Tippett Studio is a visual effects company specializing in computer-generated imagery (CGI) for movies and television commercials. Animation pioneer Phil Tippett founded the studio in 1984 as a place where artists and filmmakers could come together to create fantastic images of enormous complexity and beauty while maintaining a non-corporate, hands-on, filmmaker-friendly environment with his partners Jules Roman and Craig Hayes.
Tippett Studio has created visual effects and animations on over 50 feature films and commercials, garnering multiple Academy Awards nominations, and one win for Jurassic Park, four Clio awards for the Carl & Ray Blockbuster commercials, and two Emmy Awards for Dinosaur! and Ewoks: The Battle for Endor.
History[]
Tippett Studio first began as a stop-motion animation company, designing and building live action props for movies like RoboCop, Robocop 2, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, and Ghost. In 1991, Tippett Studio embraced the change to computer-generated imagery for Jurassic Park by developing the Digital Input Device (DID). Designed by Craig Hayes, the DID was an important new effects technology which places computer-linked sensors into the moving joints of three dimensional, articulated character models. This innovation earned Craig a Scientific and Technical Achievement Academy Award and the work on Jurassic Park earned the studio an Oscar. Creature animation work for Coneheads was the last stop-motion puppet project done by this company.
1997 saw the release of Starship Troopers, at the time Tippett Studio’s biggest project, with over 500 effects shots. Phil Tippett co-directed, with Paul Verhoeven, the large-scale battle sequences. The studio doubled in size to digitally animate and composite hundreds of creature shots for the film. The work resulted in another Academy Award nomination.
Early in 2000 the studio re-teamed with Paul Verhoeven on Hollow Man. Craig Hayes co-supervised the creation of the invisible Sebastian whose outline becomes visible in steam, rain, water and even blood. The outstanding visual effects was recognized with another Academy Award nomination.
The company currently consists of approximately 150 employees, with offices located in Berkeley, California.
Motion picture filmography[]
- 2011 Priest
- 2010 Enthiran
- 2010 Eclipse
- 2009 New Moon
- 2009 Drag Me to Hell
- 2008 The Spiderwick Chronicles
- 2008 Cloverfield
- 2007 Enchanted
- 2006 Charlotte's Web
- 2006 Santa Clause 3
- 2006 The Shaggy Dog
- 2005 The Adventures of Shark Boy and Lava Girl in 3-D
- 2005 Son of the Mask
- 2005 Constantine
- 2004 Catwoman
- 2004 The Stepford Wives
- 2004 Hellboy
- 2004 Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation
- 2003 The Matrix Revolutions
- 2003 The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
- 2002 The Santa Clause 2
- 2002 Men in Black II
- 2002 The Ring
- 2002 Blade II
- 2001 Evolution
- 2001 Cats & Dogs
- 2001 The One
- 2000 Hollow Man
- 2000 Mission to Mars
- 1999 Bicentennial Man
- 1999 The Haunting
- 1999 Komodo
- 1999 My Favorite Martian
- 1999 Virus
- 1998 Practical Magic
- 1998 Armageddon
- 1997 Starship Troopers
- 1996 Dragonheart
- 1996 Tremors 2: Aftershocks
- 1995 Three Wishes
- 1993 RoboCop 3
- 1993 Coneheads
- 1993 Jurassic Park
- 1990 RoboCop 2
- 1989 Honey, I Shrunk The Kids
- 1989 Ghostbusters 2
- 1988 Willow
- 1987 RoboCop
- 1986 The Golden Child
- 1986 Howard the Duck
- 1985 Ewoks: The Battle for Endor
- 1985 Dinosaur!
- 1984 Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure
- 1984 Prehistoric Beast
Commerical credits list[]
- 2006 Milka Chocolate: Grainwave
- 2006 Milka Chocolate: Tender Moment
- 2006 Milka Chocolate: Christmas
- 2006 Milka Chocolate: Easter
- 2006 Quaker State: Entrance Ramp
- 2005 Chevy Impala: Arrival
- 2005 Chevy Impala: Mirror
- 2005 Chevy Impala: Savannah
- 2005 Milka Chocolate: Eagle
- 2005 Milka Chocolate: Downhill
- 2005 Chevy: Record
- 2005 Quaker State: You Get What You Paid For
- 2004 Nine Lives: New Master
- 2004 Kibbles 'n Bits: Dance
- 2004 Kibbles 'n Bits: Steak
- 2004 Sirius Satellite Radio: Head Out The Window
- 2004 Sirius Satellite Radio: Santa
- 2003 Blockbuster: Carl & Ray "Hair in Curlers"
- 2003 Blockbuster: Carl & Ray "Freedom Pass Out"
- 2003 Blockbuster: Carl & Ray "Goodbye"
- 2003 Blockbuster: Carl & Ray "Tunnel"
- 2004 Kibbles 'n Bits: Chair
- 2002 Blockbuster: Carl & Ray "Gotta Dance"
- 2002 Blockbuster: Carl & Ray "Tricks"
- 2002 Blockbuster: Carl & Ray "Kung Fu"
- 2002 Blockbuster: Carl & Ray "Prima Donna"
- 2002 Blockbuster: Carl & Ray "Rabbit Ears"
- 2002 Blockbuster: Carl & Ray "Mouse Click"
- 2002 Capital One: Mailbox
- 2002 Capital One: Troll
Awards and nominations[]
===Film ===
- 2000: Hollow Man - Academy Award Nomination - Best Visual Effects
- 1997: Starship Troopers - Academy Award Nomination - Best Visual Effects
- 1995: Dragonheart - Academy Award Nomination - Best Visual Effects
- 1993: Jurassic Park - Academy Award - Best Visual Effects
- 1988: Willow - Academy Award Nomination - Best Visual Effects
- 1985: Dinosaur! - Emmy Award - Best Visual Effects
- 1984: Ewoks: The Battle for Endor - Emmy Award - Best Visual Effects
- 1983: Return of the Jedi - Academy Award - Best Visual Effects
1982: Dragonslayer - Academy Award Nomination - Best Visual Effects
===Commercials ===
- 2002: Blockbuster Video, Carl & Ray: Kung Fu - Clio Award, Gold - Computer Animation
- 2002: Blockbuster Video, Carl & Ray: Gotta Dance - Clio Award, Bronze - Computer Animation
2002: Blockbuster Video, Carl & Ray: Prima Donna - Clio Award, Bronze - Computer Animation