Re: Remember Phil Tippett's Prehistoric Beast?

[Danvarner@aol.com]

In a message dated 9/23/2006 2:59:27 PM Eastern  Standard Time, 
timgeocity@hotmail.com writes:
<< Remember Phil  Tippett's 10 minute experimental film, Prehistoric Beast 
(1983-85)? Tell me  all about it. >>
"Prehistoric Beast"is best known  now as the animation sequences in the 1985 
CBS documentary television  production, "Dinosaur!", starring Christopher 
Reeve. After his Oscar-winning  work on "Return of the Jedi", Tippett took 
leave 
of Industrial Light and Magic  and animated "Prehistoric Beast" in his garage 
using dinosaur models created by  Randy Dutra. Tippett consulted with master 
artist Doug Henderson on the design  of this film and its dinosaurs. The 
finished television program with Reeve won  an Emmy for Tippett for special 
effects.
It's interesting  to note that PB's pair of Deinonychus do some of the same 
stage business that  Tippett's "raptors" do in "Jurassic Park". One of the 
Deinonychus models was  retrofitted with wings as a flying dragon in the CBS TV 
production, "The Battle  for Endor".
"Prehistoric Beast" was a little masterpiece  of stop motion animation 
animation and it's regretful the the artform in Phil  Tippett's hands has gone 
into 
eclipse. He was the next Harryhausen. DV