of the Lost Ark, Mark Mangini, Dragonslayer, Go-Motion, Cinefex 6

The Optical 006 - Raiders of the Lost Ark, Thaine Morris, Filmumentaries, Joe Fordham, Cinefex 6

The Optical 005 - Ray Harryhausen, Clash of the Titans, The State of 3D, Roy Arbogast, Caveman, Cinefex 5

The Optical 004 - Outland, Altered States, Open Moco, Sensory Deprivation Tanks, Cinefex 4

The Optical 003 - Walter Murch, Sound Design, Saul Bass Title Design, Phase IV, Cinefex 3

The Optical 002 - The Empire Strikes Back, Howie Weed, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, 1941, Cinefex 2

The Optical 001 - Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Alien, Daren Dochterman, Cinefex 1

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