Welcome!
. CineSecrets provides a uniquely revealing look at Star Wars and 50 other movies from the unique perspective of Star Wars veteran Nick Maley. Nick was a senior tech. in the ESB creature workshop when Nick Dudman (creature supervisor for the Prequel Trilogy) joined as a trainee. He was closely involved in the creation of Yoda and is an old friend of Nick Gillard (Prequils stunt coordinator) and Paul Englen (responsible for Darth Maul and other make-up) too.
If you're new to the site You have several options. By following the links in the index to the left you will access a series if indexes that list files by subject. Currently, amongst our files we include: Tons of rare STAR WARS photos and inside information. Before you copy my files PLEASE read this
The most accurate information ANYWHERE on how the original Yoda was built.
The inside story of the main unit shoot of The Cantina
Nick's memories of George Lucas, Dick Smith, Nick Dudman (Creature designer of the Star Wars prequels) numerous stars and many more.
Behind the scene photos of the STAR WARS Creature Effects crew with Chewie, Yoda, the Wampa and Bib Fortuna.
The people who were in those STAR WARS creature suits.
40 pages of Nick's comments about STAR WARS Episode I. Where to find the latest prequal info and Nick's insights into many of the personalities currently involved in the new movie (due to be released in 1999).
Found someone you have! ..
The new Yoda for Episode I and it's animatronic mechanism!
Inside stoies about what it's like to break into movies, the hard times and the triumphs of making it through to work with the industry's biggest names including many untold stories about movie and music superstars.
Real technical details of about effects were done and insights into how movie companies really operate.
Tales from the birth of movie animatronics and the crazy antics of pros letting off steam.
An inside look at the effects in SUPERMAN you didn't even notice were there and memories of Christopher Reeve and other stars in the early days of SUPERMAN I
Step by step details of prosthetic make-ups and techniques used in assorted movies.
Nick Maley is the guy behind the prosthetic, and animatronic transformation techniques from LIFEFORCE (have you looked at those transformation sequences? .......done without the aid of CGI.... built and filmed in just 8 weeks). He built the Molisar suits and decaying corpses of THE KEEP and another world of creature effects for KRULL. He worked directly with Director Russell Mulcahy to design HIGHLANDER's Quickening and Gathering effects, oversaw the concepts into storyboards with artist Tony Beesley (including a Kurgan creature sequence that you never saw) and created the decapitation effects.
UNFORTUNATELY, with Nick so busy meeting up to 2 million cruise passengers a year, we are too busy to update these pages as we would like. Some files are well out of date. But the bulk of our info, inside stories about the making of over 50 movies, is still relevant. We apologize if a few pages (such as the quiz) are no longer functioning. PLEASE BEAR WITH US.
You might also want to browse the new web hub YodaGuy.com with info on how to meet Nick and easy access to his bio and filmography.
These pages are still being compiled. Over the coming months (and years) Nick will tell the stories behind the making of the 53 movies he contributed to. Watch as CinéSecrets grows to become a favorite place for movie fans seeking the rare information that only come from a movie insider's biographical archives...... a huge collection of memoirs, insights and lots of stuff you just won't find anywhere else. The 230 pages that we have now is a fraction (probably 10%) of what we have in store for movie & special effect make-up fans so bookmark this page now....
Star Wars artwork....
The 16x20 version of Nick's autobiographical painting "Follow Your Star", is now sold out. But there is an 8x10 available. The autobiographical work is NOT A SCENE FROM STAR WARS. Nick describes it as a "self portrait" A symbolic work about Nick's life, his involvement with Yoda and the journey he made from making movies to living in the Caribbean. A second print, Memories of Degobah is even more popular, and features Nick with Stu Freeborn and Frank Oz and differnt versions of Yoda created for ESB. Island Arts Galleries in Antigua and Planet Paradise in St Maarten are now the only gallery autherized to sell these lithographs which are undoubtedly THE RAREST OF ALL STAR WARS PRINTS. Email for information on other RARE SW memorabillia.
