Eiji Tsuburaya
Eiji Tsuburaya ranks alongside Willis H. O'Brien and Ray Harryhausen as one of the great visionary SFX masters of twentieth-century fantasy cinema. Best remembered as the amazing special effects genius behind the "Godzilla" series of monster films commencing in 1954, he also contributed effects to a host of other Japanese monster / fantasy / science fiction / drama / propaganda films for over four decades.
Eiji Tsuburaya had a keen interest in the cinema from a young age, and legend has it that he acquired a second-hand movie projector when he was only ten years old, and pulled it apart and put it back together with relative ease. He began work as a cinematographer in Kyoto around 1919 and then enhanced his skills to include camera work throughout the 1920s, at which time his eye for detail was in high demand from many studios. Around 1938, he became head of Special Visual Techniques at Toho Studios, and during the Second World War, he was involved in the production of several Japanese propaganda films. He went freelance after the war, and in 1954 he collaborated with director Ishirô Honda on the monster epic Gojira (1954) (aka "Godzilla"). The film was an enormous hit in Japan, and additional scenes were filmed with US actor Raymond Burr and then inserted strategically to give the movie western appeal. "Godzilla, King Of The Monsters" was then released in the USA to strong box office takings, and Godzilla has since appeared in over two dozen films spanning over fifty years, becoming a key cult icon of Japanese culture!!
The incredibly talented Tsuburaya went on to be the SFX director behind dozens of Japanese monster & science fiction classics including Sora no daikiju Radon (1956) (aka "Rodan"), Bijo to ekitai ningen (1958) (aka "The H-Man"), Densô ningen (1960) (aka "The Telegian"), Mosura (1961) (aka "Mothra"), Kingu Kongu tai Gojira (1962) (aka "King Kong versus Godzilla"), Varan the Unbelievable (1962), Matango (1963), Furankenshutain tai chitei kaiju Baragon (1965) (aka "Frankenstein Conquers the World"), and Kaiju soshingeki (1968) (aka "Destroy All Monsters" ). Tsuburaya had also established his own production company in 1963 (Tsuburaya Productions), creators of the highly popular "Ultraman" character, and subsequent TV shows and films.
On January 25, 1970, while vacationing in Shizuoka Prefecture, Tsuburaya suffered a sudden, fatal heart attack. His incredible film & SFX production company is still active today under the guidance of his grandson, Kazuo Tsuburaya.
Fotos
Filme (124)
Shin Ultraman
2022 · Original Story
Monster SeaFood Wars
2020 · Original Story
Dragon Force: Rise of Ultraman
2019 · Original Concept
Dragon Force: So Long Ultraman
2017 · Original Concept
Ultraman - The Alien Invasion
1993 · Original Story
Ultraman: Terror on Route 87
1989 · Producer, Production Supervisor, Creator
Akio Jissoji's Ultraman
1979 · Executive Producer
Bloodthirsty Hawk
1977 · Special Effects
Godzilla
1977 · Visual Effects Director, Special Effects, Story, Visual Effects
Katango's War
1973 · Special Effects
Space Amoeba
1970 · Special Effects Supervisor
All Monsters Attack
1969 · Special Effects Supervisor, Special Effects, Editorial Consultant
Latitude Zero
1969 · Special Effects
Crazy Big Explosion
1969 · Special Effects, Visual Effects
Ultraman, Ultraseven: Great Violent Monster Fight
1969 · Producer, Production Supervisor, Creator
Motta, the Flying Dracula Monster
1969 · Special Effects
Destroy All Monsters
1968 · Special Effects Supervisor, Special Effects
Son of Godzilla
1967 · Special Effects, Special Effects Supervisor
King Kong Escapes
1967 · Visual Effects, Special Effects, Visual Effects Director
Ultraman: Monster Movie Feature
1967 · Production Supervisor, Creator, Producer
Do Your Best! Godzilla
1967 · Special Effects, Director
Ebirah, Horror of the Deep
1966 · Special Effects Supervisor, Special Effects
The War of the Gargantuas
1966 · Visual Effects, Visual Effects Director, Special Effects
Zero Fighter
1966 · Special Effects
The Birth of Ultraman
1966 · Creator
The Father of Ultra Q
1966
Adventure in Kigan Castle
1966 · Visual Effects Director, Special Effects
The Sword of Doom
1966 · Special Effects
Invasion of Astro-Monster
1965 · Special Effects, Visual Effects, Visual Effects Director
The Crazy Adventure
1965 · Special Effects
Frankenstein Conquers the World
1965 · Special Effects, Visual Effects Director
The Retreat from Kiska
1965 · Special Effects
Sinbad, Alibaba and Aladdin
1965 · Special Effects
None but the Brave
1965 · Visual Effects Director
Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster
1964 · Special Effects, Visual Effects, Visual Effects Director
Dogora
1964 · Special Effects, Visual Effects, Visual Effects Director
Mothra vs. Godzilla
1964 · Special Effects, Visual Effects Director, Visual Effects
Tiger Flight
1964 · Special Effects
Whirlwind
1964 · Visual Effects Director, Special Effects
Atragon
1963 · Special Effects Coordinator
Samurai Pirate
1963 · Special Effects, Visual Effects Director
Matango
1963 · Visual Effects, Special Effects, Visual Effects Director
King Kong vs. Godzilla
1963 · Special Effects, Visual Effects, Visual Effects Director
Siege of Fort Bismarck
