On The Eve Of IRON MAN’s DVD Release, Mr. Beaks Reports Back From Stan Winston Studio!

AICN:With the passing of Stan this year, there was a lot of talk about this being the passing of an era - which it was in a way. Some people think practical f/x are on their way out. Do you guys think practical f/x will be strong in the 21st century?
Merritt: Oh yeah, I think so. I mean, digital is a great tool. It makes our jobs easier. It’s one of the reasons we’re able to build things as quickly as we do, because we know that we’ll be able to get away with certain things. You know… everybody loves practical. I mean, it just looks right and looks real. Even digital loves it because it makes their job easier. I think it’ll be around for a while.

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Every tool has it’s pluses and minuses – the reality is that it is always better to have something practical on set…and any good director will tell you that….and there are times that our work outshines digital