Hacker Cinema
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
1954 · Film · 127 min
Directed by Richard Fleischer
AdventureScience FictionFantasy
A ship sent to investigate a wave of mysterious sinkings encounters the advanced submarine, the Nautilus, commanded by Captain Nemo.
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3 comments on Hacker News
> could be bladerunner, could be star trek, could be 1984. Could be terminator.
It's a profound moment for sure, but let's ask ourselves: could the creative works of early last century have predicted our world? Would people in the 1930s say "2030, it could be like Metropolis, could be like 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, could be like Flash Gordon"? No.
The real future might be nothing like any of the sci-fi movies we're so used to representing potential AI-based futures.
One thing I've been trying to remind myself about is that humans have explored only a very narrow slice of possibilities within the known universe. AI's ability to crawl the search space is going to uncover way more slices, (which yes, could lead to various outcomes like the movies listed), but more likely to be some hybrid/blend of outcomes (or entirely new outcomes) that we haven't imagined yet at all.
"May you live in interesting times" and all that
If the plot is good, then dated effects don't matter. Both the 1916 and 1954 versions of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea hold up today.
I guess some people just can't cope with anything but the most cutting edge effects. If they notice something is fake the movie experience is ruined for them or something. I'm glad I'm not afflicted with this.
Ub Iwerks invented the multiplane camera with movable cameras and parallaxing/zoom [1]
The first multiplane camera, using movable layers of flat artwork before a horizontal camera, was invented by former Walt Disney Studios animator/director Ub Iwerks in 1933, using parts from an old Chevrolet automobile. His multiplane camera was used in a number of the Iwerks Studio's Willie Whopper and Comicolor cartoons of the mid-1930s.
Ub Iwerks is the same guy that created/drew Mickey Mouse[2] and Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, two cartoons that got Disney animation going.
American animator, cartoonist, character designer, inventor, and special effects technician, who co-created Oswald the Lucky Rabbit and Mickey Mouse. The works Iwerks produced alongside Walt Disney went on to win numerous awards, including multiple Academy Awards
Iwerks was instrumental in getting Disney started. Walt was the Steve Jobs and Ub was the Woz.
Even though Ub and Walt were best friends, Iwerks pretty much got effed over by Disney and later left to go to MGM to make Flip the Frog [3] and other animations.
It is sad most people don't know Ub Iwerks created Mickey Mouse and parallax via the multiplane camera tech/machine and many other things, nor his impact on animation and animation technology.
Ub Iwerks son, Don Iwerks [4], later worked at Disney and on 20,000 leagues under the sea, and some other neat stuff and is a Disney Legend member. Like his dad he later went to start his own thing in Iwerks Entertainment after 35 years at Disney.
In 1954, Iwerks got a camera technician position for the film 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, starring Kirk Douglas and Peter Lorre. He would spend the next 30 years driving film innovations for the Disney company. Notable contributions include the first 360 film techniques, 360-degree camera, and first Circle-Vision 360 film, America the Beautiful, and developing the process for creating seamless live action shots with animated backgrounds.
In 1985, after nearly 35 years at Disney, Don left to form his own company called Iwerks Entertainment. Iwerks became a leading developer of special films, special venues, and virtual reality theaters throughout the world.
Ub Iwerks really should get more respect as he created early Disney and it wouldn't have happened without him probably. Typical doer that ended up getting effed over and should be more recognized for the guy that created Mickey Mouse and Disney tech, he just didn't have the business prowess that Walt had.
Despite a contract with MGM to distribute his cartoons, and the introduction of a new character named “Flip the Frog”, and later “Willie Whopper”, the Iwerks Studio was never a major commercial success and failed to rival either Disney or Fleischer Studios.
He did attract the legendary Chuck Jones[5] to work with him though, Chuck went on to create some of the best animation and cartoons ever with WB.
Newly-hired animator Fred Kopietz recommended that Iwerks employ a friend from Chouinard Art School, Chuck Jones, who was hired and put to work as a cel washer.
Ub would probably hate what Disney has become but he was instrumental in helping create the magic of the early days.
If Ub was alive today he'd probably be making adult swim/cartoon network type cartoons or stuff like Pixar made pushing tech limits. His granddaughter made the documentary 'The Pixar Story'[6]. The Iwerks family and legacy towards animation/movie tech should be more known, especially Ub.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiplane_camera
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ub_Iwerks
[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flip_the_Frog
[4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Iwerks
[5] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuck_Jones
[6] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pixar_Story