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THE SPECIAL EFFECTS SECRETS of Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet, Joe 90, UFO and MORE with MIKE TRIM
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- čas přidán 16. 06. 2024
- What does it take to craft the model worlds of Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet, Joe 90, UFO and more? In 'Fly By Wire' designer and special effects expert Mike Trim shares special effects secrets from his time working on classic Gerry and Sylvia Anderson Supermarionation television series.
From Derek Meddings and Thunderbird 2 to 'Doppelgänger' AKA 'Journey to the Far Side of the Sun', Mike shares his thoughts on the unique look of Century 21 Films' model effects output.
For more Supermarionation, visit: century21films.bigcartel.com/
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About Us:
About Me:
Century 21 Films Ltd is a multi-faceted production company whose work spans drama to documentary, miniature effects to puppet shows. It was founded by a group of filmmakers who first collaborated on Filmed in Supermarionation, the story of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson's hit puppet shows including Thunderbirds, Stingray and Captain Scarlet.
Since then, we have worked for a multitude of high-profile clients including ITV, BBC, Mammoth Productions, British Film Institute and the Halifax working on projects such Thunderbirds, Endeavour, Doctor Who and The Twilight Zone.
In addition to our regular filmmaking services, we specialise in ‘Supermarionation’ - the puppetry filming technique used to make shows like Thunderbirds and have collaborated with ITV repeatedly to provide specialised services. Our work has been featured on The One Show, This Morning, Good Morning Britain, BBC News, ITV News and Mastermind.
#filmedinsupermarionation #thunderbirds #century21films
Extraordinary interview. Amazes me when studios take props and just dump them, not to mention cancelling shows.
Thank you for posting wonderful memories for many of us in a country that no longer exists! 😢
Gerry Anderson & the artist that worked for him created a world that was so amazing. As a child I was mesmerized by the pseudo- reality they brought to life. Thank you, Mike, for all the magic you & Gerry gave to us.
These shows were the narrative of my childhood. I can still recall the sense of exvitement watching the drama of Thunderbirds. Thank you Mr Trim for some wonderful memories.
Great job. These shows fired the imagination of a generation of youth.
This is great!! I started watching Supercar in New York when it first aired and have been a fan throughout all the shows. I am 71 now and STILL watch them either on youtube or I pull out the DVD's! THANKS AGAIN and God Bless!
Very interesting. I could listen to Mike Trim all day long. He was fascinating.
Be assured Mike, Century 21 had an enormous impact on many young post-war baby boomers. Derek Meddings, Red Hill, and all of your colleagues are an enormous part of my childhood. Thunderbirds was just the best thing in my life. To some extent it still is. I deeply regret never going to a convention and meeting Gerry. Just glorious. Please just get over the lemon squeezer. I never noticed it until some “expert” pointed it out.
I have just retired from being a aircraft engineer at the major UK manufacturer. Guess why I became an engineer?
more time for the hobbies like model building - dangerous explosions - puppetry - piano ... in Century 22 production
@@jyvben1520
The brilliant Mike Trim x
Today I've been to an exhibition of Gerry & Sylvia Anderson's creations, & don't mind admitting I got quite emotional. As so many have said, these iconic productions were high points of our 1960s childhoods. They gave us excitement, awe & adventure, but they also had a strong moral message. We learned that good people could work together, defeat bad people, & make the world a better place. That's an important message that young children - & all of us - still need to hear today.
Mike, you scared the hell out of me with those UFOs when I was a kid.
Can't thank you enough for the thrills!
Thanks to content like this, i can see the men who shaped my childhood. I wanted to be Virgil Tracy when i was little.
Mike and the folk at Century 21 you had a massive impact on the lives of us then youngsters, it was an amazing world we felt part of whilst watching, it's a pleasure to see Mike and some of the team, these programs stood the test of time and the love and work that went into the programs lives on. Best wishes to the folk from Century 21, loved ones and fellow viewers ❤❤❤.
