Leaderboard

After 40 years and 172 issues, Cinefex: the premiere journal of visual effects coverage, is closing its doors forever. The pandemic not only robbed the magazine of content (as movies were not being released), but it also robbed the magazine of sales channels as stores closed and advertisers as they too were struggling. This is heartbreaking given that I grew up with Cinefex. I still remember my first contact with the magazine in a Barnes and Noble bookstore. Sitting on the magazine rack was a beautiful finished shot of a Taun-Taun from The Empire Strikes Back standing on top of a snow covered hill. That's all there was on the cover along with the word "Cinefex". There was no catchy slogan to tell you what the magazine was about. Nothing to tell you what articles were inside. Just an amazing visual effects shot and the word "Cinefex". But honestly, you did not need anything else to tell you what it was about. As huge fan of Ray Harryhausen movies, I always loved stop motion animation and was just blown away by the work of Phil Tippet in the Empire Strikes Back. So seeing this magazine just electrified me. It was Issue 3 and I immediately ordered Issue 1 and 2 and signed up for a subscription. I have been with them ever since. I do believe that studying how they made things look real BEFORE computer animation makes you a better CG artist. In addition to discussing technique, Cinefex also took on the harder subjects of "why" artists put things into a shot to achieve the desired look. Cinefex articles probed after this illusive concept: what details need to be added to a shot that will only be noticed if they are NOT there! That is a tough concept to teach. Long before CGI took us through the uncanny valley in creating photo real humans, Cinefex took us through the uncanny valley of building miniature towns, forests, waterfalls, airplanes, trains, and cities. The techniques discussed in lighting, creating atmosphere, making things look like they are in space or underwater and how to move the camera realistically through an SFX miniature all translate perfectly to improving your work as an artist in CGI. Cinefex taught me what makes something look real and they have stayed with that focus even as the technology changed from analog to digital. I will definitely feel their absence going forward and while in NO way comparable to all that people have lost during this horrible pandemic, I still do feel a sense of loss. Dave P.S. The last issue (#172) has already been completely sold out.