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Todd Vaziri Profile picture
Todd Vaziri
@tvaziri
Filmmaking and visual effects. Worked on a lot of movies. Compositing Supervisor at ILM, co-host of Lighter Darker: The ILM Podcast.
Jul 17, 2023 • 4 tweets • 2 min read
David Duchovny sued Fox because Fox sold "The X-Files" reruns to Fox-owned stations in a sweetheart deal (rather than on the open market), scamming him and other participants out of millions of dollars (they settled out of court). Studios will try to get away with everything. here's a whole thread of similar situations of studios selling their product to themselves, screwing folks out of money

May 20, 2023 • 6 tweets • 4 min read
Shows like Friends, M*A*S*H and Seinfeld were shot on film and presented on TV in 4:3 aspect ratio.

For streaming, unused portions of the film negative are used to create a 16:9 widescreen image—if the reframe is sloppy, the audience sees more than was intended. "Friends" s10e01 Image There is no reason these shows can't be presented in their original aspect ratio of 4:3. Streamers claim audiences will be confused by pillarboxing (black bands on the sides of frame). It's actually MORE WORK for the studio to reframe every single shot for 16:9!
Aug 13, 2022 • 24 tweets • 7 min read
let’s try it

ngl.link/toddvaziri (if you ask something mega-vanilla I’m going to assume it’s one of the bot-generated questions, so add “vfxqanda” to your vanilla question so I know it’s genuine)
Aug 13, 2022 • 14 tweets • 3 min read
it’s never a bad time to start watching “Terminator 2” it’s cute how we kept making movies after T2
Aug 13, 2022 • 4 tweets • 2 min read
can someone please chart the evolution of the excuses given since the search warrant was executed because hoo boy the goalposts are moving really quickly omg

via @barrylyga
Jun 16, 2022 • 4 tweets • 2 min read
I've seen this movie A LOT and I don't think I ever fully grasped that the entire bottom half of the shot of our heroes standing on the log is synthetic. "Predator" (1987). Everything below the bottom of log is a matte painting, plus composited mist and twinkling water.
Oct 27, 2021 • 4 tweets • 1 min read
This image represents the loudest sound ever recorded by human beings. VHS/DVD INTRO "COMING ... -Insert DVD.

-DVD quietly spins up.

-💥🔊"COMING SOON TO THEATERS!"
Apr 12, 2021 • 7 tweets • 3 min read
Twin Pines Mall became Lone Pine Mall after Marty changed the future in “Back to the Future” (1985). Is that an Easter Egg or a Thing in the Movie? Let’s find out!

🌲🌲YouTube: y'all seem to like back to the future analysis

that's good to know

(me too!)
Apr 1, 2021 • 5 tweets • 2 min read
This video speaks for itself. Saying Stagecraft is groundbreaking is an incredible understatement. And this is only the beginning.

ILM - The Virtual Production of 'The Mandalorian', Season Two
a couple of behind-the-scenes shots from the video that really help tell the story of how effective Stagecraft truly is
Apr 1, 2021 • 11 tweets • 5 min read
A few people have sent me this, and I think the reaction is fascinating and wonderful. So I'll quickly do my best to explain what's going on in this scene from "Fast & Furious 6". First, the original tweet from @lilyeIiz: Here's the whole scene (with a section in the middle sped up) to help establish the geography and the choreography. Ultimately, Johnson and Diesel confront each other but not eye to eye - they're offset, as to not be directly in front of each other.
Nov 15, 2020 • 11 tweets • 4 min read
This quick shot from the prologue of "Terminator 2" is arguably one of the most important, unsung shots in the history of pre-digital visual effects, marrying multiple techniques into a single shot. Ok, I'll try breaking this down. It's gonna get confusing, so buckle up.

