Make: Making for the Movies

As CGI and digital effects dominate Hollywood blockbusters, a new appreciation has developed for the use of practical effects to suspend disbelief in film. Jesse Velez, owner of Raptor House FX, reveals the clever techniques and physical artistry used in cinema, from tricking the eye with miniatures and forced perspective to creating the illusion of life through animatronics, puppetry, and costumes. Curious experiments demonstrate key concepts, and teach 100-year-old methods still used today.

Jesse Velez is the owner and design lead at Raptor House FX, a practical effects studio which pairs classic techniques with cutting-edge digital design and rapid manufacturing. He co-created the animatronic "Thing" hand featured in the viral Netflix video that garnered 42 million views, as well as the Alien "facehugger" used in Fox's official Alien Anthology 40th Anniversary Short Film collection. He lives in the Denver, Colorado area.