The man behind the flames of 'Ghost Rider'

The man behind the flames of 'Ghost Rider'

Moviegoers and our fans were blown away by the incredible visual effects seen in Ghost Rider, a thrilling action film starring Nicolas Cage and Eva Mendes. The effects reminded our fans of the sound, elaborate sets, pyro and, of course, the unpredictable action of the WWE Superstars that's seen at our live events each week.

Kevin Mack, Image Works visual effects supervisor and Academy award winner, appreciates the time and effort WWE goes through to visually please and excite our fans. In addition to Ghost Rider, which is released on DVD this Tuesday, the talented Mack has worked on major films such as Fight Club, Vanilla Sky, The Grinch that Stole Christmas and What Dreams May Come.

"It's a fun gig and it's great that I get to do what I love for a living," Mack said. "To see all of my hard work on the big screen…it's just an amazing feeling."

Having an extensive knowledge of what it takes to put together a major production, Mack is a huge admirer of the short amount of time it takes WWE to put together a live event. WWE also has a high regard for Mack's creativity and the time-consuming process it takes for him to put a film together.

"To complete a film such as Ghost Rider, it can take anywhere from one to two years from start to finish," Mack said.  "It's quite a long process. There's pre-production, consulting the development, working on the actual production and post-production."

It is without question that Mack utilizes a great deal of time, energy and creative ideas to make the visual effects happen successfully. For Mack, it takes an entire year or more to achieve the spectacle of an action film and have it completed in time for its release date. In WWE, there are no re-takes. The action happens live, right in front of our fans. Therefore, anything can happen.

John Cena's WrestleMania 23 entrance is just an example of the mind-blowing and intense action that can be seen at WWE live events. Cena drove his vehicle around Detroit and blasted through a plate glass window. Also smoky entrances like Undertaker's and fiery entrances like Kane's are not something that many would forget in person.

Speaking of fire, Mack is particularly proud of one computer-generated visual effect—
the fiery Ghost Rider seen throughout the film. Just as WWE makes it a priority to please the fans with the pyro, sound and action, so does Mack, who continues to work hard to develop amazing scenes through Image Works, and will continue to produce films in the future.

"I am doing a few things in development on another project right now. Can't really talk about it yet, its top secret," he hinted.

WWE Shows Latest Results

View all Shows