THE SPECIAL EFFECTS WIZARD - Derek Meddings and the Behind the Scenes Art of Explosions

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Derek Meddings was the special miniature effects genius behind scores of amazing model-heavy sequences in films like Superman (I and II), Batman, Krull, Cape Fear, and the James Bond franchise. It was on the Supermarionation series of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson, however, that he honed his craft. Across Supercar, Fireball XL5, Stingray, Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, Joe 90, and The Secret Service, Derek and his team of artists and technicians perfected the art of the miniature explosion. In this video from 'Filmed in Supermarionation', friends and colleagues describe the impact his work had on the various productions they collaborated on at Century 21 and AP Films.
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About Us:
About Me:
Century 21 Films Ltd is a multi-faceted production company whose work spans drama to documentary, miniature effects to puppet shows. It was founded by a group of filmmakers who first collaborated on Filmed in Supermarionation, the story of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson's hit puppet shows including Thunderbirds, Stingray and Captain Scarlet.
Since then, we have worked for a multitude of high-profile clients including ITV, BBC, Mammoth Productions, British Film Institute and the Halifax working on projects such Thunderbirds, Endeavour, Doctor Who and The Twilight Zone.
In addition to our regular filmmaking services, we specialise in ‘Supermarionation’ - the puppetry filming technique used to make shows like Thunderbirds and have collaborated with ITV repeatedly to provide specialised services. Our work has been featured on The One Show, This Morning, Good Morning Britain, BBC News, ITV News and Mastermind.
#filmedinsupermarionation #thunderbirds #century21films

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Опубликовано:

28 июн 2024

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Комментарии : 53

@SteveT-0 25 дней назад

I'll still take Derek Meddings models over CGI any day!!! What a legend!

@wyldemusick 25 дней назад

Meddings was a genius and an artist.

@JagoHazzard 25 дней назад

Watching these in the 90s, these special effects absolutely blew me away. Even two and a half decades later, no one was doing anything that impressive in kids' TV. Even now, I love watching these old series for the model work.

@CaseyJonesNumber1 24 дня назад

I'm sure you remember the one in the derelict London Underground! 😉 I was watching these in the 1960s... then watched them when shown again after a long time... on the BBC!

@alaingadbois2276 24 дня назад

There’s a chanel called Matteline that shows the Airfix parts used in the models built for the shows.

@alaingadbois2276 23 дня назад

There’s a cool chanel called Matteline showing all the airfix kit bits that were used in making the filming models.

@heckmacbuff 24 дня назад

Wonderful childhood memories of oil refinery explosions on a Saturday morning! And the vehicles...

@robertkeddie 24 дня назад

I recall seeing a programme about Derek Meddings on television about forty years ago. What stuck in my mind was him telling how they filmed the giant alligator in a Thunderbirds episode. Of course it was a normal sized alligator, but when it escaped the handler exited the water tank with one single bound.

@johnclay7644 26 дней назад

Great documentary clip and great Talent.

@richardkeeler2347 25 дней назад

Still love Thunderbirds way way ,before its time

@antondoesbolton 24 дня назад

Joys of thunderbird.... loved the monorail episode ...and sidewinder... stingray and Fireball XL5 all awesome shows.....

@jpofgwynedd3878 25 дней назад

From Stingray onwards, I saw these things first run on ITV... I always loved the lemon squeezer in Thunderbird 1 launch bay, and knew it was a fishtank in front of the underwater scenes (yes, even at 5 years old. TV21 always had lots of behind the scenes articles)... but although I know how they achieved the spurt of air bubbles as Stingray launched into open water, I STILL CAN'T SEE THE 'JOIN' 60 YEARS LATER! The sound design was always spot on, too: and the details of some of it - like in the big explosion where that 'girder' drops nearer the camera and clangs...

@Nansen1981 25 дней назад

I totally love these videos, they bring back so many memories. Thanks 👏👏👏❤️❤️❤️

@cooltrades7469 25 дней назад

Even what they think was a flop ) as the lemon squeezer behind Thunderbirds was actually brilliant .

