Derek Meddings - master director of special effects

[Michel Van]

Since we have some fans of Gerry Anderson and Derek Meddings and his Team
Here some Tribute to them

View: https://youtu.be/zOdjmWw2a5g

 

[The K2]

Much appreciated for starting the thread. Derek Meddings was good friends with Roger Moore. Moore wrote the forward for the tribute book called Special Effects Superman (it focused on his FX career in the films) that was released after Meddings death. Was told that his funeral was a who's who of the British FX industry. Some of his children went on to careers in makeup and special effects and has worked on the Bond films.

A little tribute to him can be found on the gantry (see red oval) from the film Casino Royale.

 

[Michel Van]

His classics
Launch of Space Shuttle in Moonraker. 3 years before real one took off

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wi2QVirXBVQ


Launch of EUROSEC rocket in Journey to far side of the Sun

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAEBZjVRbAc

How they made that.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fc1QOtG50Iw

 

[Graham1973]

A pure 'Thunderbirds' moment in a James Bond Film...

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miq8jxw2Ajw

 

[Graham1973]

And a discussion of one of his more obsure projects, a 1972 film based off the Alistair MacLean novel 'Fear Is The Key' whose only claim to fame is that it's the only film in which Ben Kingsley appears with hair... (It's also Ben Kingsley's screen debut.)

Fear Is The Key 1972

From a book and screenplay by Alistair MacLean comes this obscure thriller with some miniature submersible shots supervised by Derek Meddin...

www.modelshipsinthecinema.com

 

[Michel Van]

Derek Meddings made Magic for James Bond "The Spy who love Me"
Next the large model of the Atlantis
original the Production wanted to use Real Supertanker by SHELL, but the elevated insurance and safety risks.
This let to build very large Model for the Liparus by Medding team.

 

[The K2]

In the comedy film “Spies Like Us”, Meddings appears with Ray Harryhausen and Terry Gilliam as doctors.

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9UZWfMgjqAs
Meddings was director of miniature effects for the film.