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Star destroyer from "Star Wars"
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1970s
Special effects take a low profile, with naturalistic
cinema verité films in the ascendancy, until several
special effects hits herald the start of the blockbuster
era.
1974
Disaster is the order of the decade, beginning with
"Earthquake" and "The Towering Inferno" in 1974. More mayhem
follows with "The Hindenburg" (1975) and "The Poseidon
Adventure" (1972).
1977
"Close Encounters of the Third Kind" features a spectacular
UFO mothership aglow with thousands of lights overseen by
visual effects supervisor Doug Trumbull; the 400-pound
fiberglass model, four feet high by five feet wide, is
meticulously wired with neon tubes, incandescent bulbs, and
fiber optics. Additional lighting is added through
projection.
1977
1977 - the Millenium Falcon, from "Star Wars"
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"Star Wars" is released, featuring highly complex space
battles made possible by electronic
motion control,
invented by visual effects supervisor John Dykstra. Dykstra
and the film receive Oscars, and "Star Wars" revitalizes the
effects field.
Continue: 1980s
Photos: (1) ©1996 WGBH Educational Foundation.
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