A NOTE FROM ROBERT SKOTAK AND DENNIS SKOTAK:


We would have loved to have been able to work on this, the original GODZILLA film, back in 1954. Being WAY too young at the time---plus the tiny detail of being from a country thousands of miles away---the following is as close as we could come to participating, if only by proxy in what must've been an amazing monster-fantasy film-making experience!


We did this little "experiment", knowing that the director was not able, at the time, to fully supervise the editing of the film (Honda had to go on to another picture), and had experienced some frustration, along with the crew, by any number of financial restrictions. We thought, with all respect to the original creators, maybe we could reach back across the decades and give them a little hand as both a thank you, and an excuse to enjoy the  pretend game of "being involved" in some way, with this landmark film.


So, here, we present, through our company, 4-Ward Productions, something we call GODZILLA-PLUS, the original film, with some extra "touches" of visual effects and edit "tweaks", all done in the practical-effects style (real elements combined with original footage): Of course, we had to do this using digital compositing tools, but we utilized them in a manner very much equivalent to the standard film-based"optical compositing" tools available at the time.


Though this was our own pet project of several years back, the 60th Anniversary of GODZILLA's original release seemed a good time to share in our '"experiment":  As such, we post the following four sequences  to which we applied some new elements (fire, smoke, sparks, flash frames etc), extra camera movement, clean-up, re-timing, high-speed photography (note: the Toho  crew did not always have the number of high-speed cameras they wanted to shoot from multiple angles at the same time), and Surround Sound.  


Continued Below...

 
 

4WARD PRODUCTIONS                                                     818.700.9700                                                         9810 Owensmouth Ave., Ste. 1

Incorporated 1989/dba Paramecium Productions Inc. 1995           info@4wardproductions.com                                               Chatsworth, CA  91311

Those who are extremely familiar with the original film may immediately pick-out the various tweaks and additions. For those less familiar we mention here a few of the things you might want to look out for:


Larger scale water split-screened into shots of Godzilla rising up and wading through the harbor.


Slowed (high-speed equivalent) movement  of puppet-Godzilla with passenger car in his mouth, plus added steam/smoke and falling debris.


Added camera shake on various impacts. Fire, smoke, steam etc added to trains sections smashing to the ground.


Added flashes, sparks, camera shake, sound effects as Godzilla tears through power lines surrounding city.


"Radioactive Breath" double-exposed on several shots of houses set on fire, high-tension towers melting etc.


Re-positioning and flopping of several shots to fit continuity and tighten the action for these edited-down versions.


Conversion of miniature dolly shot across city to a panoramic matte painting, in order to sharpen detail, and add larger scale fire, smoke, electrical sparking, clouds in sky, etc.


And so on...


Also note, that some of these sequences have been shortened to fit this small "showcase". 


We hope you enjoy these mini-films, and take them in the spirit intended. Many of the things that were done in this film six decades ago would be very difficult or impossible to re-produce today given the same kind of time and money. Miracles were achieved by the original crew, by means of their sheer resourcefulness, imagination, and individual hand-crafted artistic and technical skill. Nothing can replace that...and all we can do is wish we had been there to  give them more time and  money to do everything they wanted. 


Lacking time machines, this is the best we could do!


SPECIAL THANKS TO JOE SCHULTZ FOR ADDITIONAL PICTURE AND SOUND WORK.