My wife and I discovered your site while trying to feed our insatiable hunger for information on James Cameron's TITANIC. Just for your information, we're about 50, live just outside of Eugene, Oregon, and have a portrait and wedding photography studio. Just a couple of rural old farts, transplanted from L.A. thirty years ago.

But we also love movies. We love the art of making movies, of acting, of lighting, of cinematography, and of all the people, time, and talent that go into the art form.

"We are the audience they're working for, and we appreciate it."

We're the ones still sitting in the middle of the theatre after everyone's left, watching the credits.

With that in mind, we wanted to tell you two things:

First, we love the site! We're enjoying every discovery we find on it, and have given the URL to many of our friends.

Secondly, that was a fine, fine article on the "de-humanization" of special effects. Everything written--to the letter, and without exception--echoes exactly our feelings. We are astounded by the armies of dedicated artists and technicians that devote themselves to special effects; and dismayed by a misinformed public that thinks anything can be done "by computer" with no one at the helm. But, more than being astounded, we are greatly thankful for everything they do--from CG to modelmaking (hundreds of hours of work, only to have their work blown up) to matte painters, stop-motion artists and all their descendants. They bring the writer's and director's visions to life.

We are the audience they're working for, and we appreciate it. Please tell other special effects artists of all types that we are out there. And we notice.