An Inside Look at VFX: the Making of 'The Terminator' & 'Terminator 2: Judgement Day'

Watching behind-the-scenes videos of our favorite movies is almost tantamount to sitting in a film school lecture hall -- except it's not as boring and there are no PowerPoint presentations with bad clip art. If you're a big visual effects enthusiast or professional, or simply a James Cameron or Terminator franchise fan, then take some time to watch these videos of the making of The Terminator and Terminator 2. They both offer great information about the goings-on on and off-set, as well as an inside look of some of the VFX and makeup used in the films. Check them out after the jump.

I've probably watched T2 over 20 or 30 times. I couldn't get over the sound of Arnold's boots walking over gravel and broken glass, the shrill shrieking of Edward Furlong (who I had the hugest crush on,) or the coolness of a shotgun well spin-cocked atop a Harley fat boy.

The work Cameron, makeup artist Stan Winston, and VFX supervisor Gene Warren Jr. did on the Terminator series brought visual effects to a new level. And watching how it's all done is a real treat. The bit about the development of the endoskeleton was particularly interesting -- the different versions and models made, and how they chose when to use Arnold and the puppets and sculptures in different scenes.

So -- without further ado:

The Making of The Terminator

The Making of Terminator 2: Judgement Day

What do you think? What have these videos taught you about the inner workings of filmmaking and visual effects? Let us know in the comments.

[via Film making Express]