Seeing the miniature cars and vehicles driving in the outdoors or around buildings and roads were some of my favorite moments in these shows in addition to the classic puppets/marionettes.
those models became apart of my life i was already a sci fi fan at a young age being born in 1955, growing up with all gerry anderson shows. i started model making age 9 and wanted my kits to look like gerry anderson ones . now at 69 i cant move for models and things so thankyou for the great creative models you made..
Terrific little documentary.I still have the various "Dinky " versions of the Captain Scarlet,Joe 90 and UFO vehicles , still lurking in the attic!
Thank you, thank you, thank you Mike and Century 21 Films. You helped make one little chap's childhood, the happiest it could have possibly been. At the age of 57 I'm still a huge fan who's currently enjoying reruns of Captain Scarlet on Talking Pictures TV. Hope they get to do the same for Joe 90, Stingray and of course, Thunderbirds. Thank you again, you have no idea just how much of a positive influence you all had on my early life. Cheers 🍺
Thank you Mike Trim and all your colleagues, you brought my childhood to life. We now have CGI, which whilst a skill in itself, doesn’t quite capture the magic of puppetry.
The lemon squeezer is iconic.
I've always assumed that lemon squeezers were based on Thunderbird model details.
You were part of my chilhdood, and yes: I did notice the orange squeezer 🤣
Those Century 21 graphics that was the opening sequence for each series was fantastic. I loved it. You knew your favourite show was going to start and it launched you into a new era!
I know exactly what you mean!
It's always so interesting hearing about how these shows are made. Thank you!
That was a stroll down memory lane. Brilliant.
Compare and contrast our childhoods then to what children experience now. I'd go back to that era in a heartbeat.
PS. My era was Fireball XL5, Supercar, Stingray and Thunderbirds when whacking the side of the tele got the valves working again.
If i recall correctly, they also used the caps off toothpaste tubes because of the size, shape and texture! Thanks for the memories - its a real treat to watch all these "behind the scenes" clips.
Thanks Mike. The models that you and your team made helped shape my childhood.👍
Why did Century 21 shut down? It's weird to say but the management had no imagination as to the future potential of this amazing collaboration of artists. As a kid , I watched them all.
Mike, you and the crew of API did magnificent work I and many others have good memories and still enjoy your work. Thanks.
Wonderful stuff. I loved all these shows on first release when I was a kid. My endless gratitude to all the skilled creatives that made these shows happen.
Thanks for the interview.
It was all fantastic and still is. What a great video. Way ahead of its time. Excellent!
That was extremely interesting! Thank you for making my childhood so exciting! I started with fireball XL5 right up to the point if not watching the Secret Service! Simply as it was not shown on my regional channel! Sigh! What was lovely was the magazine that was made for us kids back then! It made us feel grownup, sitting down at Breakfast with your parents reading the newspapers too! Thank you for all the magical fun you gave us all! 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
Very interesting hearing Mike Trim’s recollections of working on these amazing shows.
The Thunderbird 2 is my Favorite :)
I really enjoyed watching this video, clearly Mike was passionate about the work he did at the studio. Thank you for sharing your memories.
A true maker of dreams!
Such a shame that so many of those wonderful models and sets didn't survive. But they will live on in film (or in some form of digital media) and that's some consolation. It was certainly an era.
What an uplifting and marvelous 26 minutes. Thank you so much. I could listen to Mike Trim recounting the making of these seminal series for hours. I do hope you are able to have Mike back again to talk more about his many years in production with APF. There are so many aspects of how and why things unfolded as they did as their abilities and experience increased that there must be many more stories to tell.
Great video the effects were out of this world and the music especially in the disaster scenes in Thunderbirds were epic thank you so much
Seeing the Lemon Squeezer - Knowing it WAS a Lemon Squeezer was definitely an awakening in my early model making career. DON'T ever diss that lemon squeezer, its more holy than the universal greeblie. And so too; all the knobs from radios, gas appliances etc.
Great interview.
This was such fantastic television.
