Ian Failes

Latest Posts From Ian

Apr 30, 2019

The Secrets Behind Bringing the 'Game of Thrones' Dragons to Life

Watching Daenerys Targaryen's trio of dragons duke it out above the clouds during the Battle of Winterfell may make you forget that Drogon, Rhaegal, and Viserion (RIP, formerly undead Viserion) actually started life as tiny cute baby creatures only a short time ago.

Oct 17, 2018

How 'First Man' Used Miniature Model Rockets to Recreate the Vastness of Space

In the age before CGI, many of the biggest special effects shots in film history were only possible because of models and miniatures.

die hard hans gruber death

Aug 13, 2018

The Science Project That Resulted in 'Die Hard's Most Killer Stunt

It's the three-decades-old shot that everyone remembers: up-close on the villainous Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) as he falls to his death from the Nakatomi building at the hands of John McClane (Bruce Willis) in John McTiernan's 1988 action thriller Die Hard.

Ant-man and the wasp

Jul 16, 2018

How 'Ant-Man and the Wasp' Created Its Stunning Quantum Realm

In Peyton Reed's Ant-Man and the Wasp, audiences get a whole new look at one of Marvel's multiverse locations -- the Quantum Realm.

jurassic world fallen kingdom

Jul 9, 2018

The Unexpected Techniques 'Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom' Used to Create Super-Realistic FX

There are some incredible animatronic and CGI dinosaurs in J.A.

Jun 5, 2018

The Characters You Thought Were All CGI in 'Solo' Were Actually Something Different

In this age of superhero and space-adventure blockbusters, you might think that most of the aliens and robots appearing in Ron Howard’s Solo were computer-generated.

The Battle of New York: An 'Avengers' Oral History

Apr 23, 2018

The Battle of New York: An 'Avengers' Oral History

"The Battle of New York was the end of the world.

Beauty and the beast

Jun 6, 2017

What It Took to Make Emma Watson's 'Beauty and the Beast' Costar Look Like a Beast

Disney's live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast earned more than $1.2 billion at the worldwide box office, making it the 10th biggest movie of all time.

May 22, 2017

How 'American Gods' Cut Off Emily Browning's Arm (Then Sewed It Back On)

There was a lot to take in during episode 4 of Starz's American Gods.

Starz American Gods

May 15, 2017

How 'American Gods' Pulled Off One of TV's Most Daring Sex Scenes

American Gods, now three episodes in, is already demonstrating its wares as one of the most intense shows around.

american gods sex scene

May 8, 2017

The Clever Story Behind 'American Gods' Human-Consuming Sex Scenes

In the first episode of Bryan Fuller's new fantasy series American Gods, Bilquis (Yetide Badaki), the ancient goddess of love, consumes a man mid-coitus, sucking him up through her vagina.

The Bloody Opening of 'American Gods' Episode 1 Has Its Own Secrets

May 1, 2017

The Bloody Opening of 'American Gods' Episode 1 Has Its Own Secrets

Read our deep dive interview with American Gods author, Neil Gaiman.