@nigeldewallens1115 25 дней назад

I never tire of seeing all the magic explained! Folks see it from there point of viewing age! But they, never realise just how specular it was, even on an old Tube type Black & white TV back in the sixties! It really was so futuristic to watch! Thank you to all those folk that are still alive for making the sixties so magical! R.I.P to all those folk involved that are not here 😥

@simeonyves5940 25 дней назад

Unlike CGI which has aged like milk before it Airs, Derek Medding's (which really should have been SIR Derek Meddings IMO!, Services to "Making things go Kaboom for Brilliant TV!") Special Effects are Still Amazing even now! the Collapse of the Thompson Tower, the Burning of Seascape, the Crash Landing of Thunderbird 2, the Collapse of the Skypark, the Crash Landing of Zero X, the Annihilation of the Missile Base by Skyship One, all 60 odd years ago, all made before I was Born! and still absolutely *Spectacular* ! what a Legend! sorely missed. Still, we also have to give Kudos the Soundman who dubbed in a nice loud *clang* when a Piece of Debris invariably tried to Assassinate the Camera!

@williamsiyanko4631 23 дня назад

Thunder Birds was one of my favorite movies ever, I loved the special effects and miniatures that were used to capture the atmosphere of this film.

@mickeyfilmer5551 26 дней назад

As a young boy in the 1960's, Thunderbirds was my all time favourite TV programme. I would wait patiently for the tv to warm up about ten minutes before it was on, as our old 9 inch circular screen , with a square wooden facade a round it was one of the earlies tin the UK, but was so cheap to rent- only five bob a week( ie five shillings ie 25p) I watched the moon landing on this box on my mums birthday 21 july at about 5 am as well.

@WOFFY-qc9te 25 дней назад

Radio rentals tv five bob a week I remember the dot disappearing at shutdown. A modern TV takes longer to start up with all the boxes and detritus needed in the digital world. Moon landing was magnificent for both of us it seems they are having problems repeating the experience. If you are interested in the tech then look at Curios Marcs channel where they go through the actual computers and explain what William Woolard, James Burk and Ramond Baxtor didn't. Best Wishes old chap. Boomers prevail !.

@stevenmoran4060 25 дней назад

Derek had a look of Barry Sheene and sounded like him too. I watched Thunderbirds as a child in the 1960’s and it’s not realised these days that most of what went on and the technology shown hadn’t been invented in the 1960’s! Watches you can talk into? Aplenty watches these days but back then most people didn’t even have a BT landline at home. No colour telly, reusable rockets? Think Space ex. High speed monorail wasn’t a thing either, the world still used steam engines mostly on railways. Flying faster than sound! Well Concorde did fly in the 60’s on tests but certainly wasn’t in service. Gerry Anderson had a very fertile mind and you wonder how he thought it all up in the first place. Because, basically most things technology wise, are in common use today but this is 60 years later!

@donwright3427 25 дней назад

That's like my dream job the lucky fellows had so much fun I guess

@richardmattocks 25 дней назад

I can honestly say, until now I’d never realised there was a lemon squeezer in TB1’s sequence… but now I can’t take my eyes off it!

@minicle426 25 дней назад

It's a shame they don't make more tv shows like this today. What with the popularity of Japanese Tokusatsu, I'm sure there's still an audience in the west for this sort of thing.

@rjds1800 25 дней назад

So, the end of Woolworths could be put down to the increased use of digital effects.

@BlackArroToons 25 дней назад

The special effects, explosions and fire events in these classic Puppet series are always a highlight to look forward to. The slow motion of the faster frame rate really improved the realism of the effects, even in Anderson's latest puppet series, Terrahawks, which also had some top notch pyrotechnics. Thanks, good details!

