Nostr notes by Todd Vaziri

for example (detail): ...

2026-04-14T22:24:36Z

In reply to nevent1q…4p6z
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for example (detail):

The good news: “Terminator 2” will get a theatrical release ...

2026-04-14T21:49:27Z

The good news: “Terminator 2” will get a theatrical release later this year.

The bad news: it will probably be the version with all the paint-outs, face replacements and ‘modern’ color grade.

Chris Miller (and Greig Fraser) giving props to ILM on Instagram: ...

2026-03-27T20:38:46Z

In reply to nevent1q…tv0t
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Chris Miller (and Greig Fraser) giving props to ILM on Instagram:

"Shout out to the amazing work on PROJECT HAIL MARY by the folks at ILM - All of these shots (& many hundreds more) were made completely digitally by the talented artists there."

https://www.instagram.com/p/DWZfr7lkW0p/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D

like I said, exhausting (Grogu, in this shot for a piece whose ...

2026-03-24T06:08:55Z

In reply to nevent1q…qrra
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like I said, exhausting

(Grogu, in this shot for a piece whose theme is “CGI BAD”, is computer graphics made by computer graphics artists)

it's almost as though this happens ALL THE TIME and it's ...

2026-03-23T21:47:26Z

In reply to nevent1q…ls76
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it's almost as though this happens ALL THE TIME and it's totally exhausting

https://fxrant.blogspot.com/2024/12/correcting-some-skeleton-crew.html

I guess writing an piece that says "good filmmakers use the ...

2026-03-23T21:35:36Z

In reply to nevent1q…43ca
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I guess writing an piece that says "good filmmakers use the right tools for the right job" —— which has been true since the dawn of cinema itself —— is just too boring for the trades

the piece is worse than the headline and deeply misleads TO BE ...

2026-03-23T21:33:27Z

In reply to nevent1q…zsm2
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the piece is worse than the headline and deeply misleads

TO BE CLEAR:
- in half the shots in which he appears, Rocky is computer graphics animation
- Project Hail Mary used LED screens
- Top Gun Maverick had all-CG jet sequences, the Dune films had all-CG sequences, Alien Romulus had all-CG aliens

The discourse is still so bad. It's one thing when internet ...

2026-03-23T21:21:44Z

In reply to nevent1q…p5m8
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The discourse is still so bad. It's one thing when internet bozo film bros spread misinformation, but when the trades just say stupid stuff like this it's just so overwhelming and depressing.

Fun fact: even those movies that you think "rely on 'CGI'" have gigantic practical effects work!

Happy Robert Patrick’s Day ...

2026-03-17T14:09:22Z

Happy Robert Patrick’s Day

First Christopher Miller clarifies, now Phil Lord. I am extremely ...

2026-03-05T17:21:39Z

In reply to nevent1q…jz2e
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First Christopher Miller clarifies, now Phil Lord. I am extremely grateful for them putting out this information.

you can all stop asking me to comment now "Project Hail ...

2026-03-04T21:30:12Z

you can all stop asking me to comment now

"Project Hail Mary" (2026)

here we are ...

2026-03-04T14:36:54Z

here we are

I'm thinking about buying a desktop external of at least a ...

2026-02-25T19:12:47Z

I'm thinking about buying a desktop external of at least a 16TB HDD, with faster-than-USB 3 speed, and I like OWC products.

Any reason NOT to buy one of their StudioStack products?

https://eshop.macsales.com/shop/owc-studiostack

Should the top of my Mac mini (2024 M4) be warm? (It's not ...

2026-02-24T19:02:26Z

Should the top of my Mac mini (2024 M4) be warm?

(It's not HOT, just... warm. 98% of the day it’s mostly idle, not doing any big rendering or crunching.)

Nostr event nevent1qqspma48antmte6k5x7ll9gpcl42l43mvs8u0z2uvdf4z2stxla86pqzypkjaqa9yq6yc6lllnncycfl8kmpktlzmhnvstm5mhx0elx242dsz0z9qft

2026-02-19T14:45:15Z

In reply to nevent1q…xw7h
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Evergreen:

Every few months, I ask the chatbots about an innocuous movie ...

2026-02-19T14:44:42Z

In reply to nevent1q…dh20
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Every few months, I ask the chatbots about an innocuous movie fact that I have personally investigated and documented, just to gauge the accuracy of these tools about a topic I'm extremely versed in.

ChatGPT is still repeating false mythology. Gemini however is accurately referencing my blog post.

Do NOT expect chatbots to give you facts. I hacked ChatGPT and ...