On screen left, that's a two-foot tall (1/3 scale) go-motion puppet (animated by Peter Kleinow) on a 1/3 scale rubble miniature, which was animated and photographed with a rear screen projection...
Aug 20, 2020 • 8 tweets • 3 min read
"Mission: Impossible - Fallout" (2018), cinematography by Rob Hardy This shot is compelling on many levels. It takes its time, its classic composition, its deliberate moves mirror the emotional journey of Ethan and Ilsa's relationship. But you don't have to be a film scholar to *feel* that something special is going on here.
May 20, 2020 • 9 tweets • 4 min read
Let's talk about an explosive shot from "The Blues Brothers" (1980).

First, here's the whole sequence. As a kid, I really thought they "just" blew up a Chicago building for this shot. In reality, various parts of the city were shut down to film the incredible car chase at the end of the film. But this? A brilliant visual effects shot by effects legend Albert Whitlock.
Dec 17, 2019 • 5 tweets • 3 min read
"Star Wars: The Force Awakens" (2015), visual effects by ILM. Vfx supervisors Roger Guyett & Pat Tubach. Full ILM credits: ilm.com/vfx/star-wars-…

Animation by Paul Kavanagh, environment by Quentin Marmier, ship lighting by Carlos Munoz, fx by Vinh Le compositing by Todd Vaziri. The biggest challenge for this sequence was getting the right exposure balance--making the flight through the Star Destroyer feel dark, scary, and claustrophobic while still having bits of sunlight blast through holes--and making it feel as photographic and readable as possible.
Aug 10, 2019 • 6 tweets • 2 min read
"Avengers: Endgame" (2019), visual effects by DNEG. "Avengers: Endgame" (2019), visual effects by DNEG.
Mar 1, 2019 • 10 tweets • 4 min read
We take this movie for granted. What a masterpiece. Remember how Ebert would sometimes screen a film with an audience and if anyone yelled STOP he'd pause the film and they'd talk about it?

rogerebert.com/rogers-journal…

It would be a real experience to do something similar with "Mad Max: Fury Road".
Feb 1, 2019 • 6 tweets • 3 min read
It’s time for another edition of your favorite movie game show, “Wait, That Was Always There? No, Way!”

Here’s a scene from “Star Wars”. You see it, right?
Jan 5, 2019 • 18 tweets • 6 min read
I’m not going to fall for a banana in the tail pipe. Holy shit what a great fucking night. Sorry about the swearing.
Dec 15, 2018 • 11 tweets • 4 min read
🕷️ O H M Y G O D 🕷️

"Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" is for real.

It is amazing. See it on the biggest screen you can.

Crazy congratulations to Bob Persichetti, @pramsey342, @rodneyrothman and everyone that worked on this monumental movie. An interview with "Spider-Verse" visual effects supervisor Danny Dimian, by @vfxblog

Cartoon Brew: ‘If It’s Not Broke, Break It’: Sony Imageworks’ Renegade Approach To ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’
cartoonbrew.com/feature-film/i…
Jul 30, 2018 • 10 tweets • 6 min read
"Rogue One", visual effects by ILM.
Visual effects supervisors John Knoll and Nigel Sumner, animation supervisor @halhickel, Computer graphics supervisor @vickschutz.

Lighting by Sam Wirch and David Meny, compositing by Todd Vaziri.
ilm.com/vfx/rogue-one-… In this mini-sequence, we wanted to build a progression. In this first shot, the "starfield" behind the ship blends with the ship's lights in shadow, to create a sense of unease, as if the ship is appearing from nothingness.
Jul 12, 2018 • 10 tweets • 4 min read
It's time to talk about one of my favorite visual effects shots of all time. Not only is the shot well-executed & designed, it fits perfectly within the edit and plays an important storytelling role. It's the last shot of this sequence from "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom". I remember hearing gasps from the audience when this shot appeared. After going through the amazing mine car chase, our heroes thought they were steps from safety. This wide shot neatly embodied the "what are they going to do NOW?!" aspect of swashbuckling serial adventures.