They are over-rated.
I’d much prefer to have some one else wear the darn thing.

you can always use the typical guy excuse, I need this because is broken and only this tool can fix it.

I’ve heard my dad use that line many times and just had to look at him an ask, you mean you can’t fix the door jam with your hand saw, you really need to get a band saw? he never used the band saw for the door jam….

It can be the only reason for a film starring Christopher Lambert getting oscar nominations.

Actually though, his movements are just the tiniest bit too tight.

Ahh, Bowie. I have a great love for that man.

I’m with you – diversity, especially in employment, is far more preferable to specialisation.

I bet you have a utility belt.

I want a utility belt. I want to *need* a utility belt.

It’s a shame you didn’t get to tour your set… but did any pictures make it online?

I don’t know if any of you have heard of “Urinetown” its a musical about water shortage, its really funny, but our designer and director decided to go with a monopoly theme, so we build a HUGE monopoly boarder and hung it around the proscenium. this thing weighed a good 200lbs… but by god we did it. Then we had a HUGE 500lb sign we had to hang from the batons. and in the middle of it all… A giant monopoly house that had secret doors and it spun in place. It was a huge project, it actually got nominated to be taken to some college competition, but our tech director was having a baby and couldn’t take it on the road.

So, I do a lot in theater. When you’re in school, you do everything, when you join the union, you do one set thing, i think thats why i never joined the union to work as a technician, I had to much fun doing different things.

We thought we would have a bit of a spring clean, make the place nice for when you came back.

The monkey freaked me out a little. If it wasn’t for the checked sleeves, or the fact that the chimp seems to be remarkably good at taking direction (far better than many human actors) I’d be suspicious that this wasn’t just your regular type of primate.

As for the T-1000, I too remember being stunned by it, and learning the word ‘morph’ in a completely context… however, I stand by my claim. I mean, how cool would it have been to achieve the same results using old-school fx? I know, probably impossible… but still, I can hope.

I suppose a large part of my fondness comes not from the results, but from the concept. I too wanted to be an FX artist – moulding latex, stitching hair, rigging up servos – it’s a bit more like being a god, crafting life with your own hands… as opposed to computers which, despite their constant need for human reassurance, pretty much do the work themselves.

Do you mind me asking, but what do you do in the theatre?

So shiny, so small.

i think you have refined the point that I was trying to get at. that whilst more people have access to the CGI techniques a staggering few can actually pull it off, as opposed to the animatronic set up where initially it is more difficult, but even on low budgets can be quite something to watch.

I don’t have this argument that often these days (except occasionally with myself), mostly because if someone claims that CGI is better I show them ‘American Werewolf in London’ (also Mr Baker) and ask them to find a CGI alternative that pulls it off.

Which reminds me, I’m currently waiting on the remake of Wolfman, starring Benicio Del Toro, and also featuring Rick Baker’s work:

http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20185191,00.html

My only reservation is that Joe Johnston is at the helm, and I still haven’t forgiven him for the horror that was Jurassic Park 3… now there’s a couple of hours I’ll never get back.

*goes and has a look* I see they do stawberry too, perhaps that would be a useful substitute when using colour film.

Actually, I have no idea what fakery goes on for colour film…. I must find that out too.

As for Bowie, bulging in his lycra… dance magic dance…

Animatronics might be all real and cheap and old school, but when the T1000 reconstitutes itself in the steelworks and stands up – I was scared. I literally could not believe my eyes, even though I watch that movie over and over.

Oh, and hi Adam – good to be back with internet ON! May I say that Flowfield has improved mightily in my absence?
I may?
Thank you!
Flowfield has improved mightily in my absence.

However, I do think that with the developments of CGI its getting better and better, now that isn’t to say it will ever replace animatronics in the hearts of us the grew up with it. I remember watching labrynth and starwars as a little kid and thinking how awesome that would be, its partly why I got into theater, there’s just something about rigging that stuff up that warms the depths of my heart. But CGI does have its place, its wonderful for finishing touches in animatronic films, childrens movies, and video games(Though I do agree, some of those cut scenes need to realize thats all they are, in fact, a 2-minute cut scene to add to the story, not the whole game itself)

but then I got the best of both worlds when I was growing up, CGI was just starting up and Animatronics was still going strong when I was watching.