Dykstraflex
Dykstraflex is a film camera system named after its inventor, special effects expert John Dykstra .
background
Dykstra originally developed the system exclusively for complex special effects shots for the film Star Wars , which was created in 1976 by George Lucas . In connection with an old VistaVision camera and inexpensive microprocessors , Dykstra developed a completely computer-aided camera system. It was movable in seven axes, controlled the focus and the exposure and could repeat programmed movement sequences as often as required for multiple exposure . With the Dykstraflex system it was possible to repeat the same camera movements over and over again and film several parts (spaceships, planets) from exactly the same position with the same movement. This is what made the dynamic images of Star Wars possible.
For the development of the Dykstraflex, Dykstra received an Oscar in 1978 in the visual effects category. However, Dykstra wasn't the only developer who created the Dykstraflex. He himself said:
"All three of the aspects of the camera system were developed at some point, partially, in the past. Doug Trumbull deserves a lot of credit, because a lot of the people who worked on Star Wars were people that he nurtured. The name Dykstraflex was really a joke. The Dykstraflex is not my camera; it's not a new concept. It's been around for years, from the days of the RKO General Pictures (in the 1930s). The name of the camera is not indicative of its designer so much as it's indicative of the joke that was going around. There was a Trumbullflex, and the same people that make the Dykstraflex had made the Trumbullflex. "
“All three aspects of the camera system had partly been developed beforehand up to a certain point. Doug Trumbull deserves great credit for this, as many of the people who worked on Star Wars were influenced by him. The name "Dykstraflex" was a joke. The Dykstraflex is not my camera; it is not a new concept. Something like that has been around since the days of RKO General Pictures (in the 30s). The name of the camera stands less for its inventor than for the joke that was made about it. There was also a "Trumbullflex" and the same people who made the Dykstraflex had also made the Trumbullflex. "
The people who developed the Dykstraflex include Dykstra himself, Douglas Trumbull, Richard Alexander and Al Miller.
See also
Remarks
- ↑ cf. JW Rinzler: The Making of Star Wars . The Definitive Story Behind the Original Film, 2007, p. 77.
literature
- JW Rinzler: The Making of "Star Wars". The Definitive Story Behind the Original Film. Based on the lost interviews from the official Lucasfilm Archives. Ebury Press, London 2007, ISBN 978-0-09-192014-2 , pp. 74-77.