2026-02-19T14:33:07Z

Do NOT expect chatbots to give you facts.

I hacked ChatGPT and Google's AI – and it only took 20 minutes
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20260218-i-hacked-chatgpt-and-googles-ai-and-it-only-took-20-minutes

huh that’s weird OpenAI’s president is a Trump mega-donor ...

2026-01-27T15:38:23Z

huh that’s weird

OpenAI’s president is a Trump mega-donor
https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/867947/openai-president-greg-brockman-trump-super-pac

Nostr event nevent1qqsdcczz3lh97f4xt4w655hthpfjpf4ptg3a23f9uupv8k9vgmfqa2gzypkjaqa9yq6yc6lllnncycfl8kmpktlzmhnvstm5mhx0elx242dszmz4y5q

2026-01-26T17:03:36Z

https://www.theverge.com/news/867567/tim-cook-accused-rapist-brett-ratner-melania-screening

"I don't like movies that rely on 'CGI'" is ...

2025-12-18T21:50:20Z

"I don't like movies that *rely* on 'CGI'" is a ridiculous thing to say.

"Nouvelle Vague" (2025), directed by Richard Linklater, visual effects by CGEV.
https://youtu.be/1p0G-lGZkL4?si=jya5zjbQyZh61zMX

sorry but you know i had to do it ...

2025-12-02T18:03:40Z

In reply to nevent1q…hk69
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sorry but you know i had to do it

live shot of me, wondering what other things got screwed up on ...

2025-12-02T16:33:39Z

In reply to nevent1q…q5v6
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live shot of me, wondering what other things got screwed up on this show, one of the most prestigious shows in the history of television

To be clear - "Mad Men" was originally mastered in HD in ...

2025-12-02T16:11:26Z

In reply to nevent1q…dhc5
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To be clear - "Mad Men" was originally mastered in HD in 16:9, so this isn't an issue of "exposing more film negative to fit a new aspect ratio", like "Friends" and "Seinfeld".

In addition, it seems like "Mad Men" season one ...

2025-12-02T16:05:08Z

In reply to nevent1q…tdn3
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In addition, it seems like "Mad Men" season one titles/episodes are jumbled on HBO Max. The vomit scene is in "Red in the Face", but on HBO Max it's labeled "Babylon". (The one labeled "Red in the Face" is actually "5G", too.) Some interesting QC issues afoot.

This is absolutely real. The current HBO Max version of this ...

2025-12-02T16:04:28Z

This is absolutely real. The current HBO Max version of this "Mad Men" episode "remastered for 4K" did not include an updated visual effects shot, which originally painted out the crew and equipment. Not just that, the HBO Max episode titles/order is jumbled for s01.

two of the greatest 5+ season TV shows that were consistently ...

2025-11-27T02:50:16Z

two of the greatest 5+ season TV shows that were consistently excellent from pilot-to-finale: “Veep” and “Breaking Bad”

Washington Post: Can you tell when you’re seeing CGI in movies ...

2025-11-24T16:42:09Z

Washington Post: Can you tell when you’re seeing CGI in movies and TV shows?

https://wapo.st/48vEGf8

One of the most influential artists in the history of Hollywood ...

2025-10-14T16:38:34Z

One of the most influential artists in the history of Hollywood has passed. Thanks for everything, Drew Struzan.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DPy0ZUEEVnt/

Vanity Fair asked me to talk about visual effects, and it was my ...

2025-10-07T17:21:34Z

Vanity Fair asked me to talk about visual effects, and it was my great honor to show off some of ILM’s terrific work over the years.

Todd Vaziri on Vanity Fair VFX
https://youtu.be/ERKEsIzTFas?si=Fd0gOlcllmJeSmzg

The “Knight Rider” complete series Blu-ray box set is ...

2025-09-28T22:16:43Z

The “Knight Rider” complete series Blu-ray box set is magnificent. And it’s all in the proper aspect ratio (4:3).

FYI the alien queen in “Aliens”, a movie made nearly a decade ...

2025-09-13T16:14:49Z

FYI the alien queen in “Aliens”, a movie made nearly a decade before “Jurassic Park”, wasn’t “CGI”

#Aliens #AlienQueen #PracticalEffects #Aliens1986

Watching “V: The FInal Battle” (1984) and getting super ...

2025-09-11T16:24:32Z

Watching “V: The FInal Battle” (1984) and getting super nostalgic for small pickup trucks.

Some solid links here. The best YouTube channels and podcasts ...

2025-08-29T22:33:22Z

Some solid links here.