1963 · Special Effects, Visual Effects Director
Attack Squadron
1963 · Special Effects, Visual Effects Director
Varan the Unbelievable
1962 · Visual Effects, Special Effects
Chûshingura
1962 · Special Effects
King Kong vs. Godzilla
1962 · Special Effects, Visual Effects Director, Visual Effects
Gorath
1962 · Special Effects, Visual Effects Director, Visual Effects
Valley of the Dragons
1961 · Special Effects
The Last War
1961 · Special Effects, Visual Effects, Visual Effects Director
Blood on the Sea
1961 · Special Effects
Mothra
1961 · Visual Effects, Visual Effects Director, Special Effects
Daredevil in the Castle
1961 · Special Effects Supervisor
The Human Vapor
1960 · Special Effects, Visual Effects, Visual Effects Director
The Storm of the Pacific
1960 · Special Effects, Visual Effects, Visual Effects Director
The Secret of the Telegian
1960 · Visual Effects, Visual Effects Director, Special Effects
Battle in Outer Space
1959 · Special Effects, Visual Effects Director, Visual Effects
The Three Treasures
1959 · Special Effects
Submarine I-57 Will Not Surrender
1959 · Special Effects Supervisor
Gigantis, the Fire Monster
1959 · Special Effects, Visual Effects, Visual Effects Director
The Adventures of Sun Wu Kung
1959 · Visual Effects Director, Special Effects
The Hidden Fortress
1958 · Visual Effects
Varan
1958 · Visual Effects Director, Special Effects
The Tale of the White Serpent
1958 · Visual Effects
The H-Man
1958 · Special Effects, Visual Effects Director
Song for a Bride
1958 · Special Effects, Visual Effects
The Mysterians
1957 · Special Effects, Visual Effects, Visual Effects Director
Tokyo 1960
1957 · Story, Special Effects, Visual Effects, Visual Effects Director
Rodan! The Flying Monster
1957 · Special Effects, Visual Effects Director
Half Human: The Story of the Abominable Snowman
1957 · Visual Effects, Special Effects, Visual Effects Director
Godzilla, the Monster of the Pacific Ocean
1957 · Visual Effects, Visual Effects Director, Story, Special Effects
The Paradise Island Story
1957 · Visual Effects
Throne of Blood
1957 · Visual Effects
Rodan
1956 · Visual Effects, Visual Effects Director, Special Effects
Pure Love
1956 · Special Effects Technician
The Legend of the White Serpent
1956 · Special Effects, Visual Effects, Visual Effects Director
Godzilla, King of the Monsters!
1956 · Story, Visual Effects Director, Special Effects, Visual Effects
Marital Relations
1955 · Visual Effects
Beast Man Snow Man
1955 · Special Effects, Visual Effects Director, Visual Effects
Godzilla Raids Again
1955 · Visual Effects Director, Special Effects
Silver Wheel
1955 · Special Effects
Invisible Man
1954 · Director of Photography, Special Effects, Visual Effects Director
Godzilla
1954 · Story, Visual Effects Director, Visual Effects, Special Effects
Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto
1954 · Visual Effects
Farewell Rabaul
1954 · Special Effects, Visual Effects Director
Sound of the Mountain
1954 · Special Effects
The Lovers
1953 · Special Effects
The Eagle of the Pacific
1953 · Special Effects, Visual Effects Director
Brilliant! The First Detective: Zenigata Heiji in His Youth
1953 · Visual Effects
Anatahan
1953 · Special Effects
The Man Who Came to Port
1952 · Special Effects
The Skin of the South
1952 · Special Effects
The Lady of Musashino
1951 · Visual Effects
Escape at Dawn
1950 · Special Effects
The Invisible Man Appears
1949 · Special Effects, Visual Effects Director
Hanakurabe tanuki-den
1949 · Special Effects, Visual Effects Director
White-haired Demon
1949 · Special Effects, Visual Effects Director
Lady From Hell
1949 · Special Effects, Visual Effects Director
A Thousand and One Nights with Toho
1947 · Special Effects Supervisor
Lord for a Night
1946 · Special Effects
A Descendant of Urashima Taro
1946 · Special Effects
Five Tokyo Men
1945 · Special Effects
Until Victory Day
1945 · Special Effects
Colonel Kato's Falcon Squadron
1944 · Special Effects, Visual Effects Director
Searing Wind
1943 · Special Effects
Military Song of the Morning Mist
1943 · Special Effects
World of Love
1943 · Special Effects
Hyoroku's Dream Tale
1943 · Special Effects
音楽大進軍
1943 · Special Effects
The Opium War
1943 · Special Effects
The War at Sea from Hawaii to Malaya
1942 · Special Effects, Visual Effects Director
Wings of Victory
1942 · Special Effects, Visual Effects Director
Bouquet of the South Seas
1942 · VFX Director of Photography
Ramayana
1942 · Screenplay, Special Effects
Navy Bomb Squadron
1940 · Visual Effects
The Burning Sky
1940 · Special Effects, Visual Effects Director
Across the Equator
1936 · Director, Cinematography
Kaguya Hime
1935 · Director of Photography
Chorus of a Million People
1935 · Director of Photography
Reimei izen
1931 · Cinematography
Yôma kitan
1929 · Cinematography
Castle of Wind and Clouds
1928 · Director of Photography
A Page of Madness
1926 · Assistant Camera
Serien (8)
Ultraman Teo
2026 · Original Concept
Ultraman R/B
2018 · Creator
Neo Ultra Q
2013 · Creator
Operation: Mystery
1968 · Producer, Production Supervisor
Mighty Jack
1968 · Creator
Ultraseven
1967 · Production Supervisor, Producer
Ultraman
1966 · Production Supervisor, Producer
Ultra Q
1966 · Production Supervisor, Producer