A significant collection of unseen behind-the-scenes materials from iconic films like Star Wars, The Matrix, and Jurassic Park has been made available online following the closure of legendary special effects artist Phil Tippett’s studio. The materials were discovered and digitized by a fan who attended a recent studio liquidation sale.
Tippett, renowned for his pioneering stop-motion animation and creature design, closed his Berkeley, California-based studio after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. His career spans decades and includes contributions to numerous blockbuster films. A large binder of CDs purchased at the liquidation sale contained a treasure trove of digital assets spanning his extensive filmography.
The archivist who acquired the discs realized the unique value of the contents, noting that much of the material was not available elsewhere and was unlikely to be preserved. Consequently, they digitized approximately 90 key, non-duplicated discs from Tippett’s archives and uploaded the resulting .ISO image files to the Internet Archive.
The collection offers a wealth of new glimpses into the creation of beloved movies. Included are behind-the-scenes images from A New Hope, detailing the famous cantina scene, as well as stills of stop-motion and puppet creatures such as the hologram chess pieces and the trash compactor monster. The archive also features materials from other major productions, including the construction of RoboCop's ED-209, texture files for Abe Sapien from Hellboy, wireframe data from Jurassic Park, and photographs from Ray Harryhausen's 90th birthday celebration.
The Internet Archive has previously become a repository for lost or leaked media from both video games and film. This particular upload, however, carries a bittersweet context, preserving physical artifacts of practical effects work as digital filmmaking becomes more prevalent in Hollywood. While Tippett's studio has closed, he has indicated he is not yet ready to retire, continuing his passion project Mad God.