The best YouTube channels and podcasts every film artist should subscribe to.
https://www.creativebloq.com/3d/the-best-youtube-channels-and-podcasts-every-film-artist-subscribe-to

“Raiders of the Lost Ark” was made in 1981, depicting a story ...

2025-08-26T03:21:58Z

“Raiders of the Lost Ark” was made in 1981, depicting a story from 1936. That’s 45 year difference.

Next year (2026) is the 45th anniversary of “Raiders of the Lost Ark”.

My favorite gags from The Naked Gun” (2025): 5. The windshield ...

2025-08-15T04:22:52Z

My favorite gags from The Naked Gun” (2025):

5. The windshield
4. All the coffee
3. Chowing Down on Spaghetti
2. TiVo
1. “Me too!”

An historic day: I started watching “V” (1983) with my kid. ...

2025-08-14T19:48:07Z

An historic day: I started watching “V” (1983) with my kid.

My goodness — Sketch" (2025) is at 95% on the Tomatometer! ...

2025-08-07T15:21:04Z

My goodness — Sketch" (2025) is at 95% on the Tomatometer!

"Sketch", written and directed by Seth Worley, with visual effects supervised by Dan Sturm, is now in theaters!

Seth Worley (npub1e3j…9qm9) Dan Sturm (npub1p7x…2348)

Nostr event nevent1qqs2q3m9cjnk59hwxypttkt3m0t38gj66xup8fgvwnmgmwf9gya70mczypkjaqa9yq6yc6lllnncycfl8kmpktlzmhnvstm5mhx0elx242dsz3htccu

2025-07-20T23:15:56Z

Do you know what "The Pepsi Challenge" is?

absolutely horrifying that paramount would cancel a successful TV ...

2025-07-18T15:29:24Z

In reply to nevent1q…jc9a
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absolutely horrifying that paramount would cancel a successful TV show to appease the White House but hilarious that Fallon is not even named in his gloating victory lap and only referred to as “Moron”

what the fuck CBS to Cancel ‘Late Show With Stephen Colbert’ ...

2025-07-17T23:35:23Z

what the fuck

CBS to Cancel ‘Late Show With Stephen Colbert’ Citing ‘Financial Decision’
https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/cbs-cancel-late-show-stephen-colbert-financial-decision-1236464356/

[update: my trusty research assistant (hi, █████!) ...

2025-07-13T22:15:36Z

In reply to nevent1q…gq4v
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[update: my trusty research assistant (hi, █████!) found some folks who have talked about this but I’ll say that is the first time I’ve heard this, and it has never been illustrated in the way I’m attempting to do, so yay]

Ever since I was a kid, I thought something about the “Star ...

2025-07-12T22:34:46Z

Ever since I was a kid, I *thought* something about the “Star Wars” movies was true, but I never actually got around to testing my theory. Now, decades later, I’m testing it and… it seems totally valid (and cool!). Pretty sure it’s not been talked about. Coming soon.

BREAKING: Mark Gurman Announces Apple Thing That We’ll All Know ...

2025-05-28T23:06:41Z

BREAKING: Mark Gurman Announces Apple Thing That We’ll All Know In Ten Days Anyway

In very bad news, classic “Reno 911” — which was filmed in ...

2025-05-12T05:01:30Z

In very bad news, classic “Reno 911” — which was filmed in 4:3 — apparently is stretched AND cropped for 16:9 on Paramount+. Bad.

Nostr event nevent1qqspu0mckpkxpc0zq56zalpx3kwl52xun2my29w6gp6c7kr8fztd3nczypkjaqa9yq6yc6lllnncycfl8kmpktlzmhnvstm5mhx0elx242dsz0q9hnx

2025-05-08T15:53:32Z

Jay Leno

I finally solved the mystery movie mistake in “Episode III”, ...

2025-04-21T14:34:05Z

In reply to nevent1q…ah3g
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I finally solved the mystery movie mistake in “Episode III”, and also talk about some of my favorite revealing movie mistakes from my favorite films.

The Movie Mistake Mystery from "Revenge of the Sith"
http://fxrant.blogspot.com/2025/04/the-movie-mistake-mystery-from-revenge.html

wait, what is THAT? ...

2025-04-21T14:32:04Z

wait, what is THAT?

As of today, I will only argue with the “practical is better ...

2025-04-13T21:15:21Z

As of today, I will only argue with the “practical is better than ‘CGI’ crowd in person. Arguing face to face has the warmth and texture and hand-made authenticity that arguing on the internet lacks.

absolutely atrocious how poorly the Washington Post and New York ...