Talking of using everyday items - as kids we had an oval soap dish with a plastic tray that was the same as some 'grids' that appeared on some of the Thunderbird models and sets. Took me years to realise that. Great series and terrific effects.
The model makers were genius! Also high as a kite to be so creative..
Mid-1964, 15 GBP per week - before taxes & union dues. My word, Mike was an absolute STEAL 🙂 ( but he would have been at 100 times that salary!) SO humble & understated, and so British. The model-making and filming techniques on these shows were YEARS ahead of their time - geniuses & pioneers that raised the bar to a level that has never been surpassed.
I ADORE these videos - PLEASE keep them coming.
What agreat interview!
Always loved the Thunderbirds! Was part of my early development! Fantastic production quality and stories!
This is fascinating, what a great insight!
Fantastic film thank you!
Shado 2 was my favourite childhood toy! Thank you.
Thanks so much for sharing, it brings back a lot of happy memories.
What a great video. Ah Mike, all your hard work is a major part of my childhood. Amazing stuff. Now I think the guys at the Gerry Anderson Podcast need to get you in for a bit more of a detailed chat. People would love that!
Thank you
Awesome content
I am fascinated by the Round House which TB3 launched through. I wish there were more pictures of it. I don't think the Tracy family ever used it for interior shots in the TV series. Perhaps Lady Penelope stayed in it when she visited. Thanks Mike Trim, you had an eye for such style and grace.
Fantastic stuff. Love all the vehicle designs especially for UFO by Mike Trim. Loved the Shadow mobiles and didn't realise the heritage from Joe 90 episode with the trucks based on the French film about transporting nitroglycerin. Those cloud shots with dry ice and smoke were revolutionary at the time. Shame they didn't keep all the sets and vehicles for a museum. Still they are great memories.
What a wonderful insight 👏
Great video👍. Brings back childhood memories of these fabulous shows. Amazing detail that really showed back then and I think still looks great today. Nice to know these scenes and the work that went into them will still be seen long after all involved have moved on.
loved the MSV. great vehicle......you sat backwards as I remember and had no windows
Sorcerer is the name of the film about the trucks driving through the jungle with nitroglycerin. If anyone's interested. Roy schieder was the protagonist
Sorcerer was 1977. He is, in fact, talking about The Wages of Fear - the original.
Wages of Fear is a far superior film, in glorious black and white.
That was great, such a sad ending to it all though, it went out with a whimper.
good documentary
Good old days 🍺
What a great job
Love the Supermarionation series. Particularly loved the super percussive intro to Stingray, "Anything can happen in the next half hour!..."
A propos of nothing, quick shufti on Google Maps to see the studio location in Slough, and the buildings were still there in 2016, but they've since been demolished.
@@AXE668 See our latest upload in which some crew members go back to the site before demolition.
Thankyou for sharing that with us, it was a fantastic era , I work within the filming industry and still hope that we will return to in camera practical effects rather than going down the AI root. again thankyou for all of your great work Tim and all of your colleagues.
Great interview. Mike Trim mentioned he was the main vehicle designer for Captain Scarlet. I'm curious who the vehicle designer was for the New Captain Scarlet?
Awesome!
I just love such looks into the actual thought processes that led to certain aspects that shaped the designs.
Thunderbirds... I was 5 or 6 when it was first broadcast. It was GLORIOUS - although I always thought the child characters annoying - and somehow, I KNEW what I was looking at: models and puppets. I was an avid reader of TV21 which had frequent behind the scenes photos and articles; they didn't break the illusion for me, they made the visual magic even better! Of course, nearly 60 years later, following this series with extra details like the different speeds of rolling roads and such...
The real reason for this post, though, is the lemon squeezer on Thunderbird 1's launch bay... for me, it was a link to the real world, somehow. It looked perfect! It was brilliant - and of course, we had one in the kitchen! But for me, that lemon squeezer is THE highlight of that launch bay - always was, always will be.
Amazing interview.