@marcse7en 25 дней назад

Absolutely fantastic! ... I much prefer practical effects to modern CGI nonsense! ... And, as well as being a special effects genius, I can't help but notice Derek Meddings was a bit of a "looker!" 👍😍🤣 Regarding the Thunderbird 1 LEMON SQUEEZER; myself and my friend were on Blackpool Pleasure Beach in the 90's, and we noticed a MOP BUCKET stuck on the wall of The Space Invader ride! 🤣 I always noticed that the FLAMES 🔥 in Thunderbirds looked TOO BIG! 🤣

@KKAkuoku 26 дней назад

All shot on trading estate, that was.

@kennethsleigh3170 25 дней назад

totally amazing for the time real art work

@cyberfrank-bx2nv 23 дня назад

I m just baffled at how fascinating this stuff looks still today... after what, 60 years? it s like the models s charm never wears off to me, it still looks beautiful. I can t help but feel a loss over the fantastic stories and models we missed by stopping this. all it needed was a different kind of characters - puppets. all else was unbeatable! team america had it s flaws, but it was not the look, it s still quite convincing and entertaining good show

@Allan_aka_RocKITEman 25 дней назад

Great video...👍

@ricdale7813 25 дней назад

Century 21 and Toho were the Masters of expansive and realistic miniatures and models. 2 supporting examples are Doppelganger and Battle in Outer Space. I rather enjoy static models as opposed too the impressive CGI technology myself.

@trainsplanesmore 25 дней назад

"Wooo, that blow'd up good!" "Yeah, blow'd up REAL good!"

@bored1ca 23 дня назад

I would have loved to seen Derek Meddings working with Eiji Tsuburaya as both men were masters of model effects.

@stephenmarsh3986 25 дней назад

The visual effects are only half the story. Please do a video about the sound effects and how they were produced; engines, rockets, explosions etc. 🖖

@lukegreen5341 22 дня назад

3:22 Quite Right Too Chief Engineer Brains From Gerry Anderson's Thunderbirds The Original Series. A Bit Like Chief Engineer Lieutenant Scotty From Star Trek The Original Series And Star Trek Deep Space Nine And Star Trek The Next Generation And Doc Brown From Steven Spielberg's Groundbreaking Masterpiece BACK TO THE FUTURE The Movie. X❤

@SO_DIGITAL 25 дней назад

3:29 This is a gorgeous shot.

@scopex2749 23 дня назад

I have the whole set on Thinderbirds on Blu Ray I stil watch them - I am a 64 year old engineer - I became that partly due to the influence of Jerry Anderson and the imensely detailed models of Derek and his team. THE GENIUS who today ALL SFX designers copy.............THERE YA GO Derek Meddings later went on to make the BIGGEST explosion on any movie in a Bond film! The man deserves a Knighthood!

@jearnott 25 дней назад

A little unfair on Dr Who, which had a fraction of the budget and did the best it could, but Derek was a genius and died far too young, however his legacy lives on!

@SaturnCanuck 24 дня назад

Derek Meddings WAS a genius, and we are NOT worthy

@wyldemusick 25 дней назад

The shot at Doctor Who made me sad. They did a lot with a miniscule budget. Even Anderson had considerably more to work with.

@minicle426 25 дней назад

Doctor Who was treated quite poorly by the BBC back then. Despite the reputation of the effects, it was actually one of its most expensive shows being made at the time oddly.

@UFO_computers 25 дней назад

SIG!

@user-tj7ek8bs7x 17 дней назад

i remember watching voyage to the bottom of the sea thinking how did they do that

@dale3852 22 дня назад

Yay for 🇬🇧

@mikesilva3868 25 дней назад

❤😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊great

@badgastein2 25 дней назад

How many James Bond films did he do?

@StephenCole1916 25 дней назад

Looks like all of Roger Moore's except his last movie and Goldeneye.

@moonbear6220 9 дней назад

epic even over todays standards..

@MiamiMillionaire 24 дня назад

👍

@user-tj7ek8bs7x 17 дней назад

practical effects are the way to go, yeah maybe a tiny bit of CGI when you have to but most of the audience can tell the difference

@jeffholt9437 25 дней назад

Interviewer: "So Derek, how do the crew get in and out of those fantastic craft you create?" Meddings: "Do you know your pockets are full of pyro?".....