2025-04-07T02:56:54Z

absolutely atrocious how poorly the Washington Post and New York Times covered the nationwide protests yesterday

Before you get off the plane, I'd also recommend temporarily ...

2025-04-03T23:11:10Z

In reply to nevent1q…nfe5
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Before you get off the plane, I'd also recommend temporarily disabling Face ID on your iPhone. I know I'll be doing that.

It's easy - press and hold the power button AND either of the volume buttons until you see the “power off" screen - that's it. Now, the only way to unlock your phone is with your passcode.

How to Temporarily Disable Face ID or Touch ID, and Require a Passcode to Unlock Your iPhone or iPad
https://daringfireball.net/2022/06/require_a_passcode_to_unlock_your_iphone

2/2

For anyone who is traveling to the U.S., and even for U.S. ...

2025-04-03T23:06:59Z

For anyone who is traveling to the U.S., and even for U.S. citizens returning to the U.S.:

ACLU: Can Border Agents Search Your Electronic Devices? It’s Complicated
https://www.aclu.org/news/privacy-technology/can-border-agents-search-your-electronic

1/2

Sorry, Google Search AI Result, this is totally incorrect. Ving ...

2025-03-05T19:25:28Z

Sorry, Google Search AI Result, this is totally incorrect. Ving Rhames did NOT win an Oscar for his work in “Piranha 3D” (2010).

Never “just trust” an AI Result.

"A Different World" Upscaling is Not Good (plus a ...

2025-02-28T00:31:51Z

"A Different World" Upscaling is Not Good (plus a comparison to MTV Unplugged on Paramount+)

http://fxrant.blogspot.com/2025/02/a-different-world-upscaling-is-not-good.html

By 2030: 🍸 Jacob Elordi’s 007 film 🍸 “Blofeld: Rise of ...

2025-02-20T14:57:05Z

By 2030:

🍸 Jacob Elordi’s 007 film
🍸 “Blofeld: Rise of SPECTRE” streaming series
🍸 “Young M” streaming series
🍸 “A Day in the Life of Moneypenny” streaming series
🍸 Jimmy Fallon’s parallel comedy 007 film
🍸 “Shaken AND Stirred?” animated series, a 007 What If...? show

https://variety.com/2025/film/global/james-bond-amazon-mgm-gain-creative-control-1236313930/

Thanksgiving... a.k.a. the perfect time to stealthily turn off ...

2024-11-25T16:09:28Z

Thanksgiving... a.k.a. the perfect time to stealthily turn off motion smoothing on your relatives' TVs.

Every time someone repeats the totally incorrect myth that ...

2024-11-21T04:24:58Z

Every time someone repeats the totally incorrect myth that “CGI” is cheaper than practical effects—it’s not and that’s a ridiculous statement—‘because “CGI” isn’t unionized,’ they’re unwittingly giving ammunition to studios who are arguing that unionization would be bad for the industry (it’s not).

My current list of future films under a Full Media Blackout™: ...

2024-11-15T18:06:23Z

My current list of future films under a Full Media Blackout™:

🕷️ Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse
🛌 Mickey 17
👽 Predator: Badlands 🆕

🚫 zero trailers, posters or articles, in order to see the film with fresh eyes for the first time

dumb question of the day: is there any harm in converting my ...

2024-11-12T22:44:29Z

dumb question of the day: is there any harm in converting my physical SIM to an eSIM?

And, the benefit is easier transfer of service from phone-to-phone, right? (I have an iPhone 12, soon to get an iPhone 16)

Nostr event nevent1qqsqpmqjqkxm5ckf3sj42z6p5r0v0kn99qt8p9wn5xrtt63r9emvjaczypkjaqa9yq6yc6lllnncycfl8kmpktlzmhnvstm5mhx0elx242dsztuahmd

2024-11-06T21:09:02Z

i still haven't watch one minute of any election coverage on TV

Nostr event nevent1qqs9wzn2fvuedhct4wfzklklgc528rcdf0g35sp7rd8nues88fr5lsszypkjaqa9yq6yc6lllnncycfl8kmpktlzmhnvstm5mhx0elx242dsz0hcjqf

2024-10-29T21:05:12Z

cool

I’m very happy The NYTimes is getting into the game of busting ...

2024-10-29T13:45:17Z

I’m very happy The NYTimes is getting into the game of busting movie myths. Here they are dispelling the “actors didn’t know” myth from “Seven”.

(a spoiler-filled article, duh)

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/10/25/movies/scary-movie-it-alien-smile.html

I use Siri on my Apple Watch several times a day to set timers, ...

