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Show DAILY D2 ing up the film's 450 effects shots not quite as many as s in "Transformthe Continued from D 1 ers," but more than you might Helman, who previously expect from a worked w ith Spielberg on character from the 1950s. "Munich" and "War of the About 300 artists and editors worked for eight months in Worlds," was tasked with fantastic post production on a high-teccreating realistic-ye- t environments and creatures computer network at ILM's offor "Crystal Skull," which finds fices inside the Presidio of San Jones traipsing from New Eng- Francisco, a long way from the land to New Mexico, Peru and "Raiders of the Lost Ark" and the Amazon. Working on the "Temple of Doom" days, when "Indiana Jones" special effects "Indy" franchise for the first time was a daunting task for mostly consisted of miniature sets and a few effects guru. the low-ke- y "It's horrifying to work on a mash-up"The only reason why they movie that has this many fans, but at the same time, it's an weren't using computer-generate- d effects back then is opportunity and a challenge," Helman told The Associated because they weren't invented Press at the ILM offices less yet, but they were using the than a week before its release. most technology at "I think we were all very, very the time," said Helman, who finished his work on "Crystal respectful of the other three "So it only movies but also to the fans. All Skull" in follows that we would do the the effects work that we're " same thing now." doing are completely In the film's biggest action That is if your reality insequence, Jones and company cludes a blooming atomic battle Russian soldiers and mushroom cloud, seemingly play hot potato with the "Crysendless Area 51 warehouse, tal Skull," all while careening vicious monkey army, the through a fertile Amazonian City of Gold, thousands of jungle riding atop military vehicles. WTien not dodging trees ants and sundry otherworldly things. All those and palm fronds, the jeeps locales and critters were creplow through enough vegetaated by Helman and his ILM tion to give an arborist heart team for "Crystal Skull," mak palpitations. Indy 600-plu- d -- h blue-scre- s. mid-Apri- L reality-based.- man-eatin- g HERALD Sunday, May 25, 2008 on two of the "Star Wars" films. "You give the computer this gravity, this mass, this amount of wind and see what happens." That means instead of crafting movement for every vine and leaf that Indy & co. hammer through, visual effects artists were able to drag and drop virtual vegetation programmed to react to the vehicles' presence and actors' movements. It's an application that's long become de rigueur for video games, and come full circle to the big screen. Even though they were going for something organic, Helman said the filmmakers took some liberties with the - laws of physics more gravFRANCOIS MORIAssociated Press ity, more mass, more wind Steven Spielberg, George Lucas and Harrison Ford gesture as they arrive for the premiere of the to "make it more cinematic." The result is a highly defilm 'Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" during the 61st annual Cannes Film Festival in southern France on May 18, tailed chase scene that's far different from Indy's landmark escape from a giant roll"The script calls for a virgin more sparse jungle in Hawaii using a new digital-effect- s ing ball of a boulder in "RaidHelman traveled to Argentina, technique. The result is a fictiers of the Lost Ark." And it's jungle, but there's not one we could safely run four vehicles where he was born, and Brazil tious jungle, one with its own just one of the many effects to capture images that would Helman and his crew created look, layout and laws of physthrough," said Helman. "We could've approached it in a be used to craft the jungles-capfor the film. ics, that only exists inside the more modern way on a big including a looming cliff However, there's one thing computers at ILM. "The whole film for us has where part of the chase takes that he insists didn't receive a stage with a blue screen, but that's not the way we did it. been really big on particle computer-generatemakeover place. We basically shot it the same At the ILM offices, Helman simulation, which is creating this time around: Indy's signa-- , an environment inside of a and his team meshed the Ha- ture accessories. way we would've shot it 20 waiian footage with the Brazil- computer and telling the com"We did not generate whips years ago." ian and Argentinian imagery, or hats," he said, cracking a Spielberg filmed the purputer the rules of the world," suit scene on dirt roads in a said Helman, who also worked smile. "Let me tell you that." adding huge swathes of flora Armed with information, the Rippys asked to be added to the agenda of a Lehi City Council meeting, and told the council members what they'd 1 e, d wonderf ul people who were willing to come and help us tutor." The operation quickly began to grow, and in 2002, Lehi city officials moved the Rippys's operation into a wing of the newly of the center's key programs is to encourage the children and adults who receive instruction at the center Continued from Dl to reenlist, so to speak. "The children learned. 