"From
Father to Son"
Usually
this is a work that goes from father to son, like the old artisans, or
many other activities, where one is inclined to follow the family business, having
absorbed, even unconsciously since the birth, the
thousand secrets of a profession. Wasn’t like this for my father, that
chose a career completely different from his father, seduced from this
“world of celluloid”, (at that time the film negative was really
made of celluloid and was very inflammable) and was not easy for him to
find the way to work and create his prolific career. But we, my sister
Antonella and I, what we could find more fascinating then movies to
choose not to follows his business? Nothing...
Either
my sister and I, we have honored an Italian tradition following our
father’s job, also if in different department. Antonella begin her
work in the art department, as assistant art director for few years, but
after she decided to be closer to the director and becomes a very good
Continuity. A job almost unknown by the public, but fundamental. A
person who have to take control of all the small changes that happened during shooting respects to the script: who check if the dialogue is
correct, the positions of actors in the various shots, the correct
sequences of shooting for the editing, the exactness of the requirements
or the changes of costumes, taking notes of everything, and all this in
real time. I instead have followed my father steps exactly: assistant
director, screenwriter, Production, Direction, and Special Effects.
Certainly for me has been easier, because I could work with him in the
first films. But we both start from the bottom, and doing progress in
the career reporting with our learning. A facilitated escalation… but
an important school, from a great teacher.
Antonio
has teaches me everything, all what he knew, and that it could be useful
for me to find my way in this movie business. His teachings, sometimes
tough, that when I was young, I didn't
understand, have given me the capability of overcome with success
the many unexpected problems that this work forces you to face. Since I
was a child he has addressed me to become like him. My toys were models
to be assembled, and spaceships, construction tools, drawing boxes, and
getting bigger, cameras, typewriting machine, video and computers. I
remember when we build together some space models and then photograph
it,
suspended with invisible wire on a black star lighted background. He has
pushed me to a lot of passions, photographs, drawing, writing dozens of
short story for film that has never been realized. When I was twelve
years old, instead that on the set, he would bring me with him to assist
at the editing, explaining to me how to edit a sequence. Sometimes they
gave me double shots and discards, and a cutting room where I could
edited by myself, trying to imitate the scene that he had just finished,
and understand by myself what shots I need to obtain a functioning
editing. In the 1973, he started giving me some little construction job,
which I was doing at home, for his inevitable miniatures. For me it was
a sort of a play, but at the end it became a profession.
In
fact from 1980, and for over fifteen years, I realized the miniatures,
the models and the special effects constructions for all his films. I’ve
also made a company, the "Trickmaster", with all facilities
and effects laboratory, experimenting new techniques and new materials.
We made a big improvement with the quality of models and miniatures,
producing some special effects sequences that can compete with the big
budgeted American action movies. The teachings of Antonio, allowed
me to obtain successes and satisfactions in the many sectors in which I
have worked: from Special Effects, to Production, or Writing and
Directing, and for this, I will be always thankful to him.
Edoardo
Margheriti