2024-10-25T04:26:20Z

I use Siri on my Apple Watch several times a day to set timers, send texts, create reminders, etc. and every time I press and hold the crown while talking into my watch I think of Michael Knight.

I wrote about one of my favorite shots from David Fincher's ...

2024-10-17T17:27:00Z

I wrote about one of my favorite shots from David Fincher's "Seven", which turned into an essay about telephoto lenses and getting a myth about the movie debunked.

http://fxrant.blogspot.com/2024/10/this-shot-from-seven-is-not-visual.html

holy shit an actual question about climate change

2024-09-11T02:42:15Z

In reply to nevent1q…jafu
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holy shit an actual question about climate change

the moderators are doing a good job… how is this possible

2024-09-11T01:48:06Z

In reply to nevent1q…s5dw
_________________________

the moderators are doing a good job… how is this possible

okay some of these are pretty good

2024-09-11T01:26:55Z

In reply to nevent1q…ks9p
_________________________

okay some of these are pretty good

i'll wager nearly everything that nearly every debate ...

2024-09-10T23:52:28Z

i'll wager nearly everything that nearly every debate "question" will be stupid

LOOK IT’S EPISODE 1 ...

2024-09-04T03:39:25Z

In reply to nevent1q…k7n9
_________________________

LOOK IT’S EPISODE 1

https://www.ilm.com/lighterdarker/s1e1-the-premiere/

what the— We are pleased to announce Lighter Darker: The ILM ...

2024-08-27T21:50:12Z

what the—

We are pleased to announce Lighter Darker: The ILM Podcast, where we focus on the creative process of filmmaking and the art of visual storytelling. Hosted by ILM Chief Creative Officer Rob Bredow and ILM Compositing Supervisor Todd Vaziri, we share behind-the-scenes stories that illustrate the many crafts that come together to create a motion picture, TV series, or special venue project.

https://www.ilm.com/lighter-darker-the-ilm-podcast-launching-september-3-2024/

In hindsight, what was the most misguided piece of career advice ...

2024-08-08T22:46:43Z

In hindsight, what was the most misguided piece of career advice you ever got from a trusted figure?

(No need to name names.)

tired: the Overlook’s hallway carpeting wired: the Overlook’s ...

2024-06-18T03:44:34Z

In reply to nevent1q…7836
_________________________

tired: the Overlook’s hallway carpeting

wired: the Overlook’s Room 237 carpeting

I don’t know how this shot was done. ...

2024-06-18T02:35:38Z

In reply to nevent1q…65wh
_________________________

I don’t know how this shot was done.

Nostr event nevent1qqsfznlwd367dzu67n5tumk6fhhklxpgsuc8vxcvghk4sx0dg7a25cczypkjaqa9yq6yc6lllnncycfl8kmpktlzmhnvstm5mhx0elx242dszy49q2m

2024-06-18T02:01:51Z

In reply to nevent1q…kvpm
_________________________

Nostr event nevent1qqsvq6tjekd0x48d8afyatl0ltx0uxf7fv3narm0hm0r8caca47qqdgzypkjaqa9yq6yc6lllnncycfl8kmpktlzmhnvstm5mhx0elx242dszyxmh86

2024-06-18T01:55:57Z

Introducing a first-timer to “The Shining” (1980).

A fun thing to do is try and figure out which version of ...

2024-06-06T14:24:30Z

A fun thing to do is try and figure out which version of "Grease" you're watching.

This is a new one. “Atlas" (2024) promotional material. ...

2024-06-02T22:49:57Z

This is a new one. “Atlas" (2024) promotional material.

This is a new one. The same greenscreen-draped set, thirteen seconds later becomes a grayscreen-draped set.

Nostr event nevent1qqsy3chyv8lxxak7muftlpnt6u5mx20ml8xcjpjg07n0etvpm4llceczypkjaqa9yq6yc6lllnncycfl8kmpktlzmhnvstm5mhx0elx242dszkx4nul

2024-05-21T04:49:53Z

In reply to nevent1q…7rdr
_________________________

yikes

I mean, I would love to hear this dude talk about what he likes ...

2024-05-21T00:56:34Z

In reply to nevent1q…tc29
_________________________

I mean, I would love to hear this dude talk about what he likes about the movie.

so many scammy scummy things about OpenAI but the red flags are ...

2024-05-21T00:28:45Z

so many scammy scummy things about OpenAI but the red flags are now quite visible

(I like the movie!)

https://www.theverge.com/2024/5/20/24160621/openai-chatgpt-gpt4o-sky-scarlett-johansson-voice-assistant-her