Great job, Internet!: Trove of Phil Tippett Studio work saved at liquidation sale is now online
Found in a folder of CD-ROMs and DVDs at the Tippett Studios liquidation sale, this collection contains high-res behind the scenes photos, production stills, animation tests from a modern master.
Image: Music Box Films
Tippett Studios, the animation house co-founded by Phil Tippett, the legendary stop-motion animator behind Star Wars, RoboCop, Jurassic Park, and more, and Jules Roman, his wife and Studio president, went bankrupt in 2024. It was a sad day for the largely unheralded stop-motion master who revolutionized special effects in numerous features that still generate sequels and merchandise based directly on his work. (In May, his animation featured in The Mandalorian And Grogu.) Earlier this year, the studio’s Berkeley, CA, offices were closed, and everything within was sold off in a liquidation sale, offering priceless artifacts from cinema history at bargain-bin prices. While much of that work is scattered to the wind, in late September, Internet Archive user tippettarchive uploaded 49.6 gigs of unseen and nearly lost high-resolution stills, photos, videos, and animation tests from Tippett Studio’s 42 years in the Bay Area. Where was this treasure trove? In a “giant folder of CD-ROMs and DVDs.” Physical media wins again.
Keep scrolling for more great stories.