5 ms·

Anyone remember Max Headroom? I did not realize until a few years ago how much of that was done with fiberglass prosthetics and makeup. https://en.m.wikipedia.

Anyone remember Max Headroom? I did not realize until a few years ago how much of that was done with fiberglass prosthetics and makeup. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Headroom_(character) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Headroom_(character) https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.theverge.com/platform/amp/2015/4/2/8322327/max-headroom-photo-gallery-makeup-design https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.theverge.com/platform/amp/2...

goto11 7y ago
I love the era of people making practical effects to look like computer graphics. The Hitchhikers Guide tv-show also had hand-drawn animation which was supposed to look like computer graphics.
- KineticLensman 7y ago
  Also the 1979 orbital insertion graphics display [0] in Alien. [0] https://typesetinthefuture.com/2014/12/01/alien/ https://typesetinthefuture.com/2014/12/01/alien/
cbm-vic-20 7y ago
Max Headroom was such an awesomely weird show. And somewhat prophetic, too: the constant media barrage, their power over the people, this show was literally 30 years ahead of its time.
- WorldMaker 7y ago
  The series predicted its own demise. A lot of the show's critical focus was on the mistake of TV networks focusing on on-demand demographics (ratings) data to mid-season cancel shows for slight drops (leading to a shorter attention span). It's considered among the first shows canceled due to a short but predictable drop in its ratings, mid-season. A fad show lost to a short attention span (that didn't see the depth below the surface memes).
  - zxcvbn4038 7y ago
    Matt Frewer is still looking good, maybe it’s time dark and gritty reboot? Wasn’t Max Headroom the original Chaos Monkey?
    - WorldMaker 7y ago
      I believe in interviews Matt Frewer stated that he'd never wear the makeup and prosthetics again (it nearly killed him a few times and he's in his 60s now). That said, given how Hollywood's deaging VFX tech and motion capture has advanced, I wonder if we've nearly hit the point where VFX could do Max Headroom "for real" with motion capture. Would be funny to do with VFX today what was practical effects pretending to be VFX back then.

goto11 7y ago

I love the era of people making practical effects to look like computer graphics. The Hitchhikers Guide tv-show also had hand-drawn animation which was supposed to look like computer graphics.

KineticLensman 7y ago
Also the 1979 orbital insertion graphics display [0] in Alien. [0] https://typesetinthefuture.com/2014/12/01/alien/ https://typesetinthefuture.com/2014/12/01/alien/

cbm-vic-20 7y ago

Max Headroom was such an awesomely weird show. And somewhat prophetic, too: the constant media barrage, their power over the people, this show was literally 30 years ahead of its time.

WorldMaker 7y ago
The series predicted its own demise. A lot of the show's critical focus was on the mistake of TV networks focusing on on-demand demographics (ratings) data to mid-season cancel shows for slight drops (leading to a shorter attention span). It's considered among the first shows canceled due to a short but predictable drop in its ratings, mid-season. A fad show lost to a short attention span (that didn't see the depth below the surface memes).
- zxcvbn4038 7y ago
  Matt Frewer is still looking good, maybe it’s time dark and gritty reboot? Wasn’t Max Headroom the original Chaos Monkey?
  - WorldMaker 7y ago
    I believe in interviews Matt Frewer stated that he'd never wear the makeup and prosthetics again (it nearly killed him a few times and he's in his 60s now). That said, given how Hollywood's deaging VFX tech and motion capture has advanced, I wonder if we've nearly hit the point where VFX could do Max Headroom "for real" with motion capture. Would be funny to do with VFX today what was practical effects pretending to be VFX back then.