Rainman




The live action portion of this dockside scene was shot in San Pedro, California. The lower part of the ship was actually plywood, and the painting took over in the upper area. The Los Angeles skyline was painted into the shot because the producers wanted a way of immediately setting up the location in the film.

Matte paintings (traditional or digital) are painted to mimic the look of reality as seen by a motion picture camera. It is important to resist overstating elaborate detail that might be interesting to see on an easel painting or a computer monitor, as this can cause an overemphasis of visual information that of itself can end up looking stylized and unrealistic.

Painting with blackened areas allowing for the exposure of the live action.