In 1998 Nick went back to UK to visit his old boss Stuart Freeborn... creature designer of the classic trilogy. He recorded a lot of Stuart's memours for new Star Wars pages here at CineSecrets.com. It gave Nick the opportunity to directly compare the new Yoda with the old and determine what we might expect of Yoda in Episode II. There are many photos that very clearly show the the differences Nick predicted back in September 97 were 100% accurate which gives creadence to his new prediction that we WILL see a digital Yoda in Ep. II
Those files will be released a few months before the next Star Wars.
While you are waiting you might like to check out Nick's extensive analysis of the new Yoda puppet (concept, modelling and mechanism) thich was released in 98 but still hold true today.
One of the casualties of last year's hurricanes in Antigua, Nick's Caribbean home, was Nick's eTales venture. eTales Productions Ltd is a company aimed at creating interactive drama for the internet. The company is a partnership between Nick and Joe Stafura - C.O.O. of USWeb's Pittsburgh based Electronic Images Division. Their first production SEASONS IN THE SUN was expected to start shooting this year. Unfortunately delays caused by the hurricane have undermined our financing and the project is temporarily shelved until financing can be re-organized.
We can't say at this time when we will be able to progress further but, if you have a driving ambition to make entertainment, can totally dedicate yourself to the job in hand and would like us to know of your existance , enthusiasm and experience..... log in at the eTales Contacts Register. Do NOT email Nick or Joe or USWeb about this project. USWeb is NOT directly involved in the project at this time (although they may be consulted on certain aspects of post production and marketing at a later date. Nick & Joe are too busy to reply to individuals right now. The best thing you can do is leave full particulars on the register. IF YOU MUST email me..... Ergo@CineSecrets.com
Nick plans to use many newcomers to the entertainment world on the eTales production crew, (under the guidence of seasoned professionals where necessary). They will be trained on the job according to Nick's philosophy of encouraging the development of young creative minds whilst devising new techniques for the production and presention of entertainment. Check out the ORIGINAL DETAILS
The eagerly awaited making of Yoda part III completed Nick's files on the Yoda created for THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK. These files are undoubtedly the most intricate and surprising documents ever published on the subject and provide the kind of unique insight that caused the BBC to name CineSecrets "Best of the Web - Special Effects". If you haven't read the previous files you should start with The background to the STAR WARS creature design and continue with The making of Yoda Parts I, II & III.
The Lost Kurgan from HIGHLANDER. Never revealed information about a creature design that never made it to the big screen.
While we were looking at the Kurgan we also added a new PhotoFeature of Kurgan images.
For the special effects make-up minded.... we offer Nick's revealing description of the prothetics used for the Punk Kurgan
Amongst recently added files also for the special effects make-up minded is an insight into the evolution of movie make-up and the part foam latex played in the evolution of special effects make-up.
In addition we recently extended our CrewProfiles to include a page on MFX veteran Dick Smith, whose influence on a couple of generations of special effect make-up artists, (incliding Rick Baker & Stan Winston), has been immeasurable.
In August last year we are introducing a fun new way to navigate the site. Hidden on most pages is a secret link to the CineSecret Trivia Files containing hundreds of quotes and questions derived from the CineSecret Archives. The link is a pair of eyes that only blink occasionally like this ---->....<--- (if you don't see anything... wait for the eyes to blink!) Click on the eyes to get a question chosen at random. You can test your knowledge and link to associated files at the same time! Watch out for the hidden link as you browse our pages. (If you don't want to search out the links you can take the easy route.... via Trivia Files in the Index).
Since Nick doesn't have the time to respond to all the email written to him by students and fans asking for books and sites on movies and effects we created the CineSecrets Archives..... in January. It's a page of Movie Links that includes many sites and resources about special effects and make-up. We are sure it will aid enthusiasts in their quest for more information (and diminish our email a lot). This page will be updated constantly as we find new sites.
Nick's Island Art Online is 95% completed. Due to other commitments he isn't painting as much as he would like.
Ergo...........................