My late uncle Rod was a model maker on Cptn Scarlet and Joe 90
Thank you Rod, great times.
Great video...👍
Those two discs of ( I presume torch light) “the Mysterons” combined with the accompanying mysterious sound effects did make my quiver as a kid.
But as an aside I crapped myself when “the child catcher” was present in the movie “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang”
*21:38** original 1953 French film **_Le Salaire De La Peur_** , later the English version in 1977 **_Sorcerer_** . This interview is SPENDID, 26 minutes of pure enjoyment of listening to a well-spoken man talking about an excellent TV program that n one is willing to replicate in terms of quality and entertainment value.*
Some of your designs are brilliant. I have your book too
Thank you, I love the stuff you made, it was of great inspiration to me when I was a kid ❤
Love these videos. Keep it going. 😊
I lived outside of Detroit from 1967 to 1972 before moving to Cincinnati. Anyway, we watched The Thunderbirds big time up there. I used to draw the ships, especially Thunderbird 2!
Amazing my opinions changing from comic book youth to engineering degree/systems engineer operation and maintenance real life experience.
Love it
Took a look at the Sunprobe episode on ITVX. The resolution and lighting was remarkably high. So high, the paintbrush marks were sorely evident on the hull of the Sunprobe. Too much of a good thing :-)
Genius
I thought Captain Scarlet was SO handsome, back in the day. 😊
is century21 films still active in making new tv shows? It would be cool to see new productions like space: 1999 with new actors but with old technology, no cgi.
Excellent video, thanks for sharing ! Such a sad end to a glorious creative period and a successful process and team. Those models and the shows fueled the imaginations of many future engineers. I always wondered about the relationship between the model designs and realworld objects (eg concorde, soviet satellites). I built many lego versions of the Zero-X assembly and still think of technical issues inspired by those shows.
It's always sad hearing how the Century 21 props were smashed up. Some of the film making and special effects techniques made their way into TUGS through David Mitton as he had worked as a special effects technician on Thunderbirds. There's a fantastic documentary on the making of the series and the ongoing preservation of the surviving model props czcams.com/video/MoKZmBClElc/video.html
Wonderful and ultimately sad, I was 11 when Four Feather Falls started but watched it anyway because it seemed to be different and became an Anderson fan through all of the developing projects, as a near teenager, my peers and I enjoyed other shows like Space Patrol but Supercar was really the start of the exotic for us.
For that trailblazing organisation to just disappear was a tragedy.
Astounding to think none of this was done with radio control, batteries & servos. Just wires !
SPACE 1999 Those Eagles were fantastic 😂😂😂
I've seen what happened to one of the models from 2001: A Space Odyssey, quite bizarre.
[25:07] They found new jobs with the cheaper to make, Blake's 7 :-)
2:21 £15 a week was a relatively good wage for someone in their twenties back in 1964. Just shows how much inflation has eroded everything since.
Century 21 shaped my childhood. Bastards sold me short. Wheres my silver spandex suit and holidays on the moon?
Is this an exerpt from a longer documentary?
This particular interview is not, but we have produced longer documentaries like 'Century 21, Slough' and 'Filmed in Supermarionation'.
I used to have the toy of TB2. It was entirely metal like everything back in those days. I think it was made by Corgi. Also had James Bond's Lotus, Batmobile and many others which would be worth a lot of money today. As a kid I think I just threw them out when I was done with them
And they all went to the USA and did the sets for Star Wars.
Such a shame that ufo only had one series. Grew up on it and thought it was great. Watched 1999 but never thought it had the same punch
"Anything can happen in the next haaff hourrrr!"
You were a fort knight after sting ray .
That's really sad about the ending and what had occurred.
I noted here, the description of ageing models, adding oil streaks etc. A technique that we use today even in digital (or perhaps more in digital, I've done both, though only as a hobbyist). But it rather irks me to hear of George Lucas credited with this idea (Star Wars) when Century 21 were doing it decades beforehand.