Derek meddings biography james bond 007 2016

James Bond special effects genius Derek Meddings - born in London on January 15, 1931 - passed away in London on September 10, 1995.

Obituary:(from The Independent)
The work of Derek Meddings thrilled millions of moviegoers, yet only a small percentage could actually name the man responsible for the special effects of the James Bond filmsof the 1970s and Hollywood blockbusters like Superman(1978).

Within the industry, the reverse was true: American film-makers came to Pinewood Studiosbecause of the international reputation of British technicians, and Meddings was one of the best.

His father had been a carpenter at Denham Studios and his mother variously Merle Oberon's stand-in and Alex Korda's secretary, but it was not until the late 1940s that Derek was able to use his art school training to get a job there, lettering credit titles.

The first break came when he met the special