Editing Cinefex (section)

==Inception & publication history==
The magazine was founded by '''Don Shay''', who alone wrote and produced the first issue, released in March 1980, which covered the effects work in the films ''[[Alien (film)|Alien]]'' and ''[[Star Trek: The Motion Picture]]''. Earlier, Shay had written extensively on the [[Stop motion|stop-motion effects]] work in the original 1933 film ''[[King Kong (1933 film)|King Kong]]'', published in the British publication ''Focus on Film'', and had authored a definitive piece on the effects in ''[[Close Encounters of the Third Kind]]'' for the magazine ''[[Cinefantastique]]''. Shay had also published five issues of an earlier fantasy film magazine from 1962 to 1967, titled ''K'scope'' (for [[Kaleidoscope]], which appeared on the cover of the first issue), as well as collaborating with Ray Cabana on the one-shot magazine ''Candlelight Room'' in 1963.{{Citation needed|date=February 2025}}

In 2004, Don Shay received the Board of Directors Award from the [[Visual Effects Society]] for "illuminating the field of visual effects through his role as publisher of ''Cinefex''."<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last= |date=20 February 2019 |title=VES Honors |url=https://www.vesglobal.org/ves-honors/ |access-date=2024-07-28 |website=Visual Effects Society |language=en-US}}</ref> He was made a lifetime member of the VES in 2016.<ref name=":0" />

In 2014, Don Shay retired as publisher, handing the reins to his son Gregg Shay, who took over ownership in 2015.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Fordham |first=Joe |title=Adios Cinefex |url=https://flashfilms.us/Blog/Entries/2021/2/23_Adios_Cinefex.html |access-date=2025-02-08 |website=flashfilms.us}}</ref>

=== History ===
The magazine was entirely reader-supported for its first ten years. In 1990, advertising director Bill Lindsay launched an advertising program that enabled Shay to hire editor Jody Duncan, the publication's head writer for several years. In January 2001, associate editor Joe Fordham, who previously wrote for VFXPro, joined the staff. He had previously written a freelance article in Issue 77 (1999).<ref name=":1" />

In July 1999, Cinefex launched a website, with selected online [[featurette]]s meant to compliment the print publication.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Fordham |first=Joe |date=2021-08-10 |orig-date=1999-12-22 |title=Twenty Years With Cinefex Magazine |url=https://www.flashfilms.us/Blog/Entries/2021/8/10_Cinefex_Celebration.html |access-date=2025-02-08 |website=www.flashfilms.us}}</ref><ref name=":3" /> In 2009, it began publishing a digital version of its print edition online, that was otherwise identical to the printed version.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |date=2012-08-24 |title=FAQs about Cinefex iPad Edition |url=http://www.cinefex.com/faqs_ipad.html |access-date=2025-02-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120824144555/http://www.cinefex.com/faqs_ipad.html |archive-date=August 24, 2012 }}</ref> Beginning with Issue 127 (October 2011), ''Cinefex'' was made available digitally for the [[iPad]], featuring enhanced features such as embedded video and before and after comparisons of visual effects shots. Gradually, back issues of the magazine were also converted into digital copies, available for purchase in the app.<ref name=":4" />

In October 2013, Graham Edwards joined as a writer for the ''Cinefex'' blog,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Edwards |first=Graham |date=2013-10-01 |title=Launching Today – The Cinefex Blog |url=https://graham-edwards.com/2013/10/01/launching-today-the-cinefex-blog/ |access-date=2025-02-08 |website=Graham Edwards |language=en}}</ref> later transiting to become an author for the main publication.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Edwards |first=Graham |date=2013-12-18 |title="Formula For Fire" – My First Cinefex Article |url=https://graham-edwards.com/2013/12/18/formula-for-fire/ |access-date=2025-02-08 |website=Graham Edwards |language=en}}</ref> Edwards had previously written in 2011 a retrospective review of the first 40 issues of ''Cinefex'' that got the attention of publisher Don Shay.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-11-20 |title=Revisiting Cinefex |url=https://graham-edwards.com/revisiting-cinefex/ |access-date=2025-02-08 |website=Graham Edwards |language=en}}</ref>

A 2014 event presented by the [[Visual Effects Society]] and held at [[University of California, Los Angeles|UCLA]] celebrated "35 Years of ''Cinefex''" and featured a panel discussion with Don Shay and Jody Duncan, moderated by [[Matte World Digital]] founder Craig Barron.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cinefex 35th Anniversary Event- Part 1 - Visual Effects Society |url=https://www.vesglobal.org/video/cinefex-35th-anniversary-event-part-1/ |access-date=2025-02-08 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaWmiqluMeg |title=Cinefex 35th Anniversary Event – Part 1 |date=2014-09-15 |last=cinefexmagazine |access-date=2025-02-08 |via=YouTube}}</ref><ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdMx7MAEWpI |title=Cinefex 35th Anniversary Event – Part 2 |date=2014-09-15 |last=cinefexmagazine |access-date=2025-02-08 |via=YouTube}}</ref><ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Ia9o30lK_E |title=Cinefex 35th Anniversary Event – Part 3 |date=2014-09-15 |last=cinefexmagazine |access-date=2025-02-08 |via=YouTube}}</ref> The event highlighted the magazine's definitive coverage of the most explosive and innovative era in visual effects history, a period that saw the early use of [[motion control]] technology in ''[[The Empire Strikes Back]]'', the development of [[computer animation]] (showcased in the groundbreaking 1993 film ''[[Jurassic Park (film)|Jurassic Park]]''), the pinnacle of [[performance capture]] techniques, as executed in 2009's ''[[Avatar (2009 film)|Avatar]]'', as well as advancements in hydraulics and robotics employed in practical, in-camera effects.

In late 2015, as the quarterly magazine transitioned into bimonthly<!-- every other month, not twice a month --> publication, ''Cinefex'' blog editor Graham Edwards joined the team as a full-time writer.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2011-11-01 |title=Cinefex |url=https://graham-edwards.com/cinefex/ |access-date=2025-02-08 |website=Graham Edwards |language=en}}</ref>

As larger, better-funded magazines folded, ''Cinefex'' – once described in ''Hollywood Reporter'' as 'a niche survivor'{{citation needed|date=July 2021}} – expanded from quarterly to bimonthly publication beginning in 2016.

In its February 2021 issue, #172, ''Cinefex'' announced its final issue of the magazine after 40 years of publications. Gregg Shay, the magazine's publisher, cited the effects of [[COVID-19 pandemic]] as a reason for the magazine to officially end and discontinue its publication.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Hardawar |first1=Devindra |title=Farewell Cinefex, you unlocked the magic of VFX for everyone |url=https://www.engadget.com/cinefex-magazine-closing-151539278.html |access-date=May 5, 2021 |work=Engadget |date=February 24, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-02-23 |title=Cinefex on Twitter: "After 41 years of publication, we at #CinefexNOW are sad to report that Cinefex 172, just off the presses, will be our final issue. Many thanks to all our loyal fans.… |url=https://twitter.com/cinefexNOW/status/1364282780490682369 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210223193605/https://twitter.com/cinefexNOW/status/1364282780490682369 |archive-date=2021-02-23 |access-date=2025-02-08 |website=Twitter}}</ref>