59, said that her mom doesn't like come through our program and then "I had stats on how criminal reto be in the spotlight. On the other we invite them to come back and help hand, L'Oreal's recognition included a cords are related to illiteracy," Rippy remodeled Lehi City Public Library, out," she said. "They're our tutors in said. "I think I told them everybody , and officially christened the new loca- training." $5,000 charitable gift, and Rippy said that she's always happy to accommo- would love them if they got illiteracy tion the Rippy Literacy Center. Rippy has other, more direct ways date donations. "She would never have chosen of inspiring loyalty to the center. down because there would be less that," said Merrill, "but I think it was When children show up, she said, Anyone who'd like to help the liter- crime." a good thing." The Rippys pledged to lead the acy center financially, she said, "Just "they can't leave the center without a give a shout. We'll do a cartwheel and fight, Rippy said, if they could get a Rippy is just happy that the city has Tootsie Roll." be right over." That's the sort of thing that you place to start a literacy center, as well so consistently supported her vision of improving literacy. "They have as a chair, a desk and phone, a booklearn as a grandparent Rippy has been fantastic, they have absolutely case "and a used computer, if they seven grandchildren and 21 greatFrom humble beginnings been wonderful," she said, of city offi- grandchildren, with two more on the had one." v You get the impression that Rippy The presentation was especially cials. "If every city were like Lehi, the way. She likes to keep tabs on all of stats would change a lot." them and hosts family dinners at her really would do a cartwheel, if she impressive to then-Lemayor Ken Greenwood. "He took us in his car home, she said, "every third Sunday. thought it would help. "She has the drive and capacity to succeed at anyaround to every place in Lehi that That's about my social life right Love and a Tootsie Roll he thought might let us come in and now." thing she does," said Miller, "and she does things 110 percent." On Fridays and Saturdays, when teach," said Rippy. Especially, some would say, if The search ended at the Lehi Arts the center is closed, Rippy runs erRippy said she doesn't know every city also had a fireplug like whether all LDS stakes have literacy Center, where the literacy center was Rippy. Nancy Weitzel, who's known rands and keeps house forlierself and born in an office 8.5 feet by 9.5 feet. specialists, but she does recall that, Rippy since 1972 and works with her her stepmother. She likes, in 1997, the Relief Society, the LDS After that, the Rippys began making at the center, said that "love" and to watch the news on television, and calls and posting notices to let people "dedication" are the words that best does some reading as well.T mostly organization for women, was in the midst of a drive to emphasize literacy describe her longtime friend. know they were starting a literacy LDS Church-theme- d books, and some and teach reading. "I am the luckiest person in the center and needed tutors. historical fiction. , One of the first things that she did "We got all kinds of different anworld to be able to spend every day (Rippy's been reading herself was to visit local school officials and swers" when they would ask people with her," Weitzel said. since before she started school her find out how many local children about volunteering, Rippy said. The devotion to literacy is conearliest memory of reading is that were reading below grade level. she surprised her parents, both now "Fortunately, we started to find some tagious. Weitzel, 57, said that one Rippy deceased, by reading words from a cereal box.) The biggest part of her time each week, however, is taken up by helping people learn to read, in Lehi and ejsewhere: The success and growth of the Rippy Literacy Center has attracted interest from people with aims in other states, and Rippy is always happy to share what she's learned. Merrill said her mother doesn't have many hobbies, and doesn't really need them. "I think she just really enjoys serving people," Merrill said. "She finds joy in doing things for like-mind- .'. said she'd even like to continue pitching in from beyond the grave her biggest ambition for the literacy center is to raise funds for a permanent endowment "so that when I'm gone, the center won't be." The money may or may not ."become available, but the center 'seems certain to live on, even if only through the growth and improved opportunities of the people it's changed. Hesther Rippy's endowment of caring, and dedication should more than see to that. , Sffl II' I liGHffiK? t I can be reached at or cclarkheraldextra.com. Cody Clark 344-254- LCD? MfcTimrrrn is" jf" i In ? One of the best live ' " Little River Band iusds spontanea their classic rock 'n rcl! hits Pv". Lonesome Loser, Cool Cbw; Lady and Me It Easy Or? p."? 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