Camera Effects
Encyclopedia
Camera Effects was a post-production
and visual effects
company based in Soho
, London
from 1964 till its closure in 1987. It had a world wide reputation for producing film special effects and titles for television commercial
and feature film
projects.
The company was started by Roy Pace using an animation rostrum camera in a basement at 2 Bourchier Street in 1964. It moved premises to 6 Dean Street, then to 147 Wardour Street before finally settling at 8-11 Bateman Street as the biggest optical house in Soho with six camera rooms, an optical printer and two film studios.
Film opticals were created using Oxberry aerial image cameras, with "many animation techniques used in the process." The combination of an animation stand with a 35mm projector enabled the fast turnaround of film opticals and was a system popular with designers demanding precise title layouts by rotoscoping directly from the animation stand
.
Referring to her first hand experience at the company, Janet Yale said "This was before computer graphics
and all film effects work was done with chemicals, rostrum cameras and optical printers. It was basically a craft skill, there was no formal training for it."
As demand grew in the Spanish and Turkish commercials sectors, Camera Effects set up a production office in Barcelona and an independent aerial image camera unit in Istanbul, with cameramen from London doing 'tour of duties' on a rotation basis.
The company produced title sequences for major feature films such as
The Three Musketeers
, The Rocky Horror Picture Show
, Tommy
, the Superman films and Supergirl
.
in 1979. The management team which included creative director Sheldon Elbourne bought back the company in 1982 before selling to Rushes in 1986. The Virgin Group
bought Rushes the following year, shutting Camera Effects down in 1987 as the industry embraced new digital technologies, keeping the profitable motion control film studio side of the business going. The Virgin Group dissolved Camera Effects on the 25th September 2001.
Post-production
Post-production is part of filmmaking and the video production process. It occurs in the making of motion pictures, television programs, radio programs, advertising, audio recordings, photography, and digital art...
and visual effects
Visual effects
Visual effects are the various processes by which imagery is created and/or manipulated outside the context of a live action shoot. Visual effects involve the integration of live-action footage and generated imagery to create environments which look realistic, but would be dangerous, costly, or...
company based in Soho
Soho
Soho is an area of the City of Westminster and part of the West End of London. Long established as an entertainment district, for much of the 20th century Soho had a reputation for sex shops as well as night life and film industry. Since the early 1980s, the area has undergone considerable...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
from 1964 till its closure in 1987. It had a world wide reputation for producing film special effects and titles for television commercial
Television advertisement
A television advertisement or television commercial, often just commercial, advert, ad, or ad-film – is a span of television programming produced and paid for by an organization that conveys a message, typically one intended to market a product...
and feature film
Feature film
In the film industry, a feature film is a film production made for initial distribution in theaters and being the main attraction of the screening, rather than a short film screened before it; a full length movie...
projects.
The company was started by Roy Pace using an animation rostrum camera in a basement at 2 Bourchier Street in 1964. It moved premises to 6 Dean Street, then to 147 Wardour Street before finally settling at 8-11 Bateman Street as the biggest optical house in Soho with six camera rooms, an optical printer and two film studios.
Film opticals were created using Oxberry aerial image cameras, with "many animation techniques used in the process." The combination of an animation stand with a 35mm projector enabled the fast turnaround of film opticals and was a system popular with designers demanding precise title layouts by rotoscoping directly from the animation stand
Animation stand
An animation stand is a device assembled for the filming of any kind of animation that is placed on a flat surface, including cel animation, graphic animation, clay animation, and silhouette animation....
.
Referring to her first hand experience at the company, Janet Yale said "This was before computer graphics
Computer graphics
Computer graphics are graphics created using computers and, more generally, the representation and manipulation of image data by a computer with help from specialized software and hardware....
and all film effects work was done with chemicals, rostrum cameras and optical printers. It was basically a craft skill, there was no formal training for it."
As demand grew in the Spanish and Turkish commercials sectors, Camera Effects set up a production office in Barcelona and an independent aerial image camera unit in Istanbul, with cameramen from London doing 'tour of duties' on a rotation basis.
The company produced title sequences for major feature films such as
The Three Musketeers
The Three Musketeers (1973 film)
The Three Musketeers is a 1973 film based on the novel by Alexandre Dumas, père. It was directed by Richard Lester and written by George MacDonald Fraser . It was originally proposed in the 1960s as a vehicle for The Beatles, whom Lester had directed in two other films...
, The Rocky Horror Picture Show
The Rocky Horror Picture Show
The Rocky Horror Picture Show is the 1975 film adaptation of the British rock musical stageplay, The Rocky Horror Show, written by Richard O'Brien. The film is a parody of B-movie, science fiction and horror films of the late 1940s through early 1970s. Director Jim Sharman collaborated on the...
, Tommy
Tommy (film)
Tommy is a 1975 British musical film based upon The Who's 1969 rock opera album musical Tommy. It was directed by Ken Russell and featured a star-studded cast, including the band members themselves...
, the Superman films and Supergirl
Supergirl (film)
Supergirl is a 1984 superhero film directed by Jeannot Szwarc, and stars Helen Slater in her first motion picture role in the title role of the DC Comics superheroine Supergirl. Faye Dunaway played the primary villain, Selena. The film was a spin-off from the Salkinds' Superman film series which...
.
Ownership
Roy Pace sold Camera Effects to Brent WalkerBrent Walker
Brent Walker was a UK company which owns various businesses including property, gambling and pubs. It was founded by George Walker, the brother of the boxer, Billy Walker.-George Walker:...
in 1979. The management team which included creative director Sheldon Elbourne bought back the company in 1982 before selling to Rushes in 1986. The Virgin Group
Virgin Group
Virgin Group Limited is a British branded venture capital conglomerate organisation founded by business tycoon Richard Branson. The core business areas are travel, entertainment and lifestyle. Virgin Group's date of incorporation is listed as 1989 by Companies House, who class it as a holding...
bought Rushes the following year, shutting Camera Effects down in 1987 as the industry embraced new digital technologies, keeping the profitable motion control film studio side of the business going. The Virgin Group dissolved Camera Effects on the 25th September 2001.